Independence Day is one of the most exciting days of the summer for children, with parades, marching bands, family BBQs, and, of course, firework displays. Use these four 4th of July crafts for kids to channel some of the excitement they feel when America’s birthday rolls around.
Popsicle Stick Flags
4th of July crafts should be patriotic, and what’s more patriotic than Old Glory? Have your kids create their own flags with this simple craft. You’ll need:
- 10 Jumbo craft sticks per flag
- Glue
- Scissors
- Ribbon
- Paint brush or sponge
- Star stickers
- Red, white, and blue paint.
Using a sharp pair of scissors, prepare the craft sticks for the kids by cutting three sticks into 3-inch lengths and two into 3½-inch lengths.
Have the kids paint the 3-inch lengths blue, three of the full-sized sticks red, and two white. There’s no need to paint the 3½-inch sticks, as these are used to strengthen the back of the flag.
Have children arrange the large sticks into a flag using this order: red, white, red, white, red. Turn the sticks over (keeping the pattern) and glue the 3½ -inch sticks crosswise to the large sticks. Let dry.
Turn over the flag and glue the three blue sticks to the upper left corner, decorating the blue with star stickers. Glue a strip of ribbon to the back of each upper corner, and you’ve got a wall decoration for Independence Day.
Patriotic Sun Visor
Most 4th of July crafts for kids are ornamental, but this one has a practical purpose. It’ll help shield little faces from the summer sun. You’ll need:
- Blue card stock
- White card stock
- Red paint
- Star stickers
- Tape
- Glue stick.
Cut a strip of blue cardstock about 1½ inches wide and measure it to fit around the child’s head, securing the ends together with tape. Decorate the blue band with star stickers.
Cut an 8 by 6-inch rectangle from the white cardstock, cutting the corners at one end into curves. Paint red stripes down the rectangle for a red and white effect. Let dry.
Once dry, set the head band on the rectangle, positioning it where you want it and marking its location on the rectangle with a pencil. Remove the head band and cut slits from the back of the rectangle to the pencil line, bending the slits up to form tabs.
Glue the tabs to the inside of the headband, trimming any tab parts that poke above the band. Let dry, and you’ve got a red, white, and blue visor.
Uncle Sam’s Hat Pencil Toppers
This is a fun 4th of July craft kids based on Uncle Sam’s most identifiable piece of clothing—his hat. To make one, you’ll need:
- Cork (the kind used to stop up bottles)
- Red, white, and blue paint
- White star stickers
- Blue cardstock
- Glue
Paint the bottom third of the cork blue, and the rest of the cork white. Let dry, and then paint red stripes on the white portion of the cork. Stick stars on the blue portion.
Cut a blue circle from the cardstock to represent the hat brim, and stick it to the bottom of the cork. Let dry, and glue the hat to the top of a pencil.
Safe Sparklers
Fireworks are an integral part of July 4th, but should really be left in the hands of paid professionals. Even sparklers burn with enough heat to seriously burn a child, and some cities have banned them for this reason.
Make a safe alternative to sparklers with the last of our 4th of July crafts for kids. To make these colorful wands, you’ll need:
- Unused disposable chopsticks (the ones that you break apart to use)
- ¾-inch white electrical tape
- Red, white, and blue ribbon
- Foil-fringe party garland (look for one with red, silver, and blue fringes)
Cut the ribbons into strips eight to twelve inches long, varying the lengths. Stack these in two piles and unroll the garland.
Cut 1-inch to 1½-inch sections of garland with the connected base attached. Stack the garland pieces into a pile with the connected bases evenly arranged. Place the foil stack on top of one ribbon stack, then place the second ribbon stack on top of the garland pieces.
Unwrap a set of chopsticks. Gently insert the base of the ribbon and garland stack between the two narrow ends of the chopstick to a depth of about two inches. Don’t put too much pressure on the chopsticks—you don’t want them to break into two.
Starting at the tips of the chopsticks, wrap electrical tape around the ribbon and garland stack until secure. Continue wrapping tape down the length of the chopstick, overlapping the tape slightly as you do so until you reach the other end of the chopsticks. Cut the tape and you’ve got a colorful “sparkler” with no risk of burns ruining your child’s July 4th festivities.
