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Jun 25, 2024 4 min read

Fourth of July Daycare Craft Ideas for Toddlers and Preschoolers

Leah Woodbury By: Leah Woodbury

Looking for Fourth of July craft ideas for your child care center? We’ve got you covered!

Check out our ideas for Fourth of July art projects for preschoolers and toddlers that are simple, safe and fun!

Girl paints a Fourth of July craft.

Toddler Fourth of July Crafts

1. Patriotic Handprint Flags

Materials Needed:

  • Red, white and blue non-toxic paint
  • White construction paper
  • Paintbrushes

Instructions:

  1. Paint the child’s hand with blue paint and press it onto the upper left corner of the white construction paper.
  2. Using a paintbrush, help the child paint red and white stripes across the remaining part of the paper to create the flag’s stripes.
  3. Allow the paint to dry.

Tip: This craft is not only fun but also a great sensory activity for toddlers!

Toddler paints at daycare.

2. Star-Spangled Sensory Bin

Materials Needed:

  • Red, white and blue rice or sand
  • Small American flags
  • Star-shaped cookie cutters
  • Plastic scoops and containers

Instructions:

  1. Fill a large bin with red, white and blue rice or sand.
  2. Add small American flags, star-shaped cookie cutters and plastic scoops.
  3. Encourage your toddlers to explore the sensory bin using the scoops and containers to play and discover.

Tip: Sensory bins are excellent for developing fine motor skills and can keep toddlers engaged for extended periods.

Preschool Fourth of July Crafts

3. Firework Salt Painting

Materials Needed:

  • Black construction paper
  • White glue
  • Salt
  • Watercolors
  • Paintbrushes

Instructions:

  1. Help the child draw firework shapes on black construction paper using white glue.
  2. Sprinkle salt over the glue while it is still wet. Shake off any excess salt.
  3. Once the glue is dry, use watercolors to paint over the salt. Watch as the colors spread and create firework-like effects.

Tip: This activity combines art with a bit of science, showing how watercolors spread through the salt.

4. Patriotic Windsocks

Materials Needed:

  • Empty toilet paper rolls
  • Red, white and blue paint
  • Red, white and blue streamers or ribbons
  • String
  • Glue
  • Hole punch

Instructions:

  1. Paint the toilet paper rolls in red, white or blue and allow them to dry.
  2. Glue red, white and blue streamers or ribbons to one end of the roll.
  3. Punch two holes at the top of the roll and thread a string through to create a handle.
  4. Hang the windsocks outside and watch them flutter in the breeze.

Tip: This craft helps preschoolers practice their fine motor skills and introduces them to basic crafting techniques.

Mixed-Age Group Activities

Preschoolers paint an art project.

5. DIY Fourth of July Crowns

Materials Needed:

  • Red, white and blue construction paper
  • Star stickers
  • Scissors
  • Glue or tape

Instructions:

  1. Cut strips of construction paper to fit around the children’s heads.
  2. Allow the children to decorate their strips with star stickers and additional cut-out shapes.
  3. Once decorated, tape or glue the ends of the strips together to form a crown.

Tip: This activity can be easily adapted for different age groups by providing more or less assistance as needed.

6. Red, White and Blue Collage

Materials Needed:

  • Magazines, colored paper or fabric scraps in red, white, and blue
  • Scissors
  • Glue sticks
  • Large sheets of paper

Instructions:

  1. Provide materials and help children cut out shapes or images in red, white and blue.
  2. Encourage them to arrange their cutouts on a large sheet of paper to create a collage.
  3. Once they are happy with their arrangement, help them glue the pieces in place.

Tip: This collaborative activity promotes teamwork and encourages creativity among children of all ages.

Get More Craft Ideas on our Pinterest Page!

Creating Fourth of July crafts is an excellent way for children of all ages at your daycare to nurture creativity and fine motor skills. And for tips on keeping kids safe over the holiday, check out our blog with tips from everything on avoiding sunburn to fireworks safety.

Are you following us on Pinterest? We’re sharing craft ideas and other tips to help your child care center run smoothly! Check our Pinterest page for more fun ideas!

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Leah Woodbury

Leah Woodbury is the head of content at Procare Solutions. Her job includes writing about topics that matter to child care professionals and finding ways to help them do their important work. She’s a mom of two who loves getting updates about what her preschooler is doing during the day via the Procare child care mobile app!

Leah Woodbury