What is American Independence Day?
Every year on July 4th, America celebrates its Independence Day! Independence Day is like a birthday! This year, America will turn 249 years old! 🎉
American Independence Day is a holiday that Americans celebrate each year since the United States of America gained its independence from Great Britain. It’s like a birthday for a country! 🇺🇸
In this post:
Where is Great Britain, and where is the United States of America? 🌎
💬 Great Britain is an island made of three different countries. Today, we call these countries England, Scotland, and Wales. Great Britain is located very close to Europe, especially northern France!
💬 The United States of America is located all the way across the Atlantic Ocean from Great Britain! Today, the United States of America is made of 50 different states.
Can you find the United States of America and Great Britain on the map?
Fun Facts about the USA and its Independence Day
The original United States of America was made of 13 colonies on the East Coast of the Atlantic Ocean. Look at the map!
Do you live in one of these states?
Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia.
The original United States of America flag had 13 stars and 13 stripes! Today, the flag has 50 stars and 13 stripes! The stars represent each state in the country, and the 13 stripes represent the original 13 colonies.
How many stars can you count on this flag?
The very first Independence Day celebration was actually on July 8th, 1776, not July 4th, 1776!
How do you think people celebrated the holiday before the fireworks were invented?
Let’s play new fun games
“Freeze Dance” Game
2 players and more
Equipment – use a device to play music or create your own music by clapping, stomping, whistling, etc.; large space
Setting Up – search for age- appropriate music if using a device for music
How to Play:
The steps can be continued multiple times to play multiple rounds of Freeze Dance. The adult can change the music or how the children freeze each round.
Children should be in a space large enough to dance/roam around.
The adult will play the music for a period of time of their choosing.
While the music is playing, children will dance and roam around the space.
Randomly, the adult will pause the music.
When the music is paused, children will need to freeze (in a pose, as they are, expressing a specific emotion, etc.).
How to Play “Copycat Pat”
3 or more people
Equipment: none
Setting Up – one child will be selected to be in charge
How To Play: Sit in order from left to right, with the player at the very left being the player in charge.
The players who is selected will say the words “Copycat Pat, Pat your (by a body part (for example, leg)”.
The player in charge MUST say a different body part than the one they touch, otherwise they are out and everyone moves up a spot and there is a new child in charge. For example, if the child in charge says “Copycat pat, pat your chin” and touches their chin, they are out. All players will move up a spot and the person furthest on the left is now the child in charge.
While the player in charge is saying their chant, the others will do two pats on their thighs, followed by two claps with their hands. The players should watch the player in charge the entire time.
When the player in charge finishes their chant, the other players have to pat exactly what the child in charge said. For example, if the player in charge says “Copycat pat, pat your cheek,” the others are expected to pat their cheeks.
If a player pats the wrong body part, they move to the very last spot on the right. All the other players will move up one spot. The player in charge will not move.
Repeat these steps over and over to have various rounds. If the player in charge has been in that position for a while, he can step in and ask everyone to move up one spot so a different player can be in charge.
Keep playing as long as you’d like.
“The Floor is Lava” Game
4 or more people
Equipment: a large space; cones or lines to mark the “start” and “end” zones; three sheets of paper for each team
Setting Up – create “start” and “end” zones; split children into teams (the number of children on each team will depend on the amount of children total); supply each team with three sheets of paper.
How To Play:
One person per team will start with the sheets of paper and attempt to start a “covered” path from the start zone to the end zone.
Children may only step on the paper, since the rest of the floor is “lava.”
Teams have to work together to make sure all members of the team cross into the end zone.
Whatever team crosses all players into the end zone first wins.
Various rounds of this can be played. Adults can also switch up the teams after each round to allow children to work with different people
Keep playing as long as you’d like.
Game “Clever Hedgehog Hide-and-Seek”
Help Clever Hedgehog find 7 stars
