Parties, picnics and fireworks! It’s what we Americans do best — celebrate our freedoms loudly! In fact, John Adams, one of our Founding Fathers, suggested celebrating Independence Day that very way:
“It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more.” -John Adams
We all look forward to the traditional celebrations that come along with July Fourth. So, like John Adams said in a nutshell: CELEBRATE BIG! But might we suggest in addition to all the fanfare that you take a few moments out of your day to also celebrate it in a more meaningful way. It’s not only a good lesson for your kids, but also a good reminder for all of us about why those fireworks light up the sky every fourth of July!
- Read stories about our Founding Fathers and how our country works. We’ve got a good starter list of books you can check out here. Talk to your kids about why we celebrate the 4th of July and what it means to have gained our independence. Who were our Founding Fathers and how were they just like the rest of us? What did it take to make our country free? Do they know about our three branches of government? In addition, let them know that they are part of “we the people” and each of us has a role to play.
- Discuss history and our freedoms every chance you get. What does your family discuss at dinnertime? David McCullough said “We are raising young people who are, by and large, historically illiterate,” and that we need to be discussing our history and our country with them at the dinner table as much as possible. Weave our freedoms and our blessings into your every day conversation. Make sure they know what America is all about and how it got this way. If our children don’t know about our history and our freedoms, how can they appreciate our country?
- Teach your kids patriotic songs: Teach them the songs you learned as a kid, such as “You’re a Grand Old Flag,” “America the Beautiful,” and “This Land is Your Land,” etc. Not only do kids love these types of songs but there’s no better way to teach them about their heritage as American citizens. What’s the story behind the Star Spangled Banner? It’s the song our kids will hear most often. They should know what it means. It makes singing the song much more meaningful when they know the history. You can learn more here. You can also play patriotic songs for them… Also, here’s a fun one for you: “Alexa, play patriotic music” (did you know you Alexa could do that?).
- Go to a parade: Does your city host an Independence Day parade? If not, what about a neighboring town? Chances are there’s one nearby. Get your kids in the spirit by bringing mini American flags for your kids to wave.
- Visit a historical site: There’s no better way to bring history to life than visiting where history actually happened. If you live on the East Coast, there’s no shortage of historical sites right at your fingertips. But what about everyone else? You’d be surprised how close you are to a meaningful historical site. Download the History Channel’s History Here app for an easy way to find one close.
- Talk about our country’s most important documents like the Declaration of Independence, the Bill of Rights and the Constitution. What do they all mean? Show your kids what they look like by making a virtual visit to the National Archives to view the original Declaration of Independence or plan a trip to view it in person.
- Fly the flag of the United States of America, from dawn to dusk. You can find some helpful guidelines here.
- Begin the day with a prayer or reflection of thanks for our freedoms. In fact, make this part of daily prayers so your children know how blessed they are to live in a country with the amazing freedoms we have.
- Share a story of a family member who has defended our freedom. Don’t know anyone personally? I bet if you checked out familysearch.org you might learn a few interesting facts about some of your ancestors.
- Thank a veteran for defending our freedoms and liberties. In fact, if you hit up a parade, chances are you’ll find quite a few veterans there too. Smile at them, wave at them, shake their hands, shout out your thanks. It’ll mean a lot to them.
- Write a list of the freedoms for which you are most thankful and then post it somewhere you’ll see often, like on your refrigerator. We’ve got a free download for a fancy list you can print off HERE!
- Send a care package to soldiers: supportourtroops.org tells you where to send them, ideas of what to put in them, etc. OR operationgratitude.com. Better yet, before your annual barbeque, bring friends and neighbors together to help assemble the care packages together.
What do you do with your kids on July 4th to celebrate our nation’s freedoms? We’d love to hear them! Send us your favorite ideas and we’ll share them on our Instagram!
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