Patriotic Summer Camp at Home
Start your summer fun off with a Patriotic Summer Camp at Home. Summer camps have long been a rite of passage for children. Camps provide a fun place for children to explore new skills. Some summer camp themes focus on academics, others on athletics or the arts.
While many experts cite the lasting positive effects of participating in camp activities have for kids, not every child goes away to camp in the Summer. That’s why we put together this awesome DIY summer camp at home.
4th of July Summer Activities
Patriotic Summer Camp at Home
If you’re interested in helping your kids experience all the fun of a Summer camp at home, keep reading. This patriotic Summer camp at home is the perfect way to teach your child to learn the history of America through art, music, books, hands on activities, and play.
You’ll get fun, engaging, and educational printable activities, crafts, hands-on activities, science experiments, themed movement activities and gross motor ideas, sensory play, themed snacks, and so much more!
Check out some of the fun 4th of July summer camp activities below!
Patriotic Books for Kids
The best way to encourage your children to love reading is to read aloud to them. Children of all ages can benefit from hearing you read to them. Did you know reading to children even helps them to develop stronger language and listening skills? It’s true! Best of all, reading aloud to children opens their minds to new ideas and encourages them to use their imagination.
Here are some of our favorite 4th of July themed books for all ages:
- Apple Pie 4th of July by Janet S. Wong
- Happy Birthday America by Mary Pope Osborne
- Fourth of July Mice by Bethany Roberts
For children ages 8 and older, consider one of these excellent fictional novels set during the Revolutionary war:
Patriotic Games for Kids
Play games like Uncle Sam Says (Simon Says) or have a red, white, and blue scavenger hunt around the house.
National Park Explorer
Hosting a patriotic summer camp at home is the perfect time to teach your children all about the American Revolution and all the things that make America a great nation. Why not start learning about America by exploring some of our national parks?
One great way to explore America’s parks is with a US Park Pass. This way you have access to more than 2,000 sites all over the country. Children under 16 are always admitted to national parks for free, but with a pass up to 4 adults can get access to all the parks for one year. Field trips to the national parks offer children a unique opportunity to explore and learn about America.
Some US parks offer special ranger programs where children are rewarded for completing activities inside the parks with special badges. Exploring these parks with children also offers them a chance to see some of our most fascinating and rare American treasures like Old Faithful geyser at Yellowstone and the giant redwood trees at Redwood National Park in California.
Patriotic Music Ideas
One of the best memories I have from summer camp as a child is singing. We learned so many fun songs! A patriotic summer camp at home is the perfect time to introduce your kids to some great homemade music instruments like drums, and patriotic songs!
Children can learn to sing The Star Spangled Banner. For extra fun, tell them how Francis Scott Key wrote our national anthem. Even very young children will have fun learning to march about like soldiers singing Yankee Doodle beating on their drum.
For more fun patriotic songs to teach your children, check out the Wee Sing America cd from Pamela Conn Beall and Susan Hagen Nipp. Not only does it contain many beloved American songs like I’ve Been Workin’ on the Railroad, but there are also some excellent quotes for children to learn from John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr., and others.
And of course, a fun musical idea is to make a homemade parade drum with your kids.
American History Movie Club
Sometimes a good movie or television program can teach our children a lot! I like to teach with books, art, experiments, and hands-on activities. However, sometimes a good video is worth the extra screen time. That’s the way I feel about Liberty Kids from PBS.
The Liberty Kids cartoon is set during the American Revolution and tells the story from both the patriot and loyalist perspectives. What’s really cool is that the story is told for kids by kids! My children truly enjoyed learning about the beginning of America in this way.
Wait for a rainy day, pop some popcorn, and maybe even build a pillow fort. Then, settle in and watch as three kids from the American colonies find themselves in the middle of just about every important event leading up to and during the American revolution.
Red, White and Blue Activities
Another fun aspect of any fun summer camp is arts and crafts. This is the perfect time to let campers get creative with an American flag art project! Here are some really fun ideas:
Patriotic Arts and Crafts Projects
- American Flag Finger Painting: Even toddlers can get in on the patriotic crafting fun with this easy project! Give children smocks, finger paint, and paper. Then, let them create their own unique American flag art.
- Popsicle Stick Flag: This is the perfect craft for preschoolers and kindergartners! You can paint some of the craft sticks red and blue before the activity, or let children have fun painting for themselves. Once the paint is dry, arrange the popsicle sticks to look like the American flag and glue each horizontal stick to a one vertical craft stick that will act as the spine for your flag. Kids can add sticker stars to form the stars on the flag.
- American Flag Ribbon Wand: This craft is perfect for a 4th of July parade! Simply tie red, white, and blue ribbons to a stick so that they dangle like a flag made of ribbons. Then, march around the backyard or your neighborhood singing Yankee Doodle and waving your ribbon flags. The kids will love it!
- Red White and Blue Fruit Pizza: Who doesn’t love a craft you can eat too? Bake a large cookie and cover it with cream cheese frosting. Then, have children apply strawberries and blueberries to form the stripes of the American flag. Don’t forget to enjoy your delicious patriotic creation when you’re done.
What else can you find in this Patriotic Summer Camp Guide
Summer Camp at Home
A week full of learning (over 25 activities and ideas), hands-on activities, fun crafts, printable activities, movement activities, snacks, and more!
Weekly Activities
- Learn all about it
- Learning Stations
- Arts & Crafts
- Hands on Activities
- STEM & Science
- Get Active Activities
- Music Activities
- Journal
Plus, themed snacks and lunch ideas for each day.
Make this summer fun and make it memorable.
Summer Camp Activities
I hope this patriotic summer camp guide gives you all of the creative ideas for celebrating the 4th of July and learning about America in a fun summer camp setting right at home.
CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE YOUR PATRIOTIC THEMED SUMMER CAMP
I hope this guide gives you creative ideas for a fabulous SUMMER CAMP AT HOME for the whole week or the whole summer.
I did not include a set daily schedule because it’s meant to be flexible!
My suggested plan is as follows: choose one or more activities from each of the sections included. Use the amazing and fun activities, ideas, and printables throughout the week. Add fun kid friendly themed recipes (included) daily and you’ll have the best summer ever.
Summer Camp at Home
I can’t wait to read about all the wonderful memories you’re making at home together this Summer, so don’t forget to share your summer camp experiences in the comments.