Preschool Fourth of July Lesson Planning Ideas
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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.
Drop Painting
Make 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
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
Create a Patriotic Snack
Erica's Educare Learning Center
Erica's Educare Learning Center
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Erica's Educare Learning Center
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I love these fun 4th of July inspired foods created by Pre-K Fun Community
member Erica Payne of Erica's Educare Learning Center!
member Erica Payne of Erica's Educare Learning Center!
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!
Bake Mini Apple Pies
Make apple pies for snack! Provide disposable mini pie pans so each child can make their own. Make this as easy or complex as you like! You can make dough from scratch (so much math potential with measurement!), pre-made sheets of dough (work those arm and hand muscles cutting and rolling the dough), or make a crumble. Use fresh apples or canned filling. 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.
More Art & Creative Ideas:
- *Firework Salt Painting by Busy mama Media
- Cookie Cutter Star stamping from Preschool Crafts for Kids
- Firework Fork Stamping from A Thrifty Mom
- Firework Salt Painting from Busy Mommy Media
- 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 Shop
Celebrate 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!)
*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.
This adorable space belongs to member
Amy McMonagle of BuggaBee & Me Day Care and Preschool.
Set up a pie stand
Apple 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.
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.
*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! Try this set for free!
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!
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!
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
American Symbols by Melissa Ann Ferguson
*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
American Symbols by Melissa Ann Ferguson
Fizzy Science
Set up an invitation for some Red, White, and Blue fizzy science.
- You will need: Trays (disposable or washable), baking soda, vinegar, red and blue liquid watercolors or food dye, eye droppers or pipettes, small cups (mini disposable shot glass cups work fantastic for this, sometimes also found at the Dollar Tree), and a table (you can do this one sitting at a child-sized table or standing at a taller table, kiddos get really into this one and tend to move a lot so using a taller table and standing works well. *Optional-table cloth or newspapers.
- Set up the invitation: For easy cleanup place a tablecloth, sheet, or lay newspapers down on your table. Set out the trays (one per child) and put down a layer of baking soda (Costco sells huge bags of baking soda, a staple for every early childhood classroom!) on the tray. Each child will get 3 cups of vinegar, add red coloring to one, blue to another, and leave the other plain. Finally, add an eye dropper or pipette to each tray.
- Invite students to explore! As they drip the vinegar onto the baking soda they can pretend they are fireworks in the sky. They can also experiment with mixing the colors.
*Red, White, & Blue Water Beads
This fun 4th of July Play Dough Invitation from Erica's Educare Learning Center is a great way for children to get creative! This is also a great way to prepare children for writing by giving their little hands a big workout!
Put some Red, Blue, and Clear water beads in the sensory table for exploration.
More science & Discovery Ideas:
- 4th of July Sensory Bin by Shining Our Lights
- Red White and Blue Recycled Sensory Bin from The Good Long Road
- 4th of July Water Bead Sensory Bin from Gift of Curiosity
- 4th of July Noddle Play from B-Inspired Mama
- Stars & Stripes Pasta Sensory Bin from Cutting Tiny Bites
- 4th of July Sensory Search from Little Bins for Little Hands
- Pop Rocks Goop from Growing a Jeweled Rose
- Fireworks in a Jar from I Can Teach My Child
- Ice Melt Activity from Little Bins for Little Hands
*Fireworks 10-Frame Cards
Invite your preschooler to engage in counting fun with these Fireworks 10-frame cards found inside the PKPF Fourth of July Activity Pack
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.
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.
See more about the Learning Grill.
See more about the Learning Grill.
Stars & Stripes Counting Mats
Use these flag counting mats to practice counting skills and number recognition. These mats are included in the PKPF Fourth of July Activity Pack
More math Ideas:
- Make straw rockets and measure how far they go! from Simple Play 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
*Construction Accessories
Add some Red, White and Blue blocks to your space. Add flags, and U.S.A maps, and a fireworks projector for extra fun!
4th of July Play Dough
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 Puzzles
Practice number recognition and ordering skills while working on grasping skills with the patriotic puzzles included in the PKPF Fourth of July Activity Pack.
*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 Parade
Go 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.
Loose Parts
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
Apple Pie 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!
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.
*Build a Burger Game
Setup this game for independent play or to play with a friend. Roll the playing cube and add ingredients to build a burger. This Build a Burger game is included in the PKPF Fourth of July Activity Pack.
More Group & Circle Time Ideas
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.
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.
