Independence Day is sneaking up sooooo quickly! The kids are almost out of school and I'm wondering where the time has gone!

I realize that many of you don't celebrate the American Independence Day, but since we're based in the US, it seemed appropriate. If there's a particular theme that you'd like to see for the summer months, please let us know through our Free Kid Crafts Contact Form (the only way your email is sure to get through). We'd love to hear Your ideas! In the meantime, here are some activities and ideas to keep the kids happy and occupied for the Fourth of July holiday.

Little Kid^TM Crafts

• Poolside Patriot - This is a great idea for a patriotic beach towel that kids can mostly do themselves with a little help. I love it when kids can do a craft that is useful too!

• Now Available In Spiral Bound Version! Now Available In Spiral Bound Version!

  Yankee Doodle Dandy Hat - This is a fun idea for younger children especially... it's also a great way to make the song come to life for them and make sense.

• American Angel Paper Craft - This is a cute little patriotic angel craft made out of paper. Simply print out the pieces and glue them together.

• Fourth of July Twirlers - One way to show your patriotic colors is to hang an array of these red, white and blue twirlers from a window frame, tree, or front porch. This craft calls for coffee can lids, but you could also do this with colored paper plates in red, white, and blue.

• Liberty Shakers - Kids love anything that mades noise, so they're sure to enjoy making these. You can make this as elaborate or simple as you want based on the age of the child, and you can substitute the bells for other shakeable materials like dried beans to make this a very inexpensive project.

• Flameless Sparkler - A clever idea to let the kids celebrate too, but it complete safety.

• Paint Fireworks With Marbles - Make some pretty paintings that look like fireworks using this idea. You can also add a little glitter to the wet paint to make it really look special!

• USA Shrinky Dinks - My kids and I love to do shrinky dinks... it's a lot of fun to watch them shrink in the oven. Here are some patterns and the instructions to make some for Fourth of July.

More Challenging Crafts

• Uncle Sam Vase - This is a really cute idea and is sure to be a hit at the picnic or barbeque. It's made from a coffee can and and a terra cotta pot painted to look like Uncle Sam.

• Perler Bead Patriotic Pins - Perler beads keep kids busy for hours... this is a simple craft project to get them in the 4th of July spirit!

• Star-Spangled Luminarias - These would be a great thing to put the kids in charge of for the big celebration. This craft doubles as some nice mood lighting for your backyard barbeque.

• Freedom of Expression T-Shirt - What a great way to wear a "flag" without actually wearing one... I love this project! Decorate a tee shirt with fabric spray paint. Make it patriotic or choose your own colors.

Other Useful Fourth of July Stuff

• Cut a 5-Pointed Star in One Snip - Trying to cut an even star is a real pain in the neck... here's a great explanation of how to get it right every time along with an little information about how the 5-pointed star got included in the American flag.

• Fun Patriotic Ecards - Send friends and family fun little email cards for the holiday... they are all in flash and a lot of fun to give and receive!

• Start Your Own Fireworks Show - Okay, this is really just a computer fireworks show, but it's a lot of fun to see the fireworks over some of the largest cities in America... My kids got a big kick out of the 'booms.'

• America's Freedom Documents - Older kids can get a lot of benefit from actually reading the "Freedom Documents" from Early America-- the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

• Road to Revolution Game - Test your knowledge about the American Revolution, and see if you can navigate your way to independence. Every correct answer gets you closer to liberty! This is a great learning aid!