Celebrating Independence Day: Craft Links
Crafts are a wonderful integrating activity for lessons. Almost all lessons can be turned into or expanded upon using crafts. Adding these kinds of activities especially enhances history lessons. Here is a list of links to craft activities useful in celebrating Independence Day and/or other patriotic holidays.
4th of July Crafts
Fourth of July Wreath
Independence Day Shaker
Parade Stick
These remaining crafts are very easy and several versions of them are available on the internet and in craft books. If you don't use these ideas for the Fourth of July, keep them in your idea file to use for other patriotic holidays. For a a full listing of other wonderful theme-related activities, be sure and check out Activitiy Idea Place at 123child.com.
Fireworks:
You will need: watered down non-toxic paint, paper, pipettes and straws. Supply each child with a straw and a piece of paper. Allow the children to use the pipette (or medicine dropper NOT GLASS) to place a small amount of paint onto a piece of paper. They may use as many colors as they wish. Then, have them use the straw to blow the paint around their picture.
Red, White and Blue Art:
Supply the children with red and blue crayons to color on white paper.
Red White and Blue Art II: Supply the children with red and blue paint to paint on white paper.
Forth of July Wands
Each child will need a unsharpened pencil or dowel and a few pieces of red and blue streamers and tape. Have the child tape the streamers onto the pencil, they may also add star stickers on the pencil for decoration.
Paper Plate streamers fun
Each child will need red and blue crayons or markers, two paper plates, red and blue streamers and tape. Cut out the center of both paper plates. Have the children decorate the top of one paper plate and the bottom of the other with the crayons or markers. Then on the side of one plate that is not decorated have them tape on many streamers. Place the other plate on top of the first so that the two decorated sides are on the outside and the streamers are on the inside. Tape closed. Have the children dance with their streamer plates.
Red or Blue Goop
Mix 2 cups water with a little red or blue food coloring, add 6 cups of cornflour/cornstarch to make goop.
Balloon Prints
In a pie tin, place 3 to 5 teaspoon sized portions of red and blue colored tempera paint evenly spaced about the area. Inflate a small balloon to a size which will easily fit in the palm of your child's hand. Show your child how to "dip" the balloon in the paint and press firmly onto a piece of paper. Let your child mix the colors, or use one color at a time. This is messy, but the results are wonderful.
Bubble Art
Supply the children with a bowl with bubble mix in it and a straw with a hole near the top to prevent children from sucking the soap up. Have the children blow into the straw while it is in the bowl creating bubbles. Then, have the child place a drop of red or blue food coloring on the top of the bubbles and quickly press a piece of paper on the top of the bubbles to create bubble prints.
Torn Paper Stars
Draw a star shape on a piece of paper. Provide the children with paper to tear and glue inside the star shape.
Shaving Cream Art
Add a drop of red or blue food coloring to a baseball sized pile of shaving cream. Mix this with a paint brush. Have the children be very careful, and use smocks because the food coloring will stain their clothing and hands. Have the children paint the shaving cream on a white piece of paper.
Bingo Dabber Art
Draw a star on a large piece of paper and have the children decorate it with bingo dabbers.
Cookie Cutter Painting
Put a small amount of tempera paint in a large shallow container. (A pie tin works well) Show your child how to dip the cookie cutter in the paint and press onto a piece of paper to create a print. You can make star pictures by using star cookie cutters, and colored paper.
Picture Matching
Find Forth of July stickers. Place 2 identical stickers on the left and right sides of an index card. Cut the index in half, cut in a jig-jag form. Use a highlighter to highlight the edges. Do this with many different stickers. Have the child match the stickers, and line up the two halves of the index card.
Lacing Cards
Cut colored posterboard into a star shape and punch holes around the edges. Them let your child lace yarn or a shoestring into the cards.
Stamping Patterns
Use different star rubber stamps to create a simple pattern on the top half of a piece of paper. Ask your child to help you recreate the pattern on the bottom half of the paper.
Tip: Start with one stamp, and have your child pick which stamp you used. Start slowly and work your way up to more complicated patterns.
Bean bag toss
Have your child toss bean bags into a box with star or red wrapping paper on it. You can use masking tape to mark where the child should stand.
All the while you are doing crafts to celebration the fourth of July, talk about the reason(s) we celebrate it. You could sing patriotic songs such as the "Star Spangled Banner," "America the Beautiful," or "This Land Is Your Land" and then explain the words and meanings of the song(s).
