15 FESTIVE July 4th Crafts & Activities (2026)

Looking for July fourth crafts and activities?

I have many fun and festive July fourth ideas for you to try with your kids! These activities are perfect for celebrating our country!

Let’s get started with my 15+ July fourth Crafts and Activities!

#1: Firework Salt Painting

Salt painting is my favorite activity to do with my kids. These fireworks turned out SO cool.

This Fourth of July craft is a must-try activity this year!

firework salt painting

How to do this activity

A. Materials you need

watercolors

View Amazon's Price

B. Set-up

On black cardstock paper, draw the fireworks using a pencil. Then, outline your drawings in school glue.

C. Activity

Have the kids sprinkle salt on top of the glue. There should be a TON of salt on the paper. They should remove the excess into the trash.

You can choose to do this activity right away or wait till the salt dries. I like doing it both ways, but if you decide to wait, I think the colors turn out better.

They will use watercolors to paint the fireworks red and blue! They can skip spaces for the white or paint the whole firework red and blue!

Let it dry and see how beautiful it turns out! This is such a great Fourth of July craft for kids.

#2: Ripped Paper Flag Craft

This is a fun and easy July 4th craft for kids to do!

I love the handprint part to this craft. It’s a great keepsake for summer and it’s a fun project for the kids.

How to do this activity

A. Materials you need

  • cardstock paper
  • glue

B. Set-up

Trace your child’s hand on a piece of blue cardstock paper and cut it out.

C. Activity

The kids will start ripped pieces of red construction or cardstock paper. They will make lines to make a flag on white paper. You can draw lines where you want them to place the paper if you want to as well.

They will use a glue stick to paste on the pieces that they ripped.

Then, you will glue the handprint in the corner. and add fingerprints for the white stars on the handprint!

#3: Glitter Glue Fireworks

There is just something special about glitter glue! My daughter gets SO excited to use it.

Making these fireworks is an easy and fun Fourth of July craft for your kids.

glitter glue firework craft

How to do this activity

A. Materials you need

View Amazon's Price

B. Set-up

Draw fireworks onto a black piece of cardstock using a pencil.

C. Activity

Have your little ones use glitter glue to trace your lines! They should use different colors for the fireworks.

This is a great fine motor activity for kids and helps their handwriting skills because they will be working on tracing lines.

Add some stars in the sky and look at the beautiful Fourth of July fireworks craft!

#4: Fireworks in a Jar Experiment

I have a science experiment you have to try this summer! Make your own fireworks in a jar!

I got this idea from The Genius of Play! It’s an easy science experiment that you can do right at home or in the classroom.

YouTube video

How to do this activity

A. Materials you need

  • jars
  • vegetable oil
  • liquid food coloring
  • water
  • spoon

B. Set-up

Fill a jar up 3/4 full with water. Then, mix 1/3 cup vegetable oil and a few drops of food coloring in a seperate bowl. We chose to use rainbow colors, but you can use whatever colors you like!

C. Activity

The kids will add the oil mix to the jar using a spoon to help guide it in slowly.

Watch the drops of food coloring spread out in the oil and water! It’s mesmerizing to watch. It looks like fireworks in a jar!

This is the perfect summer activity for Memorial Day or July fourth!

#5: Free Flag Craft Printable

This free flag craft is perfect for a fourth of July craft! It’s fun and easy for the kids to do.

It’s also the perfect keepsake! Inside this pack are also FREE fourth of july learning activities

Grab your FREE Fourth of July Learning Pack HERE!

There are activities to work on patterns, beginning sounds, tracing, and there are also dot marker crafts for the holiday!

#6: Fourth of July Color by Code

This color-by-code Fourth of July craft is a fun way for kids to work on numbers!

My son loves the color-by-code printables SO much! They are by far his favorite learning activity.

fourth of july color by code

How to do this activity

A. Materials you need

  • Color by Code sheets
  • crayons
  • markers

 

Click HERE for your FREE Fourth of July Color by Code

B. Set-up

Print off the sheets that you want to use!

