Kid-friendly patriotic party foods and 4th of July recipes children can make themselves

Hello my Omschool friends! I'm teacher Omi (grama) and today I have some ideas to share about fun  red white and blue snacks and homemade patriotic party foods for 4th of July. These patriotic recipes use inexpensive foods,  are easy to make with a few simple tools and do double duty as food craft projects. Even the youngest can help (grandson Remus and granddaughter Flora, that means you. Baby Max you can lick the spoons and supervise!) Older children, you can be in charge of seeing to it everyone has what he or she needs to make these yummy food crafts! Some of these are for Memorial Day too. 

 * Remembrance Day cake. Bake any flavored cake and frost white. Let each guest write the name of

 a loved one who has passed away in red or blue frosting. Write "we remember" in the center.

 * Fruity Flag cake. Make red velvet cake. Frost with white frosting or whipped topping. Arrange sliced

 strawberries in rows to form stripes. Place blueberries in top left corner (with white frosting showing

 through) to create field of stars.

 * RWB candy flag cake. Make flag cake with red velvet and white frosting. Decorate with red and blue

 M & Ms.

 * Star-spangled jigglers. Make blue and red finger Jell-O (use less water or add unflavored gelatin to

 make Jell-O Jigglers). Cut into star shapes. Mix with white mini marshmallows.

 * Patriotic stained glass cookies. Cut refrigerated sugar cookie dough into triangles. Arrange point

side out to form star. Place clear blue or red Jolly Rancher candy in center. Bake cookies and melt

 candy to fill center.

* RWB cole slaw. Shred white daikon radishes or cabbage with purple cabbage. Cut red peppers in star shapes. Add mayo, celery seed and a little celery salt. 

 * RWB coolers. Mix Squirt and cranberry juice. Make blueberry or blackberry ice cubes or use blue

 popsicle as ice cube.

* Patriotic Party Potato salad. Boil potatoes and eggs. Cool, peel and dice. Add chopped purple cabbage, purple cauliflower, diced red pepper and onion. Toss with mayo and garnish with red smoked paprika. 

 * Flag kebobs. On large wooden skewer, alternate strawberry slices or raspberries, blueberries and

 white marshmallows.

 * Patriotic parfait. Layer in fluted parfait glasses: whipped topping and vanilla or blue mermaid pudding, blueberries,

 raspberries, blackberries and strawberries.

 * RWB cheesecake. Make or buy a plain cheesecake. Make concentric circles of raspberries,

 blueberries and strawberries. Make "stars" with white decorators frosting.

* Super star sandwiches. Cut cheese slices and lunch meat in star shapes. Or cut sandwiches in star shapes.

 * Letter and number pretzels. Have children make Memorial Day themed words: American, freedom,

 stars, flag, 13, USA.

* Patriotic pasta salad. Cook star pasta till tender. Toss with sliced grape tomatoes, black olives, mini cucumbers, pepper jack or mozzarella cheese cubes, mini pepperoni, diced purple peppers and mayo. Garnish with lightly crushed blue corn chips. 

 * Red and purple pepper slices with ranch dip. Or hollow out red peppers and arrange blue corn chips

around the edge. Fill with white sour cream dip. 

* Sweet Freedom trail mix. Mix vanilla yogurt covered raisins or pretzels, strawberry yogurt raisins, blue gummy candies or fruit snacks, strawberry and vanilla or Rice Chex. 

 * RWB dogs. Serve hot dogs on white buns. Garnish with mayonnaise dyed blue with blueberry juice or red with beet juice. For vegetarians, use  white Mozzarella cheese sticks, blue mayo and ketchup.

Homemade US history games and patriotic crafts for 4th of July with free printables

Hello Omschool friends! Teacher Omi (grama) here with educational US history art projects and patriotic crafts just in time for 4th of July (also called Independence Day). Use these patriotic crafts in homeschool, day camp, VBS or other summer enrichment programs. 

* Homemade dough, putty, paint. Kids in US history typically had few toys, so they made fun with found materials. Turn the back yard into an old-school chemistry lab. Here are recipes for silly putty, moon sand, play dough and other media for patriotic crafts and art projects. If you have a natural clay deposit, mine your own. Make clay pots or marbles (a favorite old-times game). Concoct homemade fabric paint mixing tempera and Elmer's School Glue or powdered milk. Teach chemistry and science experiments using these finger paint and regular paint recipes. Make patriotic RWB paints and crafts for 4th of July with Nate and Rachel (safe enough for toddler crafts). 

* Decorate tote bags. In times past, kids' art projects were learning activities and their learning activities did double duty as chores or making of functional items.  Use US history patriotic holiday crafts to teach simple sewing, math and life skills lessons. Repurpose fabric tablecloths, sheets, blankets, pillow cases, towels. Have kids measure and cut two matching squares. Sew three sides of squares together by machine or with needle and thread. Turn inside out. Fold and sew a hem around the top edge. Braid scrap yarn, rope, twine, into handles. Attach and decorate with homemade paint. 

 * Family tablecloth. Family was important, elders were respected and everyone worked together in olden times. Hand print a clean plain-colored flat sheet or polar fleece blanket with fabric paint (see recipe above). Get everyone involved--grandma, grandpa, grouchy Aunt Mildred, the baby, even the cat-can dip her palm (paw) and make prints. Then, they sign names in permanent marker near their print. Make patriotic holiday crafts do double duty as gifts and give as a keepsake to an elderly relative. 

 * Flag pencils. Cut white sheets or plain fabric scraps into 4x6 squares. Show world flags and play a free printable flag bingo game. Then let kids create a personal flag that represents their interests. Color with markers or crayons. Hot glue to new pencils. Wave your flag patriotic holiday crafts in Memorial Day and 4th of July parades. 

* Flag foods. The US is a melting pot of nationalities. People from all over the world call the United States home. Set out different foods from around the world and put toothpick flags in them to identify country. Or just put out assorted flags and play a game of matching food to country of origin. 

* Personal logo T-shirts. Famous Americans--Paul Revere, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson--are known by mottoes. The Gadsden flag was an American revolution symbol. Universities typically have Latin mottoes. Have kids create their own slogan and logo to reflect their ideals. Then transfer images to T-shirts with fabric paints or permanent markers. Recycle old shirts. Buy packaged T-shirts. Check dollar stores for good prices on supplies for patriotic holiday crafts and Memorial Day or 4th of July art projects. 

* Have a 4th of July parade. Sing US history songs, display your patriotic holiday crafts and art projects. Wear US history shirts. US History leaps off boring textbook pages and comes to life with these educational US history art projects.