Hard work, patriotism, and food!
It’s a great time to make some patriotic crafts to decorate the house or backyard for that Labor Day cookout you have planned.
Purchase some small flags at the dollar store and decorate the yard.
Or give the kids a few rolls of red, white, and blue crepe paper to drape in the trees or on porch railings.
With a star-shaped cookie cutter, older kids can make garlands out of construction paper, or strips of paper can be cut out and made into paper chains.
(These also make great “calendars” for small children. Are there any milestones coming up in the next few months at school? A birthday? Count the number of days until a significant event and make a star or chain link for each day, removing one per day until the big day comes!)
And don’t forget to get the kids involved in your annual cookout!
Buy a white paper tablecloth at the party store and let the kids color patriotic designs. Or cut a star shape out of a sponge and have them stamp stars on the tablecloth with red and blue paint.
Let them use their imaginations and any craft supplies you have on hand to make table decorations like centerpieces, napkin rings, or place cards.
Kids always love to help prepare the meal or make dessert.
Get them involved by shucking corn on the cob (yes, it’s messy but fun!), helping to toss a salad, or mixing up and decorating a batch of cupcakes.
Older kids can use wooden skewers to make patriotic fruit kabobs out of chunks of watermelon, strawberries, and blackberries.
Or put some fresh berries in the bottom of ice pop molds, pour in their favorite juice and freeze for a cool treat as you celebrate the last hot days of summer.