How to Throw a Family Friendly 4th of July Bash

With the fourth of July holiday fast approaching one starts to think of new ways to celebrate. And being how the holidays are for getting together with family, I try to make my plans appropriate for all age groups. There are three basic criteria for planning a good party: theme, games, and of course food.

Choosing a theme for your party makes things more fun and interesting for your guests. There are unlimited possibilities but here are a few: Hawaiian luau, pirate adventure, western, or the traditional patriotic. Your themed party supplies can easily be purchased at craft stores such as Hobby Lobby, Michaels, or on line at OrientalTrader.com. Your supplies can be as simple as a few decorations or include prizes and party favors for your guests. Just let your budget be your guide and make sure to order your supplies in plenty of time for your party.

Now let's plan our games. No family get together is complete without games. And since the fourth of July is almost always the hottest day of the year plan some cool outdoor water games. I always hate it when I'm at a party and there aren't games for all the age groups. And someone is left out, be it the teenagers who will sit on the sidelines a sulk or the toddlers who end up getting in everyone's way and getting hurt.

For the toddlers and younger children duck ponds can be very fun. What you will need is a small child's wading pool filled with water and about twenty or so little plastic floaty ducks. With a black permanent marker write a number on the bottom side on the duck and place it in the water. Then have the children select their ducks. Now call out a number and who every has the duck with that number wins a prize. Always use extreme caution with children playing near water.

Water balloons are always fun on a hot summer's day. Before your party fill up several water balloons a hundred or more depending on the size of your group. Chicken run war is a fun game that involves everybody. You divide your guests into two equal numbered teams and pair each child with an adult. Now give each team their supply of water balloons. To play have the child to get onto the adult's shoulders arm the child with a water balloon, and go to war with the opposing team. If you get hit you're out. The team with the most players at the end wins.

And what's summer fun without water guns? Divide your guests into two teams arming everyone with a super soaker water gun. And enter in to combat paint ball style. Again if you get hit you're out and the team with the most players at the end wins.

Or for the reality show lovers, create your own Survivor game. This will take a bit more planning and for thought, but totally worth it. You will need to create obstacle courses and other challenges for your guests to complete.

And let's not for get the traditional outdoor party games such as: bad mitten, horse shoes, and volleyball. These are also good choices for those who would prefer not to get wet. And it is a good idea to have plenty of board games around for any inclement weather.

And of course we can't forget the food! Planning your meal around your theme adds to the party. Some dinner ideas can be: roast pig and tropical fruits for a luau, chili dogs for western theme, sea food for pirate adventure, and of course the traditional barbeque for a patriotic theme. And to top off your menu nothing beats homemade ice cream, yum!

A fourth of July party wouldn't be complete without fireworks. You can either load up your guests and go watch your community's professional fireworks display. Or you can put on one yourself with purchasing your own fireworks. And be sure to include the childhood favorite of sparklers. Always use extreme caution while handling fireworks, and supervise the children. I hope you can use these tips to plan your up coming Fourth of July bash.