The Fourth of July can sneak up on us without much warning.  Just as all the school graduation ceremonies and Father’s day activities are winding down, another holiday weekend is here.  Because the 4th is at the beginning of the month, sometimes it’s easy to forget to make your plans ahead of time.  If you start now you can make your plans for a weekend that has great holiday potential.  The Fourth of July occurs on a Monday this year, which also means a 3-day weekend for most people.   Make sure your Fourth of July is filled with all sorts of good patriotic summer fun.  Here’s 6 great ideas to get your Fourth of July holiday started. 

Learn About Our Nation’s History:  A great way to engage your children in both learning about the history of the Fourth of July as well as to have some fun is to play a game of Fourth of July trivia.  Assemble an assortment of fun facts, history and trivia about Independence Day and quiz the kids or play a game that is focused around the information you have gathered.  Your kids will love learning the facts about the holiday and will get excited about why we celebrate the Fourth of July.

Dress Patriotically:  Whether you are attending a family or community Fourth of July event, you are bound to get into the spirit of the day all the more with an appropriate patriotic costume.  Colonial costumes are a fun choice or you can dress up as the traditional Uncle Sam.  Other unique costume choices for your Independence Day celebration are the Statue of Liberty, or any assortment of political figures, perhaps even George Washington.  Of course a very easy way to get into the spirit of the day is to just dress up in the colors red, white and blue from head to toe—use your imagination and be creative.  Don’t forget to wear your stars and stripes!

Create Neighborhood traditions:  Create a neighborhood tradition for your Fourth of July that everyone on your block is going to look forward to.  Have a neighborhood potluck or BBQ with all of the trimmings.  This is a great time to have a watermelon-eating contest or a chili cook off to get your neighborhood chefs motivated.   Have the kids decorate their bicycles in red, white and blue colors and have a bike parade.  Buy some inexpensive and small American Flags at a novelty store and attach them to everyone on your street’s mailbox.  This Fourth of July event is bound to become an event that your entire neighborhood looks forward to.

Uncle Sam Photo:  This is a fun tradition that the entire family can participate in.  Have everyone in the family make an Uncle Sam hat and take a traditional family portrait-Fourth of July style.  You can get very crafty with this if you like by adding spinners, glitter, etc. to the hats.  Start an album with your Fourth of July photographs including the pictures that you take during other fun activities that you do that day.  This family album will begin a fun tradition that you can keep adding to on a yearly basis.  Over time the photo album will become something your entire family will certainly cherish.

Take a Patriotic Vacation:  There are some very fun as well as traditional locations that you and your entire family can visit over the Fourth of July.  If you want to make the most of your family vacation and celebrate the holiday weekend in a patriotic fashion consider visiting one of our nations more historic locales.  New York City, Washington D.C., Philadelphia as well as Colonial Williamsburg, VA are some cities to consider visiting.  Immersing yourself in the local 4th of July festivities of one of these heritage rich cities is bound to be memorable for all your family members. 

The Big Finale:  No Fourth of July celebration would be complete without watching a fireworks display after dark.  Scout out your community’s local fireworks event or perhaps try a different venue out of town for a change.  Many beach communities have amazing fireworks displays that you can watch down on the pier.  Plan your holiday barbecue to coincide with your evening’s activities and get that perfect spot to watch the fireworks from after the sun goes down.  If you don’t live near the beach, many cities set off fireworks at local venues or community parks. 

No matter what you choose to do for your Fourth of July celebration, it’s a perfect opportunity to bond with your friends and family as well as to create memories that you will have for a lifetime.  Let your inner patriot fly free and make this Fourth of July be your best one yet!