Looking for Some Community 4th of July Activities?

One of the most exciting weeks in summer is the week of the 4^th of July. Families all across America are celebrating together. Many communities host an array of festivities for the townspeople to enjoy. If you feel like your community is lacking in fun, try forming a group to lead the activities. There are so many ways to include the community in your fun and you'll be thankful you did! Traditions have to be started by someone, so why not have it be you! In this article I will give you a few simple ideas you can try to engage your community in this festive holiday! Try a few of these ideas this year and save some for next year!

Hosting a community parade is guaranteed to bring out the festivities in y our neighborhood. You may even want to form a judging panel to make the parade a contest. Select fun categories so there is a spot for everyone. Each family can make a parade float or think of a creative way to join the parade. At the end of the parade reveal the winners and everyone will be planning for their next year's float already! Another fun twist to the parade is a boat parade. Obviously this will only appeal to lake communities, but what could be more fun that decorating your boats and cruising the lake shore as you parade your festive boat floats!

A neighborhood picnic is also a great community event for the 4^th of July. If you have a large yard, why not plan to host a bar-b-q. Your picnics can be simple or as extensive as you'd like. Invite your neighbors and plan for some fun memories being made. Try to make an annual event plan so that each year the picnic is hosted by a different family. This will become a tradition before you know it!

Another fun community event is a costume contest. Whether you are dressing in an official costume, or just decorating yourself for the 4^th of July, there will be many laughs as you reveal your design. Pick a judge to select winners and provide a few categories that the community people can enter. Kids will love this activity as well!

If you have a big playfield or a neighborhood park, you could plan an Olympic style contest. Early in the summer have each family choose a few events they would be willing to compete in and train for! On the 4^th of July you can watch everyone have so much fun competing for medals in the events they choose. This is a great way to engage families as well as communities. In the years to come each family can pick a specialty or try to enter all the categories!

Raffles are also a fun way to incorporate the community during this holiday. You can raffle off prizes that have been donated to the festivities and use the money to fund a barbeque or other fun activity. Everyone loves trying their luck in a raffle contest.

These ideas are all awesome ways to encourage community development and camaraderie. Plan for a great 4^th of July and next year everyone will be anticipating the year's events! Kids and adults all love to celebrate, and with the warmth of summer, the fun is on!!!