Fun Ideas for the 4th of July

July 4^th is a time to celebrate the birth of our Nation and, quite often, gather with friends and family for a picnic. You can rock this Fourth of July while having fun, getting everyone active and eating healthy.

Picnic Ideas

Please remember picnic safety, which includes keep foods cold and covered. It’s always an excellent option to have a tray of fresh fruits and veggies on ice to munch on throughout the day.

Here are some great recipe ideas for healthier options of typical picnic food:

• Fried Chicken – Replace your “fried” chicken with “oven fried chicken.” Here’s a great KFC Copycat Recipe for Oven Fried Chicken.
• Apple Pie – This apple pie replacement is an excellent and portable way to enjoy pie in any flavor. Use canning jars to create a portable, single serving, Pie Parfait in a Jar; make sure you make enough for everyone!
• Potato Salad – Cooking light offers 22 Healthier Potato Salad Recipes to choose from so you can have lots of flavor with a healthier twist.

Picnic Activities

Stay active with activities that can include everyone:

• BINGO –Try a version that’s geared towards celebrating Independence Day. DLTK Printables offers two versions to choose from (larger crowd or small crowd).
• Party Games – Reader’s Digest has a variety of Fourth of July games to enjoy. These ideas should keep everyone active and happy.
• Memory Game – This is an excellent “brain exercise” and can be fun for all ages. Another printable by DLTK, this July 4^th Memory Game printable will keep your mind active.
• Balloon Fireworks – A safe and fun way to enjoy your own fireworks, all you need to create balloon fireworks are a bag of red, white and blue balloons, paper confetti, a funnel, and sharpened pencils to pop the balloons. Simply blow up the balloons, place the funnel into the top and fill with confetti. Tie the balloons shut and let the fun begin! Everyone can pop the balloons with a pencil to create their own fireworks.

Other common activities to enjoy during picnics include playing Frisbee, volleyball, baseball, croquet and lawn games. As long as you are staying active and enjoying the fun, it’s a perfect gathering.

Live Your Life wants you to have a great Fourth of July celebration. We are here to help you Live Your Life INDEPENDENTLY!

Dr. Eva Norman
President & Founder
Doctor of Physical Therapy
Live Your Life Physical Therapy, LLC

Photo by Beverly & Pack