Are you ready for the Fourth of July? It’s coming up next week! Thursday is the day which makes for a nice possibility for an extra long weekend away. If you’re staying near home and want something fun to do with the kids, here’s a novel idea: have a Fourth of July scavenger hunt! We did this a couple of years ago and it was SO much fun! And good news: I have a printable all set for you, so before you start up the grill, download this fun and easy activity, and keep the kids engaged all day!
Things to do on the 4th of July
The Fourth of July is the first (and only) holiday in the US over the summer, so it’s a great time to spend time together as a family. Many people have traditions, meeting with friends, family and neighbors. Others head out to watch daytime parades, hit the beach, go camping, or stay up late to watch the fireworks!
For our family, the beginning of July is usually the very first week of summer vacation for the kids! Many times we are traveling, but if we are home it can actually be a pretty quiet and low key day since so many people are out of town!
Daytime Activity for the Fourth of July:
Things we have done on the 4th of July when we don’t have “big” plans:
- Head to the park with bikes and/or scooters
- Picnic in a park
- Sidewalk chalk drawings
- Water balloons! (not eco friendly, but we let them play with them once or twice a summer because they love it so much!)
- Baseball and soccer, or running around with a ball for the littlest ones
- Nature exploration…or city exploration!
- Stay up late to watch the fireworks
- Scavenger hunt…let me explain:
A couple of years ago I hand drew a Fourth of July scavenger hunt for the kids, as a day-long activity for them. It was seriously the best time, as we could walk around different neighborhoods, something kids are not naturally attracted to doing.
For whatever reason, people watching and exploring coffee shops is not their cup of tea. (I can see where they’re coming from, LOL!) This activity, however, kept them super engaged, and us adults were happy to check out some new places!
And then the following year, I wanted to do something similar…and as you can see, this wasn’t the most efficient method of recreating an activity.
This year our littlest one, A, is three years old, and I thought a Fourth of July scavenger hunt would be perfect for her! So…I got smart and made a printable we could use over and over again!
A Scavenger Hunt for All Ages:
I intentionally didn’t label the objects in the Fourth of July Scavenger Hunt, as I wanted to leave some margin for interpretation. Is it a red balloon or any balloon? Fireworks or a sparkler? Is it any ice cream or must it be a popsicle? Make your own rules!
The printable should work in color but still be clear if you print it in black and white. I probably will!
Grab your printable Fourth of July scavenger hunt, right here. It’ll arrive straight to your inbox (and no other spam, I promise).
What do you usually do on the 4th of July? Any fun family traditions we should add?
