Preschool Fourth of July Theme Activities
Below you can find tons of fun and engaging Fourth of July Activities! Pick and choose the activities for your lesson or download a free copy of our Fourth of July Preschool Lesson Plan to save you time!
Pre-K Printables Club Members
Club Members can download our Fourth of July activities and Theme Planning Guide for free!
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Not a member? Find out more about our membership
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Free Fourth of July Preschool Theme Map
Sign up below to get your own free copy of the sample plan we created using ideas found on this page!
Art Materials to Add
Add Red, White and Blue paint, paper, and crayons to the art space. Streamers can also be used to create many fun Patriotic pieces of Art.
Other things to add: sequins, glitter glue, chenille stems, and sparkly pom poms.
Other things to add: sequins, glitter glue, chenille stems, and sparkly pom poms.
4th of July Party PackInvite your preschooler to get creative with some hands on party fun!
These crafts are a great way to start the countdown to 4th of July, or any celebration. All you need to create your crafts are some basic materials, motor skills, and this easy to follow tutorial. |
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Drop PaintingMake an exploding 4th of July night scene using Drop Painting!
Drop painting is a fun way to explore art. The result leaves unique designs with a bit of texture to it. See the full tutorial on the Pre-K Printable Fun Drop Painting Process Art Tutorial |
Try this!
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Fourth of July Snack and Food Ideas for Preschoolers
Red White and Blue Toast
Our reader Erica of Erica's Educare Learning Center shared this tasty patriotic toast with us! Add a layer of strawberry jelly to your toast, and top with blueberry "stars", and banana "stripes" for a tasty 4th of July treat.
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Erica's Educare Learning Center
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4th of July Dipped Strawberries
Our reader Erica of Erica's Educare Learning Center shared this photo of strawberries dipped in blue and white chocolate. This is a fun snack the kids can help make!
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Erica's Educare Learning Center
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Patriotic Hot Dogs
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Erica's Educare Learning Center
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Fireworks Process Art
There are a lot of fun ways to explore different art processes to create fireworks! Start with good card stock that will hold up well during the process. For this theme consider using white, red, blue, or black (night sky) colored paper. Here are a couple ways preschoolers can create fireworks:
- Use forks! Set out shallow dishes of washable tempera paint in red, white, and blue colors (other colors may be fun to add as well!!). Invite preschoolers to dip a plastic fork into the paint and then make prints on their paper in a design of their choosing.
- Gather 2-3 chenille sticks, fold in half and then twist together at the top. Fan out the ends to look like an octopus. Invite preschoolers to dip the ends into shallow dishes of paint and then stamp onto their paper.
- Cut small slits in the bottom of a paper towel tube and fan them out. Invite preschoolers to dip into paint and then stamp onto their paper.
- Use star cookie cutters for painting. Provide shallow dishes of paint for preschoolers to dip their cookie cutters into and then stamp on their paper. After this activity wash up the star cookie cutters and add to the play dough center for further exploration or to the writing center for tracing.
- Make fireworks outside on the sidewalk with sidewalk chalk! For a fun twist spray the creations with water to see how it changes the design. This Glitter Sidewalk Chalk would be so much fun for creating fireworks!
- Use Liquid Sidewalk Paint to create 4th of July art outdoors.
- Make some patriotic play dough (don't forget the glitter)-use the opportunity to practice mixing red and blue.
- Do marble art using red and blue paint on white paper. You will need a cardboard lid or aluminum roasting pan. Place the paper in the bottom of the pan, drop globs of red and blue paint, add a marble and invite students to tilt the lid back and forth allowing the marble to roll through the paint.
- Create some fun Fourth of July Themed snacks!
Make Your Own Flag
Leave out a variety of building materials such as toilet paper and paper towel tubes, scraps of paper, glue, tape, etc. and invite children to construct their own flags.
Bake Mini Apple Pies
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Make apple pies for snack! Try out our simple apple pie recipe with your preschoolers. Follow-up this activity by having children recall the process and create their own pie recipe for a fun class pie recipe book or create an invitation to play with a Pie Stand.
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Fire Works Salt Painting
Use a Salt Painting technique to create Fire Works art.
