Archive for the ‘celebrate it’ Category

You have to love a nation that celebrates its independence every July 4, not with a parade of guns, tanks, and soldiers who file by the White House in a show of strength and muscle, but with family picnics where kids throw Frisbees, the potato salad gets iffy, and the flies die from happiness. You may think you have overeaten, but it is patriotism.

-Erma Bombeck

Wishing you all a Happy 4th of July…

What are you doing for the 4th of July?  How about some retro fun?  I’ve noticed that most old fashioned activities don’t cost much… and they are lots of fun.  I guess I can have my pie and eat it too.

Here are a few ideas that might take you back a few years…

Three Legged Race

• a bandanna for each team
• a whistle
• crepe paper for a finish line (to get your photo finish!)

Watermelon or Pie Eating Contest- I don’t know about you but I have a hard time thinking about a pie that I slaved over being gobbled down in seconds… so I’ll opt for the watermelon.

Water Balloon Toss- A team of two tosses the water balloon to each other.  With each successful catch you take a step back.  You can also play in teams of three, two people hold either side of a large towel and try to catch the balloon on the towel. 

• filled water balloons
• you can also play with large towels (great for littler kids)

Taffy Pulling (of course!)

Hula Hoop Contest- I used to rock at these… see who can go the longest.

• hula hoops for contestants

Wheel barrow race- one contestant holds the legs of the other while that person races on their hands

• strong arms!
• a whistle to start the race
• crepe paper for a finish line

Horse Shoes- many parks have courts if you are lucky enough to find them.  I have a Rubber Horse Shoe Set that is fun for little kids.

• horse shoes
• two stakes
  

Bean Bag Toss

• bean bags – I’ve sewn them from small pieces of fabrics and filled them with beans.
• targets- any thing from a large piece of strong card board with holes cut in it to buckets placed with different points depending on distance.

Thinking about these activities really takes me back to my childhood… to blazing hot July 4th’s complete with sparklers, fireworks, watermelon and great memories.