Have a fun, happy, and safe Independence Day with these easy 4th of July Activities.
When it comes to July 4th, there is usually a day off of work in the middle of an otherwise normal work week. Even if you don’t get the whole day off, you’ll look forward an evening loaded with celebration opportunities.
4th of July Activities
What to Do?
With the kids in the midstream of their summer vacation, and you off work but sometimes without the long weekend, what you end up with is time on your hands and a house full of kids proclaiming their boredom. This is not a problem! Make the very most of your day off together. You might only have 24 hours on the time off clock, but there is so much to do.
Make your 4th of July plans in advance so everyone is on the same page regarding what will be happening. If you need to buy anything or make any reservations, make sure you aren't doing it last minute. A rushed holiday is never a fun holiday!
Stay Local
The first thing to realize is that the July 4th holiday is not new or unanticipated. You personally do not have to reinvent the wheel. Your local community is very likely to be chock full of events, fairs, fireworks, parades, and other activities. Just check your local newspaper and pick what is right for you and your family’s interests.
What’s Around the Bend?
You’ve checked the newspaper and you are not thrilled with the offerings of your community? Well, check what’s going on in the surrounding area. Many times smaller towns in close proximity to one another coordinate events so that they can better serve the larger community. Your little town may not have a parade, but there are fireworks that evening. Check the next town over for a parade and make it home in time for fireworks.
Do you live in a bedroom community to a large metropolis? This is great news for you! Chances are that the large city has activities galore planned. Hop online and Google “4th of July activities in________”. Fill in the blank with the largest town near you and start planning an outing. Make a day of it by packing a picnic, grab the sunscreen and head into town.
The small town July 4th is equally charming. Usually smaller towns have a more personal feel. The parades down Main Street of a town populated by only 2,000 won’t garner acclaim and prize winning floats, but the kids won’t care. Treats are likely to be thrown from the floats and the crowds will be much smaller.
A Family Day
If the idea of fighting crowds anywhere sounds more like a recipe for disaster than fun, then go your own way. Buy a box of sparklers, get hamburgers for the grill in preparation for the evening, then head away from town for the day. Is there a river nearby? Take a couple of inner tubes and float down the cool lazy current peacefully adrift.
At home that night, set a match to the grill along with the sparklers and have dinner and a show in the back yard. Have some outdoor games on hand for kids to play while they wait for dinner. Flag football, baseball, bocce, and frisbee are all great games that kids can play. Just make sure nobody gets too dirty ahead of dinner!
If fireworks are legal in your state, buy some to shoot off. Keep your neighborhood's quiet hours in mind. Even though it's a holiday, they're still going to be in effect. Generally, most neighborhood quiet hours fall around 11 PM on weekends and 10 PM on weekdays. While you may not necessarily get into any legal trouble for violating them, you certainly won't make your neighbors happy.
When using sparklers or shooting off fireworks, always make sure to brief your children on safety first. Teach them to never, ever put their face over a sparkler or firework. Make sure they understand that these items can be very dangerous if handled improperly. There's no need to be scared of them, but a healthy respect will go a long way.
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