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Fourth of July Fun for Families & Kids

July 2, 2019      Sarah Van Wagenen

As my kids are getting older, holidays are more and more fun! I really enjoy making plans with them so that they get excited for our celebrations. I sat down with my girls to put together some fun ideas for Fourth of July activities and food, and I’ll share some of what we found below.

We started by looking through Pinterest and made a board of our favorite July Fourth ideas, so make sure to check that out!

Every year we anxiously await the fireworks, trying to keep exhausted kids entertained until the show starts. This year, I am going to be much better prepared. I found so many fun, cute, and FREE activities for kids that I’m going to make into a packet for our pre-fireworks wait.

10 FREE Activities to Entertain Kids at a BBQ, Parade, or Waiting for Fireworks

  1. Fun With Mama put together an incredible 87 page Fourth of July printable pack. This activity pack is aimed at kids 3-8 years old and is filled patriotic themed math and literacy-based activities. The best part is it’s FREE!
  2. Here is a 4th of July themed I Spy printable, lots of searching and counting involved, so it should take several minutes to finish.
  3. My kids love play doh and are usually kept entertained by it for a while. So here is an American flag play doh mat little ones can use to create their own masterpieces.
  4. I love this super cute Fourth of July coloring sheet, and know it will be a hit for my kids.
  5. This adorable 4th of July Bingo printable will be so fun to play together as a family!
  6. I know these Fourth of July printable photo booth props will provide so many cute photos and lots of laughs.
  7. Seriously, I had to include these coloring sheets too, they are the cutest. There are 4 designs and as an adult I will probably print a few for myself.
  8. Here is a fun and informative Fourth of July Trivia game, a great way to teach about the importance of the holiday, but still keep their attention.
  9. Since I have little ones, I chose this 4th of July scavenger hunt, that has little images. Here’s another cute scavenger hunt for older kids that can read.
  10. And last, but definitely not least, here is a 4th of July word search printable. My four year old will love this, and my two year old may just be tasked with circling specific letters.
Photo booth props
Cute photo booth props

3 Creative 4th of July Snacks

  1. Watermelon Pops cut with a star-shaped cookie cutter and put on a lollipop stick or a skewer.
  2. 4th of July popcorn use melted chocolate and fun sprinkles to dress it up
  3. Patriotic trail mix, with peanuts or cashews, white chocolate chips, craisins (or red M&M’s), dried blueberries (or blue M&M’s).
Watermelon Pops, Fourth of July Popcorn, & Patriotic Trail Mix
Watermelon Pops, Fourth of July Popcorn, & Patriotic Trail Mix

5 Family Activities for the 4th of July

  1. Swimming, of course! We definitely plan to make it a party at the pool and will even bring some popsicles as a special treat.
  2. I think we’ll also paint these little paddles for a balloon activity and bring it along to the fireworks, as an extra game to play while we wait.
  3. Read some patriotic and 4th of July kids’ book. See this post with 18 great books for kids!
  4. Make sidewalk chalk creations of stars or the flag. Or set your little ones loose with these super cute and fun stencils.
  5. Watch some of the fun videos I put together in a YouTube playlist for the 4th of July.

4th of July Party Favors

If you’re throwing a party for the Fourth of July here are some great party favors for your guests:

  • FREE 4th of July printable fan
  • Flag sunglasses
  • A big combo of different favors like fans, sunglasses, tattoos, and necklaces.
  • Flag wrapped mints

What fun plans do you have? What are your families favorite traditions? We love to have a good celebration so let me know what you enjoy the most about what you do each year, in the comments below.

Sincerely,

Sarah
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Hi, I’m Sarah!

Hi, I’m Sarah!

My husband, Kurt, and I live in Birmingham, AL with our three little ones {4}, {2}, & {1}. My husband is currently completing a medical residency. Prior to living here we lived in Texas and Utah for schooling.

This is where I'll be sharing recent reads, favorite recipes and products, everyday style, details about our travels, etc. I'll also be sharing freebies I've designed, so don't miss out! I'm so happy to have you here!

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1. Sign up for a race (it doesn’t have to be a half, even a 5k is awesome for getting something on the calendar that you’re training for)
2. Find a running partner (obviously, Kurt is my favorite running partner and it has been awesome to train for this race together and go on long runs for our date nights)
3. Start a 12-16 week race plan (we followed a program called Run Less, Run Faster, running 3 days a week with a speed workout, an interval run, and a long run; however, all signs point to more mileage, more often and not as fast being the better route to go for training; sometimes you just do what you can as parents of 5 littles). 
I try to convince everyone to be a runner. It’s just so good for your body, physically, as well as emotionally and mentally. I’m interested to know how many of you are runners or want to run a race. I’ll try to share more of my training and lessons learned. 
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1 banana
2 cups of almond milk 
1/2 cup coconut water
Mix of chia seeds + hemp hearts + ground flaxseed 
1 cup of cooked oatmeal (can chill in the fridge or make the night before)
1 scoop @just.ingredients chocolate protein powder
1 scoop PBfit
2 TBS cocoa (I like mine chocolatey)
1 cup ice

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Dolly asking me if she can be my baby forever. Lacey being a natural mama to the babies, imitating how I love on them. Grant asking for a hug when he was exhausted and overwhelmed at the end of a fun, but long day. McKay giving the world’s best kisses (don’t tell Kurt 😉), and Carter happily waving and being loved on by a whole crew of older siblings. I hope they know they’re my whole world, and always will be.
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The Minla 6-in-1 Adjustable High Chair by @MaxiCosiUSA has made it so he can be a part of the fun too. With 6 modes of use it provides a customized fit from infant seat to booster for children from newborn to 6 years of age. We can use it as a relaxed infant seat, a high chair, and as a cool booster seat with tray. The baby stuff with multiple uses have been the best for us to invest in for our littles. 

