Games to Play at Your Fourth of July Family Picnic

The Fourth of July is a great time for family and community get togethers. When you are planning for an all day event it is a challenge to keep everyone busy.
If you plan ahead there will be games everyone can enjoy.

Backwards Softball for toddlers to adults Set up a rollicking softball game that the family will remember for months to come. Divide into teams with equal amounts of children and adults on each side. Using appropriate size bats with a softball play this game with a twist. All teenagers and adults must hit the ball holding the bat in their opposite dominant hand (righties use left, lefties use right) and when it's time to take a base run backwards! This is so funny for the kids to watch. Make sure someone is taking photos because some of the action is priceless. If some of the moms, dads, uncles, etc. want to take it a giggle further wear your shirts and hats backwards. Your kids will love it. This is a happy way to spend time working up an appetite for the meal ahead while you actually teach a few pointers of the game to the little ones.

Bean Bag toss You can easily set up a toss game for the kids. Either use empty plant pots, buckets or a full fledged painted wooden game board with points charted on it for the various holes to sink the bean bag through. In keeping with the 4th of July theme 'graffiti' paint it to look like bursts of firework colors.

Hoop Toss This is basic and easy to do. While standing a determined amount of feet away from a cone the players toss rings or hoops in the air to try to get it over a cone. Don't have rings or hoops? No problem. Got an old garden hose that leaks? Just cut it up in different size lengths and duct tape them into circles.
You can also cut rings out of corrugated cardboard boxes from the recycle pile.

Sack Race This blast from the distant past is still a lot of fun today. Give feed or potato sacks out to about six people, children included and have them line up . Shout 'get ready, get set, GO! Watch the running, stumbling giggling action as the participants race to the finish line.

Three-legged Race Grab a partner, put one leg each into those sacks and learn how to cooperate and move together as you race to the finish line. Watch and see which character figures out that he or she can pick up that partner and move forward and win a 'stinker' prize (my idea).

Treasure or Scavenger Hunt This is great fun for everyone involved. Either have a specific list of things that teams must scavenge around and find at the picnic site or have a treasure map with hints pointing toward treasure. This has always been popular at birthday parties and community fund raisers I have hosted. It can be as easy or as challenging as the possible participants can handle.
In Case of Rain, don't give up on your family day. All these games can be easily adapted for inside a hall, basement or church community room. With only one July 4th a year this family or community gathering must go on. Adapt and have fun!