Nothing says the Fourth of July like barbecues, fireworks, parades and balloons!
Celebrate the anniversary of the Declaration of Independence with your family
and friends, and enjoy life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness with a festive
Fourth of July party!
Invitations
Invite your guests with "poppers" that look like firecrackers! Write the party
details on the white lines of small paper flags, roll up the flags, and insert
them into paper tubes along with some red, white, and blue confetti. Wrap
the tubes with red crepe paper, tie the ends off in a bow (for easy opening)
with blue and white ribbon, and fringe the ends with scissors. Hand deliver
"poppers" to guests or leave in their front door.
Costumes
- Have the guests dress up in period costumes from American history and
come as Paul Revere, George and Martha Washington or Betsy Ross.
- Ask everyone to wear red, white, and blue.
- Give the guests a flag-printed bandana to wear at the party. Award a prize
for most creative use.
Decorations
Get the fireworks started with these sparkling decoration tips:
- Hang red, white, and blue crepe paper streamers — twisted — around the
room and from the ceiling. Tie red, white, and blue helium-filled balloons to
lawn furniture, picnic tables, trees and fences. String up red, white, and
blue Christmas lights around the patio or deck.
- Stick small American flags in dips, hunks of cheese or sliced fruit.
- Cover table with red checked tablecloth. Use red or blue bandanas for
placemats or napkins. Write the names of the guests on small flags and
use them as place markers.
- If you're having a pool party cover the table with beach towels. Serve the
food in beach pails or terra cotta flower pots. Fill a wheelbarrow with ice
and cold drinks. Add flags and tie on red, white, and blue helium-filled
balloons as accents.
- Light the night with red, white and blue candles.
- Play your favorite marching music in the background such as John Phillip
Sousa.
Games & Activities
- Add a little "pop" to your fireworks fun using red, white, and blue helium-filled
balloons, filled with creative challenges. Write down a stunt on a
small piece of paper, such as "Sing America the Beautiful," "March like a
soldier across the room — backwards — with your eyes closed," or "Name
five presidents." Insert the note into a balloon along with a small piece of
wrapped candy. Use a Balloon Time® A La Carté helium tank to supply
the helium, purchase color-themed balloons, inflate them, and tie off each
balloon. Have the guests take turns trying to pop a balloon by sitting on it
(not always easy). When the balloon pops, the player must read and
perform the challenge inside. Repeat until all the balloons have been
popped and all the stunts have been performed.
- Give everyone — kids and adults — a squirt gun, and have a water fight to
cool down in the heat.
- Play charades by acting out famous events from American history such as
"Signing of the Declaration of Independence," "Crossing the Potomac,"
"Paul Revere's Ride," "Betsy Ross Making a Flag," "Davy Crockett at the
Alamo," and so on.
- Ask everyone to share what he or she likes about living in America — and
perhaps what improvements they'd like to see.
- Fill some balloons with glitter and confetti, blow them up with a Balloon
Time® Helium Balloon Kit and give them a shake. The static electricity will
cause the glitter to cling. When the party is about over, set off your own
"fireworks" by popping the balloons — and watch the glitter go flying!
Refreshments
- A potluck or barbecue is standard at a Fourth of July gathering, but here's
a fun alternative: Have everyone bring a red, white and blue wrapped box
lunch, and place it on the picnic table. At meal time, let guests choose a
boxed lunch, based on their ages (from youngest to oldest) or by drawing
numbers. Unwrap and open the decorative boxes for the surprise meal
waiting inside!
- Make red, white and blueberry sundaes with the kids. Use homemade or
store-bought vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt, and scoop it into small
bowls. Let the kids top the ice cream with blueberries and raspberries (or
sliced strawberries). Add a small American flag or light a single candle to
symbolize fireworks.
- Create an Angel Food Flag Cake that makes an impressive centerpiece
and serves a lot of hungry people. Bake an angel food cake according to
package directions in a rectangular pan (or buy an angel food loaf from
the bakery, cut it in half lengthwise, and fit it into pan). Cover the cake with
whipped cream or Cool Whip. Place blueberries in the upper left-hand
corner to represent the stars on the flag. Slice strawberries and arrange
them in lines to form flag stripes. Refrigerate until serving time.
Favors
Send your patriotic party guests home with a Fourth of July memory:
- Small American flags
- Helium-filled confetti balloons
- Red, white and blue bandannas
- Paper or battery fans to keep cool
- Squirt guns
- Funny sunglasses or visors
Enjoy and be safe as we celebrate our nation's birth!
Penny Warner has more than 25 years of experience as an author
and party planner. She has published more than 50 books, including 16
specific to parties. Additionally, Warner writes a weekly newspaper
column on family life, penned a column for Sesame Street Parents
magazine and has appeared on several regional and national TV morning
programs. Her latest book, HOW TO HOST A KILLER PARTY, debuted in
February 2010 from NAL/Penguin.
Balloon Time is the leading brand of consumer helium balloon kits
in North America. Balloon Time kits feature a helium-filled tank, latex
or foil balloons and ribbon, and are available at national retail
chains, party goods and grocery stores nationwide.