More Art & Creative Ideas:
*Firework Salt Painting by Busy mama Media
Cookie Cutter Star stamping from Preschool Crafts for Kids
Patriotic Cup Craft from Danielle's Place
Cookie Cutter Star stamping from Preschool Crafts for Kids
Patriotic Cup Craft from Danielle's Place
Add some 4th of July decorations to your Dramatic Play space. Be sure to leave some available for your kiddos to hang some as well, they love personalizing their spaces.
Create an Ice Cream ShopCelebrate Ice Cream in your Dramatic Play area this week: Create an Ice Cream Parlor using the Pre-K Printable Fun Dramatic Play Pack or Ice Cream Truck in your space. Use pom poms, Fabric or Play Dough. Add "Toppings", Ice Cream Scoops, and Bowls (Don't forget the napkins!)
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Create an indoor BBQ Space
Since having a BBQ is such a popular 4th of July tradition, add a small BBQ to your space, and grilling accessories.
This adorable space belongs to member Amy McMonagle of BuggaBee & Me Day Care and Preschool. |
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Set up a pie standApple Pies are an iconic dessert for 4th of July! Easily set up a Pie Stand in your space using the Pre-K Printable fun Pie Stand Dramatic Play pack.
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Lemonade Stand
Set up a lemonade stand! Preschoolers can take turns playing the role of drink mixer, cashier, and customer. Consider letting students experiment with making real lemonade, as a bonus they can practice their pouring skills.
Suggested Items to add to your Building & Small World Play Space
Add some Red, White and Blue blocks to your space. Add flags, and U.S.A maps, and a fireworks projector for extra fun!
Build an American Flag
Leave out a variety of red, white, and blue blocks. Invite children to create the American flag.
Provide plenty of photos, posters, or books that display the flag for inspiration.
Provide plenty of photos, posters, or books that display the flag for inspiration.
Build American Landmarks
Use the 3 Part Cards in our Fourth of July Activity Pack as inspiration to build U.S.A Landmarks.
USA Landmark 3-Part Cards*
Learn new vocabulary while playing a matching game with these USA Landmark and 4th of July Inspired 3-part cards found inside our Fourth of July Activity Pack!
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Class Recipe Book
Create a class pie recipe book. Each student can create a recipe for the book. Their recipe may be based on prior experiences baking or a whole new invention!
Pre-K Printables Club Members: click here to download a class recipe template
Pre-K Printables Club Members: click here to download a class recipe template
Star Letter Jumping
Draw stars on the sidewalk outside using sidewalk chalk. Inside of each star draw a letter. Play a version of freeze dance, when the music stops everyone stops on top of a star and announces the letter they landed on. **Advanced pre-k students may be able to make the phoneme for the letter or say a word that starts with that letter.
Read Aloud: Grandma Drove the Garbage Truck
The book Grandma Drove the Garbage Truck by Katie Clark is a fun book about a grandmother that has to fill in for her sons driving the garbage truck on the day of the big 4th of July Parade.
Follow up this read aloud by decorating some wagons, trikes, or cardboard boxes to parade around the neighborhood in a mini parade!
Follow up this read aloud by decorating some wagons, trikes, or cardboard boxes to parade around the neighborhood in a mini parade!
Rhyming Stars
Use these rhyming stars activity included in our Fourth of July Activity Pack to practice rhyming.
This would make a fun circle time or group activity. Give each student one part of the puzzle, and have them find their pair! |
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Apple Pie Fourth of July by Janet S. Wong
*Grandma Drove the Garbage Truck by Katie Clark
The Night Before the Fourth of July by Natasha Wing
Blue Sky White Stars by Sarvinder Naberhaus
Hello, Fourth of July! by Martha Day Zschock
Fourth of July by Emma Carlson Berne
*Grandma Drove the Garbage Truck by Katie Clark
The Night Before the Fourth of July by Natasha Wing
Blue Sky White Stars by Sarvinder Naberhaus
Hello, Fourth of July! by Martha Day Zschock
Fourth of July by Emma Carlson Berne
Fireworks 10-Frame Cards*
Invite your preschooler to engage in counting fun with these Fireworks 10-frame cards found inside our Fourth of July Activity Pack
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Flag Shape Clip Cards*
Clip cards are a fun way to develop cognitive skills such as math and literacy. As an added bonus they are a great workout for little fingers! The Pre-K Printable Fourth of July Activity Pack contains several different sets of clip cards including this shape matching set.
