posted by:headmom

Here are some festive ideas to help your family have fun this Fourth of July:

Back Yard Fun: 

Play a game of "popscotch". Cut bubble wrap into squares, spray paint numbers onto them, use double sided tape to secure the squares to the sidewalk in a hopscotch layout, and get hopping and popping!

Create a fireworks display on paper. Make small  puddles of glue on sheets of black construction paper, give your child a straw to blow the glue into star burst shapes, and apply different colors of glitter for sparkle!

Philadelphia's Liberty Bell rings 13 times each Fourth of July to honor the original colonies of the United States of America. Let your children ring bells in the backyard to celebrate the 13 colonies that originally signed the Declaration of Independence.

Have a neighborhood parade. Provide red, white and blue streamers, flags, and pinwheels and encourage your kids to decorate their bikes, trikes and pets for a festive march around the neighborhood.

Out on the Town:

Marco Island will be having a 4th of July celebration on Residents Beach with live entertainment and a night-time fireworks show.

Naples will have a July 4th parade starting at 10:00 a.m. on Broad Street to 3rd Street and 5th Avenue S. The City of Naples fireworks display will take place at the Naples Pier at 9:00 p.m.

Bonita Springs will have a parade with a "Salute to our Troops" theme beginning at 9:00 a.m., with a party featuring live entertainment, contests, and kids activities at Riverside Park at 6:00 p.m., followed by a night time laser-light show set to music.

The Fort Myers parade will begin at 10:00 a.m. on School Street, north along Estero Boulevard to Times Square. Festivities continue after dark with a fireworks display over the Caloosahatchee River, across from Centennial Park.

If you're taking a small child to see a fireworks display, don't forget to pick up some soft ear plugs--they're not always as impressed with the boom and sparkle as we are.

Regardless of what you end up doing on Saturday, have fun and stay safe!