On the Fourth of July, we try to do a lot of activities that include our family and friends; cooking out, covered dish dinner, making ice cream in the old fashioned crank freezer, or having a watermelon cutting. These activities can be enjoyed by the young and old.
If we choose to make ice cream, those who have freezers bring the ice cream mixture in their freezer container. Those who don't have freezers bring bags of ice, the hostess provides the salt. It is best to have about 5 or 6 freezers, with a different flavor in each. It is so much fun to watch the small kids try to crank the freezer! Most of them have never done this before, and look forward to making ice cream.
Everybody brings lawn chairs, or a quilt. We look for the shade, moving as it changes during the day! It is a good excuse to tell the funny stories about family and friends, and relieve them each year. You know the kids are listening when they beg for the story about when "Great Aunt Nettie sat down on the couch, and sat on a crochet hook and had to go to the ER, and the hook was stuck in her girdle! " Oh my, the kids 3 generations down are still laughing about that story!
When there are a lot of little children, tell them to bring their tricycles, wagons, or bikes with them. Provide crepe paper streamers, flags, horns, whistles, ribbons,cardboard and clothes pins for the bike wheels, and what ever Fourth Decorations you can find at the $ Store. Let them decorate their "vehicles" and have a parade down the street. Oh my how they love to do that. Some of them even decorated the dog last year!
Water balloons are fun for the kids and the dads, too! It is usually so hot in July that it feels good to get wet a little. If you want to, you can get inexpensive squirt guns at the $ stores, too.
As for the watermelon feast. You know there has to be a seed spitting contest, too! Give small prizes, or find Medals at the $ Store for the winner. Who says that fun has to be expensive?
By Barbara Petty in Knoxville, TN
This page contains the following solutions.
Instead of buying throwaway, light plastic tablecloths, spend a few dollars more and get a flannel-back table cloth for seasonal parties.
I picked up this Uncle Sam hat in the dollar store. They had matching ice buckets, so it dawned on me that putting the two items together would make a nice presentation for the Fourth of July!
Planning the hottest Fourth of July party ever? Hot dogs, hamburgers, chips and drinks will tickle your guests' tummies, but how about tickling their senses, too? Here are some great tips for transforming your party into an explosive celebration.
This is a great game for the 4th if July. All you need is 2 towels, 4 people and some water balloons! 2 people hold on th the short ends of a towel and place the water balloon in the middle.
Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
I am having a July 4th wedding. I need help with color schemes! Everywhere I turn all I'm getting is red, white, and blue, but that is not what I want. I need suggestions for a beautiful July 4th wedding, that does not look like an American flag bridal party.
By Beth from Hershey, PA
How about choosing white and either blue or red? Both red/white and blue/white look crisp and fresh; and will give a nod to the flag, without looking too cliche.
How about silver and gold. Think of sparklers, fireworks and you could make it festive without quite so patriotic. You could add small touches of red, white and blue just to pull it all together if you want, but think the other would be great.
I would conveniently forget the holiday and do your wedding, in whatever color you want to! July is summertime too. When I think of summer, I think of sunshine and green grass.
You could take a spin off of it and use a country blue, cream or maroon wine color.
Look for the colors of flowers that will be in bloom at that time and use those for some of the colors. This will also save some money especially if you can use flowers from friends' gardens or your own.
Our son was in a wedding for his best friend (bride) 2 years ago the 4th of July. She had shades of metallics that included browns, oranges, bronzes from the invitations, dresses, tuxes, She had a boat on a big lake, so no indoor decor needed. The cake was all fancy pieces of cheese cake from the Cheese Cake Factory, on tiers. So that was the decorative there. Really, choose your color/theme according to what you like.
Katies colors of choice made it such a sophisticated 4th of July wedding without being walked over by the regular red, white and blue traditional colors.
Good Luck!
My name is Nathaniel and my son is having a fourth of July party and its supposed to be huge! We have a pool and it's a boy/girl party. What should I do?
One idea would be to make ice cream cake cones. Using an inexpensive cake mix, prepare as directed and pour into flat bottomed ice cream cones. bake on a cookie sheet. frost with fluffy frosting. Little boys love this!
One idea would be to make ice cream cake cones. Using an inexpensive cake mix, prepare as directed and pour into flat bottomed ice cream cones. bake on a cookie sheet. frost with fluffy frosting. Little boys love this!
If your son is at all into baseball get him a Zip N Hit.
I guarentee the boys will be waiting in line to use it.
You can see it and get it here! They sent it really fast. the best $25.00 you will ever spend.
Have a designated POOL WATCHER adult at all times. Even kids who know how to swim can drown!
In the past when we have had 4th of July parties, there is a lot of kids swimming. To make sure the young and old have a good time we hire a lifegaurd. I put an ad in the paper and ask for CPR trained lifegaurds. They must have all the credentials though (finished all lifeguard courses). I've gotten some great teens that are happy to sit by the pond and just watch the kids and eat for free too. I pay them $10 an hour. It's much cheaper than the thought of having someone drown and have that to live with forever. Good luck and have fun.
The 4th is a great holiday to make some fun and colorful food items in addition to the typical summer fare. This is a page about 4th of July party food ideas.