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#familiesthatdancetogetheraremorefun #grateful #blessed #familiesareforever #familydanceparty #familyreunion #familyreunion #danceparty #familyhumoratitsfinest #familyhumor
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We just finished training for a half-marathon and We just finished training for a half-marathon and had our race on Saturday. Kurt was Spider-Man and I was Spider-Man’s biggest fan girl. I had high hopes for running much faster than I did, but getting really sick right before running 13.1 miles made it challenging. I was able to go from an 11:30 minute mile for my first run post-baby to about an 8:50 mile for 13.1 miles so at least I’ve improved. Here are 3 tips for getting half-marathon ready:
1. Sign up for a race (it doesn’t have to be a half, even a 5k is awesome for getting something on the calendar that you’re training for)
2. Find a running partner (obviously, Kurt is my favorite running partner and it has been awesome to train for this race together and go on long runs for our date nights)
3. Start a 12-16 week race plan (we followed a program called Run Less, Run Faster, running 3 days a week with a speed workout, an interval run, and a long run; however, all signs point to more mileage, more often and not as fast being the better route to go for training; sometimes you just do what you can as parents of 5 littles). 
I try to convince everyone to be a runner. It’s just so good for your body, physically, as well as emotionally and mentally. I’m interested to know how many of you are runners or want to run a race. I’ll try to share more of my training and lessons learned. 
#areyoureadyforit #halfmarathontraining #halfmarathon #halfmarathonprep #halfmarathonrunner #runningmotivation #runningmoms #momof5 #hauntedhalfmarathon #runningtips #runningtime #momsthatrun
The breakfast smoothie I make every day. 1 banan The breakfast smoothie I make every day. 

1 banana
2 cups of almond milk 
1/2 cup coconut water
Mix of chia seeds + hemp hearts + ground flaxseed 
1 cup of cooked oatmeal (can chill in the fridge or make the night before)
1 scoop @just.ingredients chocolate protein powder
1 scoop PBfit
2 TBS cocoa (I like mine chocolatey)
1 cup ice

I’ve made this smoothie almost every morning for the last several years and it is so good! I love having it first thing in the morning. It’s healthy and filling, and a great way to start the day! The @just.ingredients protein powder is the best chocolate protein powder I’ve tasted, and one with clean ingredients. They’re running their birthday sale (biggest discount of the year!!) tomorrow at 9 AM MST, so this is the time to stock up! 

Let me know what you think if you try this recipe out! #breakfastfood #breakfastideas #breakfastrecipes #justingredients #cleaneatingrecipe #cleaneatingideas #momof5 #momhacks
Taking a moment to express gratitude for these lit Taking a moment to express gratitude for these little humans that make me a better person and bring me so much joy! They are my favorite people! I’m overwhelmed most of every day, but I love learning and growing together. Other than Kurt, most everyone just sees the highlights; the smiles, the candid photos, the cute outfits, the snuggles, and kisses, and hugs. I feel all the feels, as a mama. I want them to stay babies forever; mentally and emotionally I need them to grow up so that I can feel like a real person again that isn’t just running from one dirty diaper to another, and cleaning up messes while spelling out words, and trying to make sure dinner isn’t burning, while nursing and also checking regularly that the mischievous one isn’t standing on the counter eating every m&m out of the trail mix, or painting our white carpet in the guest bedroom every color that is NOT white. Such a hard mix of feelings to continuously feel. Such high highs, and such low lows. And most of the time I’m surrounded by 5 little people, without the ability to think uninterrupted thoughts, and still feeling incredibly alone. Motherhood is a beautiful opportunity to recognize and feel gratitude for everything our mothers have done for us. I truly love being a mother. I get special moments every day that remind me why I’m doing everything I’m doing. 
Dolly asking me if she can be my baby forever. Lacey being a natural mama to the babies, imitating how I love on them. Grant asking for a hug when he was exhausted and overwhelmed at the end of a fun, but long day. McKay giving the world’s best kisses (don’t tell Kurt 😉), and Carter happily waving and being loved on by a whole crew of older siblings. I hope they know they’re my whole world, and always will be.
Merry Christmas Eve! We have been busy doing all t Merry Christmas Eve! We have been busy doing all the Christmas baking and crafts we can squeeze into the past few weeks. Carter doesn’t want to miss out on the all action, and loved watching the kids build their gingerbread houses. 

The Minla 6-in-1 Adjustable High Chair by @MaxiCosiUSA has made it so he can be a part of the fun too. With 6 modes of use it provides a customized fit from infant seat to booster for children from newborn to 6 years of age. We can use it as a relaxed infant seat, a high chair, and as a cool booster seat with tray. The baby stuff with multiple uses have been the best for us to invest in for our littles. 

#MaxiCosi #WeCarryTheFuture
#lovemypbk #sponsored #merrychristmaseve
“It’s me, hi, I’m the problem it’s me!” “It’s me, hi, I’m the problem it’s me!” Those sweet baby cheeks and big eyes 😍 Maybe if our kids weren’t so dang cute it would be easier to stop having them. Call me crazy, but I’ve hit that stage of postpartum where I’ve had just enough time to forget all the hard things about pregnancy and delivery and I’ve soaked up enough newborn snuggles to say “So worth it! I could do it all again.” 🤪 

#7weeksold #newbornbaby #newbornboy #mamaof5
We got our sneak peek photos back from a studio se We got our sneak peek photos back from a studio session with @flyleafphoto today and my heart melts!! These beautiful babes are my little loves and I am so grateful! 

A little behind the scenes from our photos. The kids did so well and we loved working with Amy! I cannot wait to see the rest of everything they captured.

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