4th of July Theme for Preschool

The 4th of July is celebrated in the United States each year. It is a celebration of the anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence! Traditional celebrations include flying the American flag, parades, picnics and fireworks displays!

This 4th of July Preschool Theme page is filled with ideas, activities and preschool lesson plans for your classroom.

You'll find more themes to help you with your planning on my preschool themes page.

Let the Theme Planning Begin!

4th of July Art Activities

Construction Paper Flags

Materials Needed: In advance, draw stripes on a large paper and pre-cut red and white squares; provide glue

The children dip the papers into the glue and glue onto the pre-drawn rows -- remind them of the pattern: red, white, red, white

VARIATION: I've seen this done with liquid starch and red and white tissue paper--very pretty!

Marble Painted Fireworks

Materials Needed: Shallow box cover or pie tin; variety of thinned tempera paint; marbles; black or dark blue construction paper.

The children place the paper in the box cover or pie tin.

They drop several spoonfuls of paint (of different colors).

They place 2 or 3 marbles on the paint and rock the box lid or pie tin in different directions to move the marbles through the paint to make a fireworks display!

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4th of July Blocks Center

Provide little people and fabric squares to recreate some picnic or fireworks display areas!

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4th of July Circle Time

Circle Time is such a great time for children to learn the social skills of being together as a large group AND to learn more about your theme!

Directional Stars!

Provide each child with a star shape. Practice spatial awareness by giving instructions on where to place the star:

Place the star "next to" your foot; "on" your head; "behind" your body

EXTENSION: Do this activity with calming music on in the background. A great stretching activity!

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Dramatic Play

4th of July Picnic

Provide a blanket, picnic basket and play food for the children to have a picnic. Include a CD player with patriotic music!

VARIATION: Have snack or lunch outside as a picnic today!

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4th of July Easel Ideas

More Than Just Painting (Although that is always THE favorite in our classroom!)

Glitter Paint

Use glittered Liquid water color paint (or add glitter to some paint) for a sparkly paint!

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Gross Motor Games

to help the children build their muscles while they have fun together!

Boom! Crash! Fireworks!

The children pretend to be fireworks! When you yell "BOOM" they start making fireworks movements and sounds and when you yell "CRASH" they fall to the floor!

EXTENSION: Give the children colored dancing scarves to use during this!

Fence Weaving

Do you have a fence outside? Have the children weave red, white and blue streamers through it to make a flag!

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4th of July Library Center

Book Suggestions for the Library

Many of these books are available at your local library or you can purchase them through Amazon.  Click the title links below to see what they have available!

(I LOVE Amazon, and some of the links below will take you to the Amazon website.  If you do choose to purchase yours through Amazon, they do send me a few cents--which supports my coffee habit! )

Apple Pie Fourth of July by Janet Wong

Biscuit's Fourth of July by Alyssa Satin Capucilli

Corduroy's Fourth of July (Corduroy (Board Book)) by Don Freeman and Lisa McCue

Fourth of July, Sparkly Sky (Sparkle 'n' Twinkle Books) by Joan Holub

The 4th of July (All About Holidays) by Dorothy Goeller

Hooray for the Fourth of July by Wendy Watson

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Math and Manipulatives Activities

Ideas to help your Preschoolers develop their math skills and the small muscles in their hands!

4th of July Star Sorting

Materials: In advance, make different sizes of stars in red, white and blue colors. The children can match them by size or sort them by size and/or by color.

Flag Patterns

In advance, cut out strips of red and white paper.

Materials needed: strips of red and white paper; large paper; glue sticks

Show the children an American flag. Encourage them to recreate the stripe pattern by gluing the strips of paper onto a larger paper--red, white, red, white!

VARIATION: Rather than gluing them onto a paper, simply provide the strips of red and white paper to place them in a pattern on the table. They can make up their own patterns as well!

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4th of July Music and Movement

Ideas to get your Preschoolers Movin' and Groovin'!

4th Of July sung to Frere Jacques

4th of July! 4th of July!

Independence Day! Independence Day!

Hear the bands playing.

See our flag waving.

4th of July! 4th of July!

And, of course, the Traditional songs:

The Star-Spangled Banner  by Francis Scott Key

Oh, say can you see, 
by the dawn's early light,
What so proudly we hailed
at the twilight's last gleaming,

Whose broad stripes and bright stars
thro' the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watched
were so gallantly streaming.

