If you’re hosting a Fourth of July party, there are hours and hours to fill before the fireworks begin. You’ll want to have plenty of activities and games planned to keep everyone busy and entertained. Here are a variety of games you can plan that have a patriotic theme.
BALLOON PASS
This game involves passing a balloon down a line of people. To give the game a patriotic touch, pick out balloons that are red, white and blue. Divide the guests into two teams, and place them into straight lines. Tell the participants they will be using their hands and legs to pass the balloon down the line. Give the first person a balloon and have them put it between their knees, passing the balloon to the next person in line without touching it with their hands. That person will take the balloon and pass it to the next person by carrying it on top of their head. The third person will put the balloon between their knees and pass it to the next person just like the first. The game continues until the balloon has passed all the way down the line. If you have a small group, require that the balloon get passed down the line and back again before declaring a winner.
CHALK IT UP
Gather the oldest members of the family and designate them as the official judges for a drawing contest. Divide your guests into teams of 3 or 4 people and give each team a container of sidewalk chalk. Have them to create a sidewalk picture that shows something patriotic. You can add additional rules such as requiring that they include an important historical figure or an image of the American flag. Give them a time limit between 10 to 30 minutes and then have the judges carefully examine all the artwork. The team who created the best picture should win a prize like an art set for all the members.
NEIGHBORHOOD PARADE
If you are hosting an event for your neighborhood, one fun activity that just screams “Fourth of July” is a mini parade. Ask all the kids who comes to the party to decorate their bike, scooter, or another item with patriotic garb. They can bring already decorated or you can have a decorating activity as part of the party. You will need streamers, banners, flags, balloons, and ribbons with patriotic patterns on hand. Have all the contestants parade around to display and let guest vote for winners such as “most patriotic”, “stars (and stripes) of the show” or “best use of red, white, and blue”.
GUESS HOW MANY
This game is always an event favorite! Decorate a large jar with blue and red ribbons, and then fill it with a candy that features red, white, and blue. You can use holiday m & m’s, gum balls, or even striped peppermint candy. Have everyone guess how many candies are in the jar. The person who comes closest to the correct number without going over wins and gets the jar of candy.
FIREWORKS DANCE OFF
If you’re having fireworks at your home, you might have a big box of assorted fireworks. You can play a game to determine who gets to pick the firework to set off next. While music plays in the background, each person who wants to pick the a firework to go off has to dance the craziest, silliest dance they can come up with. Someone who’s been designated a judge will decide who won the dance off and that person gets to pick the next fireworks item. Unless there are more fireworks than people, each person only gets to pick once.