4th of July Activities

We spent another WONDERful afternoon volunteering with at-risk children.  We shared two different American themed Wonders and the kids made flags representing their families.  The Wonders below and the flag lesson are perfect activities for celebrating the 4th of July with your own family.  I also included some additional links for more ideas/activities.

Betsy shared Wonder of the Day #151 Who Wrote the National Anthem? While she shared her Wonder the kids wondered why the national anthem is sung before sporting events.  One child thought it was because sports are part of America and so is the national anthem.  Another child wondered if it wasn't a way to bless the teams.  Thank goodness for modern technology, because we learned that the main reason the national anthem is played at sporting events is because it is a battle song and sporting events are a kind of battle.

Ben shared Wonder of the Day #274 Who Made the American Flag?  We discussed the history of the flag and what the stars and stripes symbolize on the flag, including the specific colors and what the colors mean.

Finally, we made flags representing our own family.  The lesson is from the National Museum of American History and called Design Your Own Family Flag.  Each child thought of words that described their family and then drew a symbol of that word.  Finally, the children used the symbols to make their family flag.  I encouraged them to think of colors that represented their family.  For example, one boy said his family was "cool".  I encouraged him to think of a color that represented that word.  Ben and Betsy both participated in this activity and enjoyed making their flags.

Here are some more activities that you might want to try with your children on the 4th of July:
National Museum of American History -  The Star-Spangled Banner
ReadWriteThink - Independence Day Book List
ReadWriteThink - Myth and Truth: Independence Day