The Fourth of July here in the Rio Grande Valley is a lot more than just an afternoon of fireworks, pool parties, and tasty Texas barbecue. It is the day that we celebrate the birth of our nation and the freedoms that we enjoy that have been passed down from generation to generation.

We here at Sylvan Learning Centers of the Rio Grande Valley want to share with you some ideas and tips on how to experience our upcoming national holiday to the fullest with fun and educational games in commemoration of our nation’s history.

The Fourth of July truly represents the birthday of our nation. What better way to celebrate than with a birthday party?

Of course, what makes a birthday party a party is the cake. This can be done before the festivities begin by gathering the children to participate in mixing the cake batter or frosting red, white, and blue cupcakes to resemble our flag.

You can also opt for a healthier alternative by decorating the cake with strawberries, blueberries, and slices of banana. Of course, adult supervision and action is required when taking the pan in and out of the oven, or slicing the cake into even portions for all the partygoers to enjoy. This is a great activity to teach kids about measurement, proportions, fractions and following the rules of recipes.

Teaching and singing the Star Spangled Banner is a great alternative to singing the happy birthday song as it teaches the children our history. You can also have the children recite the Pledge of Allegiance. Then everyone can dig into some delicious cake.

The party doesn’t have to be limited to a cake ceremony. Take a sheet of butcher paper, have the children draw out the details of the flag, and glue magnets to the back of stars. Tape the finished product to the refrigerator and play Pin the Star on the Flag.

Or play a trivia game involving America’s history. A list of topics can be found online and it is a great way to reward correct answers with those treats that were prepared beforehand.

The ideas for games and discussions involving the 4th of July are endless so get creative!

Once the children have burned up some energy from all that cake, crafting patriotic art can continue the learning experience.

With a little bit of sidewalk chalk, children can draw red, white, and blue stars all over your driveway. In the same fashion, they can try their best to draw some of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, Old Glory, or the declaration itself.

Some red, white, and blue construction paper, a popsicle stick, and some glue can make a great flag for the little ones.

Use your search engine to find inspiration. Pinterest has a lot of ideas for crafts on Independence Day.

The whole reason we celebrate this day is because of our Declaration of Independence from Great Britain in 1776. The declaration can be a hard read for our children, but if we sit down with them and read it aloud, we can help to answer any questions they have about its meaning.

End the afternoon with a fun discussion about what Independence Day means. Discuss with the children about how old they think America is and what it means to be such a young country. Ask them if they could give America a gift, what would it be? Stimulate their imaginations while simultaneously educating them about the importance of Independence Day.

There are many movies that capture the feeling of what our forefathers fought for, but only a few can capture the essence of what our independence means in a way that children can understand. Liberty Kids offers great insight into the creation of our country in animated form, telling a tale of young people as they experience life during the Revolutionary Era.

The voice work is also something that adults can recognize, from well-known actors like Liam Neeson, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Billy Crystal, and Whoopi Goldberg to famous journalist Walter Cronkite.

The show also features a “Mystery Guests” game—a guessing game where kids try to guess a historical figure often in the episode—and a “Then and Now” comparison game.

These great ideas aren’t limited to Independence Day. These fun and innovative techniques are applicable to any holiday or school subject.

Take a look at our great summer workshops like Build-a-Bot for hands-on learning about robotics or have your children brush up on their reading skills through our Reading Tutoring program.

The skills they learn here can help them crack open a history book in confidence and gain the edge for the next Independence Day.

Contact us today to find out more about what types of programs we have to offer at (888) 338-2283.