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4th of July Party Ideas

4th of July party ideas are all about old-fashioned fun. As a kid, I remember my neighbors making homemade vanilla ice cream on their front porch for the 4th. My mom would made hot chocolate fudge syrup for the topping. Parties were simple and fun. By the end of the day, us kids were pooped from riding our bikes, running through sprinklers and eating way too much.

Things to do

- Ask your guests to wear red, white and blue. And sparkly stuff, too. Bike decorating contest

- Play patriotic music like Manheim Steamroller's "American Spirit" and Lee Greenwood's "God Bless the USA"

- Create your own yard game with red, white and blue water balloons.

- Let kids decorate their bikes with clickers, streamers and lights. Remember using clothes pins to attach playing cards to your spokes? Dave and I do!

Photo above right courtesy of klessblog.

- More 4th of July party ideas? Get red, white and blue glow sticks.

- Have a hula hoop contest.

- Have a flag face painting contest.

- Have a 4th of July trivia contest.

There's nothing quite like a great cold glass of fresh homemade lemonade to bring back memories of an old fashioned 4th of July celebration. Try this original recipe today!

4th of July cupcakes

Surprisingly or not, a favorite treat this time of the year is 4th of July cupcakes. There are a bazillion festive ways to decorate cupcakes in red, white and blue for the 4th. Here are a couple pictures to inspire you!

Photo above left courtesy of Alicia Rae and above right by Kristin A..

4th of July appetizer recipes

Now that you have a few 4th of July party ideas, let's talk food! A porch party needs some delicious and easy 4th of July appetizer recipes. Try these.

4th of July Fruit Skewers - by Dave

Strawberries
Blueberries
White grapes (Mary suggests using Swiss Cheese as a variation!)
Wooden skewers (1-2 for each guest)
Large plate or platter

red fruit and blue fruit Alternate rinsed strawberries, blueberries and grapes (or swiss cheese) on the skewers. Arrange loaded skewers on platter. Keep chilled. Both kids and adults love this colorful, fruity treat.

Photo courtesy of The Wandering Angel.

Peachy Salsa - refreshing and flavorful
Adopted from a Pampered Chef ® recipe

1 red pepper chopped
1/4 cup white vinegar
1 can black beans, drained and washed
1 chopped fresh peach (peeled)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro
1/4 cup vegetable oil (optional)
1/8 cup lime juice
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

Mix well in large bowl and serve with your favorite tortilla chips and enjoy. Also delicious served over grilled chicken.

Jalepeno Dip

2 cans jalepeno relish
1-2 cans diced black olives (4 oz.)
3 green onions chopped finely
1/4 cup olive oil
2 small tomatoes chopped finely

Mix all ingredients and chill well before serving with tortilla chips.

Salmon Party Log - fantastic

1 1-lb. can (or 2 cups cooked) salmon (red salmon is best)
1 8 oz. package of softened cream cheese
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons grated onion
1 teaspoon prepared horseradish
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon liquid smoke
1/2 cups chopped pecans
3 tablespoons snipped parsley

Mix all ingredients except for the pecans and parsley. Form into a ball. Mix the pecans and snipped parsley. Spread out on sheet of waxed paper. Roll the salmon ball in the pecans and parsley mixture. Place on a plate and serve with an assortment of crackers. Keep chilled.

Our favorite 4th of July party idea is to let your guests pitch in. Ask them to bring red, white and blue finger foods.

Some red finger foods are cherry tomatoes, strawberries, raspberries, radishes, bing cherries, apple slices, red pepper strips, and red grapes.

Some white finger foods are macademia nuts, white cannelini beans, white bread cubes, swiss cheese, popcorn and white chocolate. Some blue finger foods include blueberries, blue plums and blue corn chips (harder to think of blue foods!).

Outdoor table decorations

Decorate your porch tables with patriotic centerpieces like red, white and blue flowers or red, white and blue candles. Set these on top of a patriotic table cloth and you're all set! Some shiny confetti adds a little sparkle to your table.

4th of July decorations

Serve beverages and snacks on red, white, and blue plates and cups and you have the real makings of a super 4th of July celebration.

Red, white, and blue candles make great center pieces. If you are handy and have a jigsaw or bandsaw, you can download a star pattern, trace it onto 1/4 or 1/2 plywood, cut it out, and paint it Independence Day colors.

Use a spade bit the size of your candles and you'll have a fun centerpiece that you can use for many years.

Did you find some good 4th of July party ideas here? We sure hope so.

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