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Red, White, & Blue Sorting
Provide Red, White, and Blue star cutouts in a variety of sizes. Invite students to sort them by size, color, or both.
Learning Grill Number Match-Up*
Invite your preschooler to engage in some math fun with the Learning Grill Number Match-Up. Review the guest check and then add the ingredients to the grill. This set has different levels of play for children depending on developmental level.
Get This Learning Grill Math Set in our Shop. |
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Stars & Stripes Counting Mats*
Use these flag counting mats to practice counting skills and number recognition. These mats are included in our Fourth of July Activity Pack
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Count the Stars and Stripes on a Flag
Provide your students with a flag, and have them practice counting the Stars and Stripes. How many red stripes are there? How many white?
More math Ideas:
Fourth of July Bracelets (fine motor and patterning) from Playdough to Plato
Practice counting and patterning with Popsicle Stick Flags from Ginger Snap Crafts
Practice counting and patterning with Popsicle Stick Flags from Ginger Snap Crafts
Fizzy ScienceSet up an invitation for some Red, White, and Blue fizzy science.
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Fourth of July Sensory Bin Ideas
Red, White, & Blue Water Beads
Put some Red, Blue, and Clear water beads in the sensory table for exploration.
4th of July Sensory Bin
Dye rice red and blue. Add it to a bin with white rice to create a red, white, and blue rice base.
Add in small flags, red, white and blue pom poms, stars and more to help represent the holiday.
Add in small flags, red, white and blue pom poms, stars and more to help represent the holiday.
Flag Color Experiment
Place red, white, and blue colored candies (skittles or M&Ms work well for this!) on a plastic plate in the pattern of the American flag. Have students add a small amount of warm water and then watch as the colors travel to expand the flag!
Fireworks Experiment
Fill a dish with milk and then add drops of red and blue food coloring around the dish (you can add other colors if you would like to have different colored "fireworks"). Have children dip a q-tip in some dish soap and then touch the q-tip to the food coloring. Watch as the color spreads and makes "fireworks" across the top of the milk!
Tie Dye Shirts
First, lay your white shirt out flat.
Next, pinch the fabric in the middle and with the same hand begin twisting up the fabric using the opposite hand as a guide to keep it tight Then, use rubber bands to bunch up and divide up your fabric. (about 6 sections) Lastly, apply your die to your fabric! |
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Patriotic Magic Milk
All you need is a plate with milk, then add in food coloring and touch the milk with a toothpick dipped in dish soap.
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Frozen 4th of July
Freeze 4th of July themed items (small flags, stars, etc.) in large blocks off ice. Give children squirt bottles with warm water and have them work to get the items out of the ice block.
4th of July Play Dough Invitation
Play dough is a great medium for building strong fingers, and hands. Reader Ericaof Erica's Educare Learning center created this adorable 4th of July play dough invitation.
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Bubble Wrap Stomp
Do some bubble wrap stomping! Stomping on bubble wrap is a fun way to get in some movement, children can pretend the sound is firecrackers.
Move to the Stars
This fun activity combines music, movement, and math! Cut out some large stars from red, white, and blue poster board, plan to have about twice as many stars as you have students. On each star, write a direction such as "Stomp 3 times" or "Skip to an empty star across the room" or "Crab walk to a blue star"
*Patriotic PuzzlesPractice number recognition and ordering skills while working on grasping skills with the patriotic puzzles included in our Fourth of July Activity Pack.
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Patriotic Necklace
Invite preschoolers to create a patriotic necklace using red, white, & blue pony beads. Because of their size, pony beads support children in developing finger strength, dexterity, and hand-eye coordination.
*Patriotic ParadeGo on a Patriotic Parade! Decorate your wagons or tricycles with streamers and star cutouts and then let the kids get a workout by parading around the neighborhood.