C. Activity

Make sure your child understands how to read the key at the top of the page. Then, they will color each number in the picture based on what the key says.

These are my kid’s favorite out of all the printables I create. They love revealing the picture at the end!

#7: Paper Plate Flag Craft

Here’s another easy flag Fourth of July craft for kids. We love using paper plates for crafting because it’s so simple.

What is fun about this craft is that we used streamers! This is a beautiful flag craft to hang up at home.

paper plate American flag craft

How to do this activity

A. Materials you need

  • paper plate
  • tape
  • streamer
  • acrylic paint
  • paintbrush
  • sponge

B. Set-up

Cut a paper plate in half and paint it blue using acrylic paint! Let this dry; it’ll take about a half-hour to dry.

C. Activity

Cut red and white streamers. They should be about the same length!

Once the paper plate is dry, the kids can tape the steamers onto the back of the paper plate. They should alternate the colors of the steamers.

Lastly, create a star shape onto a sponge. Then, cut it out and dip it into the paint. The kids will make star prints on top of the blue paint!

This is a cute and easy Fourth of July craft for toddlers and preschoolers.

#8: Fourth of July Lava Lamps

We love making lava lamps! It’s such a fun and simple experiment that it is a winner each time we do it.

This is the perfect Fourth of July activity for kids to try. I love you can do this over and over too!

YouTube video

 How to do this activity

A. Materials you need

B. Set-up

In a clear glass or jar, fill it with 3/4 full of baby oil/vegetable oil. Then, add 1/4 cup of water.

C. Activity

Mix a few squirts of acrylic paint and water together in small cups. Then, mix it up using a spoon.

Add the mix into the oil. If you have some star confetti, you can add this into the jars to add a little more effect, but this is optional!

Lastly, add in the Alka-Seltzer tablet! Watch it fizz up and create bubbles like a lava lamp!

#9: Q-tip Fireworks

This is another fun Fourth of July craft that works on fine motor skills!

This time, it’s using Q-tips and washable paint. When kids use Q-tips trace, they are working on handwriting skills. This is a great way to sneak in some learning!

Q-tip firework craft

How to do this activity

A. Materials you need

  • cardstock paper
  • washable paint
  • Q-tips
  • pencil
  • paint tray

B. Set-up

Draw fireworks on white paper using a pencil!

C. Activity

Add paint to a paint tray and grab some Q-tips. The kids will dip their Q-tips into the paint, and they will trace your drawings.

You can write a color for the kids to use at the bottom of each firework, or you can leave them blank for the kids to make their own choice.

This is a fun and simple setup for kids!

#10: TP Roll Fireworks

Got a stash of TP rolls? Here’s a fun way to put them to use for a Fourth of July craft.

Toilet paper rolls make the perfect prints for fireworks! All you have to do is make a few cuts in them.

TP Roll Fireworks

How to do this activity

A. Materials you need

View Amazon's Price

B. Set-up

Make a few cuts into a toilet paper roll. Then, bend them back, so they flair out like a firework!

We made two types of cuts in the toilet paper rolls, so they were a little different. Add a bunch of slits and try another one with just a few.

C. Activity

The kids will use a paintbrush to paint each toilet paper roll on the slits. Then, they will make prints on paper. We made a few of each color across the entire paper.

Then, the kids added a squirt of glitter glue in the middle of each firework, spreading it out with their fingers.

This is such a fun and colorful Fourth of July craft for kids! I love when we get the chance to reuse supplies to create art.

#11: Fingerprint Star Craft

Fingerprint crafts are some of our favorite crafts! We love to do them each holiday and season.

This fourth of July craft for kids is the perfect keepsake or DIY card for someone special.

star fingerprint fourth of july craft

How to do this activity

A. Materials you need

Click HERE for your FREE Star Template

B. Set-up

Print off my star template cut them out, and tape them down to a white/black sheet of paper using masking tape.

Grab your paint and add it to a paint tray!

C. Activity

The kids will make different colored fingerprints around the paper. Make sure that they get around the star images so they show up.

Pull off the stars to reveal them on the paper!

