5 Fourth of July Crafts to Do with Your Grandchildren

When I was younger, my sisters and I were obsessed with "The American Girl" series by Valerie Tripp. One of the characters of the series was Molly, whose story took place in the 1940s during World War II. My mom always associated Molly with Mawmaw because Mawmaw grew up in the same period as Molly. As my sisters and I learned from Molly's story, a victory garden was a war effort where families would grow their own food to help prevent food shortages for the soldiers.

If grandparents want to do a fun craft with their grandchildren this Fourth of July, a victory garden is the way to go. All you need is vegetable seeds and herb seeds. Flowers can be added for an extra amount of color. Grandparents and grandchildren can have fun together as they plant their victory garden, tend to it, and watch it grow. Once the plants have grown, grandparents can have their grandchildren harvest the vegetables and herbs, and they can turn their well-earned crops into a delicious meal.

Even if you are not a seasoned gardener, you can still try your hand at this. Victory gardens are a symbol of freedom, patriotism, and bravery. Although not everyone remembers World War II, making a victory garden can remind us of what our country has been through, making us even more thankful for our freedom.

Making a red, white, and blue straw craft is perfect for spending a summer afternoon with your grandchildren. While my Mawmaw would not have approved of wasting straws, we can rationalize this craft by saying we are making a beautiful decoration for the Fourth of July. Sure, we could just purchase a wreath, but a homemade one means much more to everyone. For generations to come, we can look back at the wreath and say, "I helped make that!"

In order to make a red, white, and blue straw craft, you will need multi-colored plastic straws (preferably red, white, and blue), a glue gun, and a bit of cardboard. The full instructions for the craft can be found here: https://www.instructables.com/Red-White-and-Blue-Paper-Straw-Wreath/. This craft is not overly time-consuming, but grandparents should stay present with their grandchildren while completing it. Since there is a glue gun involved, it is important that the children are monitored at all times.

Once the craft is finished and allowed to dry, you can place it on your front door or elsewhere in your house. When your grandchildren come over in the future, point out the wreath and tell them how much fun you had making it and how magnificent it looks. This will ensure a smile from your grandchildren and encourage them to make more crafts in the future.

Photo credit: ©GettyImages/AleksandarNakic

Every Fourth of July, my mom would take my sisters and I out to do sidewalk chalk. This was a fun craft she would have us do usually before our grandparents came over. However, as a grandparent, you can do this with your grandchildren. You only need a box of sidewalk chalk and a lovely sunny day. You could do this craft on the Fourth of July or the days leading up to it. Either way, it will help the entire neighborhood get into the festive mood.

As you are doing sidewalk chalk with your grandchildren, ask them how they are doing, what they are doing in school, and who they made friends with over the summer. Kids love questions like this, and will be overjoyed to answer. If you wanted, you could also share memories of the Fourth of July celebrations you had growing up when you were their age. While some younger kids might have trouble paying attention, older children might be fascinated with the different periods or traditions.

The artwork you and your grandchildren do for the sidewalk chalk can be geared towards the Fourth of July by using red, white, and blue sidewalk chalk, writing "USA," and drawing the American flag. However, if any of your grandchildren want to be unique and take a different route by drawing animals, flowers, or hearts, know that is okay, too. Allow them to express themselves in their art and encourage them to draw whatever they want for the Fourth of July.

Fourth of July rockets are another craft you can do with your grandchildren, but not to fear—they are not too complicated. The full instructions, directions, and craft supply can be found here. There are many craft supplies that you will need, therefore, make sure you purchase cardboard tubes, white glue, paper, straws, glitter, sequins, ribbons, pipe cleaners, paint, paintbrushes, and tissue paper ahead of time. However, a quick run through your house or your own craft supply closet might help you discover that you already have these supplies in your home.

Fourth of July rockets are really fun to make, and your grandchildren will love them. As it is with most crafts, make sure you monitor your grandchildren and ensure they don't hurt themselves with any of the craft supplies. You can make your own Fourth of July rockets, too, with your grandchildren, as they would love you getting involved with the craft. Don't just allow your grandchildren to have all the fun! Your grandchildren will love the craft even more if you complete it with them.

A final craft idea to do with your grandchildren for the Fourth of July holiday is firework paintings. Most kinds love art; therefore, doing a firework painting is likely up their alley. I remember art class was my favorite class in school, and I loved it when we had the rare occasion when we were painting. It was always so much fun and made you feel like a true artist. With kids' impressive imagination, having a chance to do paintings can help them discover their interests, talents, and passions.

The full instructions for the firework paintings can be found here. https://www.happinessishomemade.net/4th-of-july-kids-craft-painting-fireworks/. As you review the instructions and craft supplies, check around your house to see if you already have some of the craft supplies. If you don't have any of the supplies, a bonus of this craft is having your grandchildren come with you to the store to purchase all the supplies. This can be an extra outing that can help form more memories for the Fourth of July.

Even just looking around your house for craft supplies can be done with your grandchildren, and you can treat it like a scavenger hunt. They will love the chance to look around Grandma and Grandpa's house to find the craft supplies needed for the fun Fourth of July craft they are going to all do together. Never underestimate how much the ordinary can be fascinating in the eyes of a child.