4th of July is coming up and in our home that means, time spent in the pool, bbqing with friends and family and of course fireworks. On clear night we can stay home and see some the fireworks shows in the town a few miles away and then the show put on by the University.
Shae and I made these patriotic luminaries to light up the night while enjoying the show right from our deck.
Supplies
paper bags, white or brown will work
kid friendly paint
paint brushes
sand or rocks
battery operated tealight or glow sticks
knife or sharpened pencil
Prep your space to protect against paint stains. I use washable paint so I didn’t worry to much about it. Also make sure you start painting on the correct side of the bag. Don’t paint on the flap that sits on the table
Directions
Using a spare paper bag or plate or palate pour out enough paint for your flag or other design you prefer.
Starting with blue paint your square background then proceed with your red and white stripes. I wasn’t going for accuracy with the order or number of stripes. This was a freeform activity.
Let the blue thoroughly dry before adding stars. Again, didn’t go for accuracy in the number of stars.
After the white stars dried I used a pen knife to poke some holes to let the light shine through. I filled the bottom of the bag with about a handful if river rocks and placed a glowstick inside. The rocks help keep the bag in place while the winds blow.
While working on this activity I read little tidbits of information about how our flag became what it is today and what the stars and stripes actually mean.
One of my favorite books is The Flag We Love by Pam Muñoz Ryan.
It’s written for children but offers so much information about the heritage and history of the United States of America in small doses that kids can absorb. This book has been floating around our family since our 17yo was little.
How are you celebrating the 4th of July this year?