#12: Popsicle Stick Stars

Popsicle stick crafts are easy for the kids to do, and they turn out so cute.

I love how festive these stars came out for a Fourth of July craft!

popsicle stick star craft

How to do this activity

A. Materials you need

View Amazon's Price

B. Set-up

Paint the popsicle sticks red, white and blue. You can choose to mix colors on the stars or just keep them one color.

Once they are dry, the adult will hot glue the sticks in a star shape.

C. Activity

Now it’s time to decorate! Add a thin layer of glue to the sticks and sprinkle some Fourth of July sprinkles or glitter on the stars.

Or, the kids can use glue to stick on poms, buttons, or they can just spread glitter glue on the stars!

These are so pretty, and it’s such a fun craft to do with kids!

#13: USA Fizzy Ice

Looking for a fun and easy science experiment to do with the kids this summer?

This Fourth of July fizzy ice experiment is the PERFECT play activity for kids! They will love seeing the reaction that baking soda and vinegar have.

YouTube video

How to do this activity

A. Materials you need

View Amazon's Price

B. Set-up

Make ice in ice trays and let them freeze overnight. Then, once they are ready, dump them into a sensory bin.

C. Activity

Add a few drops of blue and red food coloring to the ice. Then, sprinkle a bunch of baking soda on top of the ice.

Fill up some squirt bottles with vinegar. Then, let the kids squirt the vinegar onto the ice to watch it fizz! This is such a fun and simple experiment for the Fourth of July!

Talk about how a reaction occurs when baking soda and vinegar mix. That’s why is begins to fizz.

#14: USA Skittles Experiment

Here is a spin on the classic Skittles experiment for kids!

This Fourth of July activity is perfect because it involves Skittles, which the kids will LOVE!

YouTube video

How to do this activity

A. Materials you need

  • white plate
  • red, white, and blue Skittles
  • measuring cup
  • water

B. Set-up

Set the Skittles up in a red, white, and blue pattern on a white plate in a circle formation.

C. Activity

Have the kids use a measuring cup to add some warm water in the middle of the Skittles. The water needs to be touching all the Skittles for this experiment to work.

Sit back and watch the reaction occur. You’ll see the colors slowly move towards the middle or outside.

The colors look amazing together! This is such a fun and easy experiment for the Fourth of July!

#15: Fourth of July Magic Milk

The magic milk experiment is one of my all-time favorite experiments to do with the kids.

It’s easy, and it gets them excited each time we do it. So we decided to try magic milk as a Fourth of July activity!

YouTube video

How to do this activity

A. Materials you need

  • tray
  • whole milk
  • food coloring (not gel)
  • dish soap
  • Q-tip

B. Set-up

Pour 2 cups of whole milk into a tray or sensory bin. Then, have your child add a few drops of red and blue food coloring to the milk.

Make sure to use liquid food coloring instead of gel food coloring because it won’t work as well.

C. Activity

Add a little dish soap to a bowl and grab a Q-tip. Have the kids dip the Q-tip into the dish soap and slowly touch the food coloring with the soap.

Watch the food coloring start to spread! Then, touch all the food coloring spots to keep watching it spread.

This is such a fun and simple Fourth of July activity!

#16: Fizzy Play Tray

When I think of July fourth and Memorial Day, I think about the people who have/had served our country, fireworks, and celebrating America!

Which makes fizzy play an excellent activity for the kids!

USA fizzy play

How to do this activity

A. Materials you need

sensory bin

View Amazons Price

B. Set-up

In a tray, dump a package of baking soda!

In a cup, add a few drops of food coloring vinegar. Mix it up!

Add in a few festive accessories like glitter stars and hats.

C. Activity

Have the kids use droppers to squirt the food coloring mixture into the baking soda!

They will love seeing it fizz and erupt.

YouTube video

Final Thoughts and Conclusion

There are so many fun arts and crafts that you can do with your kids to celebrate July fourth!

I hope you found some crafts and activities that will fill your July fourth with great memories and fun!

Happy Fourth of July!

Deena

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