“It ought to be commemorated, as the Day of Deliverance by solemn Acts of Devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews [shows], Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations [fireworks] from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more.” John Adams
The 4th of July or Independence Day is a fun filled and educational holiday in our home. On or around the 4th of July we are blessed to be able to celebrate with family and friends (some of whom live in other states and only come to visit once a year). We enjoy a great local festival and parade, lots of good food, some lazy time on the river, and hours spent catching up with old friends. However, we also want to make sure that our children understand the significance of this holiday.
Our local historical site and the first permanent capitol of North Carolina, Tryon Palace, offers a day full of fun and education on the ‘Glorious Fourth’. As volunteers with Tryon Palace we will spend a portion of our day assisting in teaching others about the history and significance of July 4th. My husband is involved with their Continental Line unit and my children will be demonstrate how to load and fire a cannon (using a child sized model), colonial games, and answering questions about colonial and revolutionary times from a child’s perspective.
They also get to hear a great recitation of the Deceleration of Independence and talk with other historical interpreters as they revisit that day in history. For our family this is the perfect balance of fun and education. Many towns and historical sites have fun Independence Day activities and I encourage you to try to find one near you.
In addition to an educational program there are many fun activities you can do leading up to Independence Day. I’ve included some resources below that can get you started on a great study of the history behind this celebration and some fun hands on art activities. We would love to hear how you celebrate July 4th.
Resources
(May include Affiliate Links)
American Landmarks Art Course (including the Washington Monument with Fireworks!)
7 Layer Flag Dip (my daughter is making this one for us this year)
What is the Declaration of Independence
Independence National Historical Park (some great online resources for those that can’t visit)
Videos and Activities on Declaration of Independence
Fireworks with a Fork (I’m so excited to try this one with the 4 year old)
Declaration of Independence Worksheet
Resource Library
When you sign up for the Schoolin’ Swag free resource library you will get a link and password to the library, we are adding to the library each month with new items. You will also get a bi-weekly newsletter email to keep you up to date on what we have going on.
This post may contain affiliate or referral links, including Amazon affiliate links. As always I will never recommend a product that I don’t believe in and you will never be charged more for purchasing through our links. It does help pay for the costs associated with the blog.
Deals and Freebies
Schoolhouse Teachers is also offering a great sale!
Free Makeover Your Morning 5 Day Challenge! This is a great way to help re-focus and get your day off on the right foot.
Harry The Happy Mouse (Free on Kindle)
Illustrated Would You Rather Book (Free on Kindle)
Enrichment Studies has a great free fine arts memory match game this month!
Free Help Your Child’s Memory Book from All About Learning Press!
The Schoolin' Swag Blog 
We kick around town helping our town celebrate Canada Day, it’s always a nice today together. 🙂
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Days spend together with family are such a blessing. I’d love to learn more about Canada Day
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That looks and sounds like a lot of fun!! We always attend as many fireworks displays as possible, and we celebrate both Canada Day (hubby and I are Canadians) and Independence Day.
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I love that you celebrate both! How is Canada Day normally celebrated?
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Looks like fun. I’ll be checking out the dip recipe. Our older girls spend the day working for others while on a mission trip. Don’t yet know what our youngest, At Home Dad, and I will do.
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Hope you enjoy the recipe and have a great day with whatever you decide to do!
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What wonderful activities! It’s so great that you have these available to you and your kids! Our city has a parade followed by activities. My son marched in the parade with the Boy Scouts one year and with Civil Air Patrol two years. However, it is treated more as an opportunity for the Scouts and CAP to be visible in the community, and for politicians in cars to throw out candy. It is not an educational opportunity for children to learn about what Independence Day is all about. We have had to cover that at home, and reading the Declaration of Independence and such.
I hope you have a wonderful time again this year!
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