And the rockets' red glare,
the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof thro' the night
that our flag was still there.

Oh, say, does that star-spangled
banner yet wave?
O'er the land of the free
and the home of the brave!

Yankee Doodle by Richard Shuckburgh

Yankee Doodle went to town,
Riding on a pony,
Stuck a feather in his cap
And called it macaroni.

Yankee Doodle keep it up,
Yankee Doodle dandy,
Mind the music and the step
And with the girls be handy.

America By Samuel F. Smith

My country, 'tis of Thee,
Sweet Land of Liberty
Of thee I sing;

Land where my fathers died,
Land of the pilgrims' pride,
From every mountain side
Let Freedom ring.

My native country, thee,
Land of the noble free,
Thy name I love;

I love thy rocks and rills,
Thy woods and templed hills,
My heart with rapture thrills
Like that above.

Let music swell the breeze
And ring from all the trees
Sweet Freedom's song;

Let mortal tongues awake;
Let all that breathe partake;
Let rocks their silence break,
The sound prolong.

Our fathers' God to Thee,
Author of Liberty,
To thee we sing,

Long may our land be bright
With Freedom's holy light,
Protect us by thy might
Great God, our King.

Our glorious Land to-day,
'Neath Education's sway,
Soars upward still.

Its hills of learning fair,
Whose bounties all may share,
behold them everywhere
On vale and hill!

Thy safeguard, Liberty,
The school shall ever be,
Our Nation's pride!

No tyrant hand shall smite,
While with encircling might
All here are taught the Right
With Truth allied.

Beneath Heaven's gracious will
The stars of progress still
Our course do sway;

In unity sublime
To broader heights we climb,
Triumphant over Time,
God speeds our way!

Grand birthright of our sires,
Our altars and our fires
Keep we still pure!

Our starry flag unfurled,
The hope of all the world,
In peace and light impearled,
God hold secure!

You're A Grand Ol' Flag by George M. Cohen

You're a grand old flag,
You're a high flying flag
And forever in peace may you wave.

You're the emblem of
The land I love.
The home of the free and the brave.

Ev'ry heart beats true
'neath the Red, White and Blue,
Where there's never a boast or brag.

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
Keep your eye on the grand old flag.

America the Beautiful  By Katharine Lee Bates

O beautiful for spacious skies,
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties
Above the fruited plain!

America! America! God shed His grace on thee,
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!

O beautiful for pilgrim feet,
Whose stern impassion'd stress
A thoroughfare for freedom beats
Across the wilderness!

America! America! God mend thine ev'ry flaw,
Confirm thy soul in self-control,
Thy liberty in law!

O beautiful for heroes proved In liberating strife,
Who more than self their country loved,
And mercy more than life!

America! America! May God thy gold refine
Till all success be nobleness,
And ev'ry gain divine!

O Beautiful for patriot dream
That sees beyond the years
Thine alabaster cities gleam,
Undimmed by human tears!

America! America! God shed His grace on thee,
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!

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Sand and Water Table

Colored Water

Try adding red or blue coloring to your water table....or both!

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4th of July Science Center Ideas

for your Preschool Scientists in Training!

Exploding Soda

Materials Needed: 2 two-liter bottles of soda (one regular and one diet); several rolls of Wintergreen Lifesavers (Breath Savers will not work); a thin straw (like a coffee stirrer).

Do this OUTSIDE!

Place the bottle of soda on a flat surface and open it.

Unwrap a roll of Lifesavers and place the straw all the way through them.

Have everyone BACK UP!

Position the straw with the Lifesavers over the bottle and drop ALL the Lifesavers in at once and move away!

Repeat as often as you want!

VARIATION: I've not tried it, but have been told that Mentos and 7-Up work great, also!

Paint Bags

Materials: plastic baggies, colored tempera paint, wide clear tape, spoons

Have the children help to choose colors of paint and put a teaspoon of each in the baggie.

Seal the baggie and cover the opening with clear tape.

Let the children squish the bags to see what colors they make!

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Writing Activity Ideas

Colored Pencils Fireworks

Materials Needed: The children color on black or blue paper. As they make their fireworks, write down their stories! We've heard great stories about fireworks from the children!

Other pages you might like:

Go to MAIN THEMES Page

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