While I love Fourth of July events, there were also some years we preferred to celebrate at home. Often this can be even more fun if you are already seeing a lot of family or if your kids are younger and they are currently not able to tolerate too much noise and hubbub yet. Sometimes we also go to an event on a different day and then spend the Fourth of July at home. Read this to figure out some ideas for your own celebrations.

Make Each Meal Fun.

Start out your day with pancakes and be sure to decorate them with strawberries, blueberries and whipped cream.

The 4th of July is a great time of year for grilling. Be sure to pop some hot dogs, hamburgers, veggies and corn on the grill. If you don’t have one just head to a local park. Lots of parks have outdoor grills near their picnic pavilions.

If you would rather cook indoors these foods are easy to make inside as well. I love eating like Sonic the Hedgehog (having a chili cheese dog). Another easy indoor lunch idea is to have some grilled cheese and tomato soup with blueberries on the side to keep with the theme.

Make a Patriotic Dessert.

Our kids’ favorite dessert to make was one that I made up. They first make vanilla pudding and put it into a rectangular container. Then they slice strawberries into straight pieces to help them make stripes on the flag and use the blueberries to put in between the white pudding to look like the stars on a flag.

Another fun idea is to make an apple pie or apple crisp together for dessert as a family and then have it with vanilla ice cream. This can be a good time to also talk about Johnny Appleseed.

One year it was really hot so the kids loved having sno balls at my sister’s house.

Stock up on some Red and Blue fruit.

Each year around the Fourth of July I personally love to buy strawberries, apples, blueberries and watermelon. These are easy to eat throughout the day and great as a snack if you are heading outside and craving something cool. They can also be used as part of your breakfast if you are making a yogurt parfait.

If your kids want to help with 4th of July prep have them make patriotic fruit kebabs. They just have to put blueberries and strawberries on skewers or chopsticks. If you would like you can even have them add marshmallows as well. This is a great way to have them practice patterns as well.

Another favorite thing we like to make when it is hot is a watermelon slushie. It is a great way to beat the heat and it is something kids can help make as well.

Dress Up.

Staying in does not mean you have to only be in your pajamas. Dress for the occasion! We like to wear fun outfits such as matching Captain America shirts.

Play some lawn games.

If you are with friends or family for the 4th of July this is a great opportunity to play some games. Some we enjoy include ladder ball and corn hole. Five Below often has cheap outdoor games if you need some to pick up.

Do a Craft.

The Fourth of July is a fun time to do a red, white and blue craft or a or one to make fireworks on paper.

Read a book.

This is a great time to tell your kids about some American history or geography. These are a couple of our favorite board books. If you have an account on Teachers Pay Teachers here are some of my favorite free activities: 4th of July Headband Craft, 4th of July Color by Numbers Math and Free Fourth of July Activities.

Go for a walk.

One thing that our family has loved the past few years is going for a walk in our neighborhood on the evening of the Fourth of July. It is fun to see others outside with sparklers and see fireworks going off in the distance.

If you want to venture further from home a hike is always a good option. One year we went to Boundary Creek Park in Moorestown, NJ and another to Soldier’s Delight in Owings Mills, MD.

Another option is heading to a nearby town to walk around the streets and check out the patriotic decor. Our favorite town do this is Riverton, NJ.

Make your own outdoor 4th of July Fun.

If you are out earlier in the day it is a great time to bring out your baby pool or water table. It is also always fun to draw fireworks with chalk. If heading outside once it is dark be sure to have glow sticks, sparklers and Pop-Its to have a gala time.

Chase some Fireworks.

There are often fireworks in lots of towns in and around the Fourth of July. One thing we have fun doing is hopping in the car as it gets close to dusk. Then as we start hearing fireworks we drive off in their direction and if we spot them we stop and watch the show.

If you decide to head out for a Fourth of July event there are plenty of events on different days as well. This is a good way to spread out the excitement and not do too many things in one day. Before heading out be sure to read my: Tips for Attending Fourth of July Events with Kids. These are also my Top Free Fourth of July Events in and around Jersey. I wrote about my experiences attending each of these events in the past as well as when they are each happening this year.

Best Ideas for Celebrating the Fourth of July at home