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4th of July Loose Part Play Materials
Suggestions for loose parts to add this week:
- Red, white, & blue glass gems
- Cardboard tubes
- Red, white, & blue milk caps
- Chenille stems
- Sequins
- Plastic glittery Christmas balls
- Sparkly ribbon
4th of July Play dough Hide and Find-Fine Motor
Hide red, white, and blue beads in play dough or theraputty.
Have children work to get all of the beads out of the play dough using fingers.
Have children work to get all of the beads out of the play dough using fingers.
Parachute Play-Gross Motor
Pretend that the parachute is a giant firework and have children take turns running underneath it. You can also have them sing 4th of July related songs as they move the parachute or even add red, white and blue balls to the top of the parachute and challenge them to get the balls moving!
Firework Bean Bag Toss-Gross Motor
Place these bean bag mats, found inside our Fourth of July Activity Pack around the room. Students roll the cube and toss their bean bag onto the mat that matches the color they rolled.
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Pin the Stripes on the Flag
Play Pin the Stripes on the Flag, use white poster board and red strips of construction paper. You can do this in the traditional Pin the Tail on the Donkey method or simply invite preschoolers to collaborate to make a classroom flag! Preschoolers may also be interested in designing their very own flag to represent their classroom.
Apple Pie Fourth of July Read Aloud and Activity
During small group time read the book Apple Pie Fourth of July by Janet S. Wong. Afterward, engage in discussion about what type of foods the children eat with their families during 4th of July or other holidays. Follow up the activity by inviting children to create a 4th of July (Your Preschool Name Here) Menu with the foods they think would be fun to have during a 4th of July celebration. Consider having Chow Mein or Sweet and Sour Pork for a taste test or lunch. Students may be interested in following this up with a Chinese Restaurant Dramatic Play Invitation.
Independence around the World
Have a brief discussion with children about why 4th of July is celebrated in America. Discuss a few other countries that celebrate their independence including traditional activities they do to celebrate.
Noise Sensitivity
This is a great time to talk to children about noise pollution and the sounds they may hear during the holiday. Talk about ways children can block out the sounds if they don't like them, consider having some protective ear gear available for children to try out. This discussion is not only important for Physical and Health development, it is also a good time to talk about Diversity and Inclusion. Introduce Adaptive Equipment and talk about how some people are more sensitive to sound than others.
Contribution
Fourth of July often means time of togetherness for family and community.
When children help others they build self-confidence and how to work well with others.
Talk to children about ways they can help both peers and adults during this holiday.
Work on a group project where everyone has an important part. While preparing for a parade in the neighborhood there are plenty of tasks to go around!
When children help others they build self-confidence and how to work well with others.
Talk to children about ways they can help both peers and adults during this holiday.
Work on a group project where everyone has an important part. While preparing for a parade in the neighborhood there are plenty of tasks to go around!
Make a Flag Relay Race-Promote Teamwork
Break into 2 teams and give each child a piece of white streamer. Tape a red piece of paper or tablecloth at the other end. Have children run down and tape their streamer on the red paper or tablecloth to create a flag.
*Build a Burger Game-Group Game
Setup this game to play as a group or with partners. Students take turns rolling the playing cube and add ingredients to build a burger. This Build a Burger game is included in our Fourth of July Activity Pack.
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4th of July Sign-in ActivityWelcome your students to class with this engaging name recognition activity. This editable sign in activity can be found inside our Daily Attendance set that includes a variety of themes for the whole year!
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Theme Communication
Inform families of your upcoming theme. Include a description of some of the activities you have planned or share your lesson plan with them.
When families are aware of upcoming activities it helps them to communicate better with their children and feel involved with their education.
When families are aware of upcoming activities it helps them to communicate better with their children and feel involved with their education.
4th of July CalendarOur Summer Calendar Cards include fun designs for 4th of July! Coordinate your calendar activities with your themes.
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Encourage Involvement
- Notify parents about your upcoming Patriotic Parade. Invite them to sit in the neighborhood to watch the parade, or even better, to walk in the parade too!
- Host a special BBQ lunch and invite parents to take part. Be sure to ask for volunteers for providing food and working the BBQ.
