Celebrating the Fourth of July and Canada Day

July 4th and Canada Day Activities for You and Your Family

• Make Your Own Drums: Have your kids decorate a round plastic container, like an ice cream container or a small garbage can. Turn over and you have a homemade instrument.
• Make Flags: Attach a piece of white paper to a stick (a Popsicle stick or a twig from outside) and decorate. If you feel ambitious, try using white fabric and paint for a larger flag.
• Have a Parade: Get together with some local parents and conduct your own holiday parade. Make period costumes, use your new homemade drums, add some kazoos and you have your own fife and drum troop.
• Read: Visit your local library and take out history books appropriate for your children's ages. Remember that an adult book (pre-screened by you, of course) filled with photographs and images of historic times and events can also be a great conversation starter.
• Family Heritage Map: With your kids, draw a family tree. Write in your family members' countries of origin. Talk about these countries and your relatives' journey to North America.
• Food: As part of lunch or dinner, try to include foods, which incorporate your own family history and/or the country or state where you live now. Discuss the choices you made and why you've included them.
• Talk about independence, history and pride. What do those words mean to your family?