These 4th of July party ideas will help you throw the best summer party ever! Whether you’re looking for 4th of July party hacks, 4th of July party games, or even just summer party ideas – you’ll find everything you need!
Have you ever noticed that all three of the major summer holidays are patriotic ones?
Not sure how that happened but during the summer we see a lot of red, white, and blue! And a lot of backyard barbecues, outdoor bashes, and parties designed to beat the heat!
These patriotic party games, party hacks, and party planning tips will help you throw the best summer party ever!
I’ve put together some tips, tricks, hacks, and of course 4th of July party games (that are more active than this 4th of July bingo game) to make throwing a bash for any of the big three “summer” events easier.
So if you’re looking for 4th of July party ideas, you’ve come to the right place! Let’s get right to it.
4th of July Party Themes
Let’s start with the beginning – some fun party themes! These are a couple of my personal favorites but there a million different things you could do!
SWEET Land of Liberty Dessert Table
This fun 4th of July theme is all about the sweets! Load up on red, white, and blue desserts and serve up lots of sweet surprises!
This fun nautical theme plays on the red and blue stripes that you typically see with sailing! With pops of patriotic colors everywhere, lots of fun sailing themed food ideas, and even some great games – this one’s a winner!
If you want a good classic, there’s nothing wrong with sticking with just stars and stripes as a theme! Combine colors with these classic shapes and patterns like in this theme for a fun party!
Don’t feel free pressure to come up with a theme if nothing brilliant is coming to you immediately. Honestly, a red, white, and blue theme is a theme all in itself!
4th of July Decorations
Once you have your theme, it’s time to start thinking about decorations! I’ve put together some of my favorite unique decorations for celebrating America’s birthday – both things you can DIY and things you can buy to get into the patriotic spirit!
Firework Craft
Make these fun firework crafts beforehand and place them in buckets from the dollar store for a simple centerpiece or dessert table decoration! You could even setup a table and let little hands make these as a fun activity!
Out of all of the backdrops out there, this is one of my favorites because it’s just so simple but also layered so it stands out. You could put this behind a table, use it as a photo backdrop, or just have it as decorations around the party.
I love how they turned simple streamers into a flag with the addition of some paper stars! Plus, they have a really fun hot dog bar idea, which is perfect for the fourth!
This fun popsicle garland reminds me of little bomb pops hanging up! It’d be really fun for a popsicle or pool themed 4th of July party or really just any theme!
Balloon garlands and arches are super trendy right now for good reason – they’re inexpensive and an easy way to really make a statement. This one starts with a kit that makes it super easy to recreate at home!
If you really want to make a statement, hang up this light up LED flag to light your guests way! It’s a really fun way to make a bright statement this fourth!
Speaking of light, if you want something to add just a little bit of glow at night, these fun DIY colored rice candle holders are a fun option! Easy to make and gorgeous to look at!
If you really want to make a statement (and don’t mind painting your lawn), these painted lawn stars are another really fun option! You could do these then paint on some outdoor twister (one of my favorite fun outdoor games) while you’re at it!
Whether you’re going to a parade or not, you need to add these fun DIY firecrackers to your to do list for the fourth! They’re gorgeous and huge statement pieces that double as great photo props!
I’m a bit obsessed with 4th of July food. So obsessed that I wrote a post with all sorts of delicious red, white, and blue desserts already. So if you’re really looking for food ideas, make sure to read that one.
These are just a few of my personal favorite 4th of July recipes – all with a patriotic color scheme of course!
Red White and Blue Cake
It’s not a party without cake and this 4th of July layer cake is not only gorgeous, it’s delicious too!
Not only does the top of this cake look like a flag, the inside has swirls of red, white, and blue too. Plus, it’s one of the most delicious cakes from a cake mix ever!
This red, white, and blue cheesecake fluff is filled with creamy cheesecake filling, fresh berries, and more! It’s a great one if you’re looking for something that’s kind of like a salad but also sweet!
Make up a bunch of your favorite red, white, and blue treats then put them on this fun 4th of July charcuterie board. Simple to make, gorgeous, and full of treats that everyone will enjoy!
These fun patriotic rice krispie cookies take white chocolate chip cookies to a whole new level with the addition of rice krispies. Can you say snap crackle pop??
This delicious fresh fruit pizza starts with a brownie crust then gets topped with cream cheese “sauce” and berry toppings for a delicious 4th of July treat!
Fresh strawberries dipped in red, white, and blue make for a fun and kind of healthy treat! They’d also be great on the 4th of July charcuterie board I mentioned above!
A simple rice krispie treat gets a patriotic upgrade with this fun Independence Day inspired take! They’re as easy to make as regular treats but taste way more fun!
While I’m a big fan of serving festive food that matches the color of the occasion, you could always go with some typical barbecue recipes like hot dogs, potato salad, pasta salad (this Mexican street corn pasta salad is amazing), and anything else you’d typically serve at an outdoor party!
Party Hack!
If you have a favorite recipe that doesn’t seem to fit the theme, a simple idea to make it fit is to use star shapes (cut out with cookie cutters) like I did with these fruit skewers. I served them with a cream cheese fruit dip for a red, white, and blue healthy treat!
Easy 4th of July Drinks
Don’t get so preoccupied with the food that you totally forget about the drinks! You can easily serve just red, white, and blue colored sodas and juices if you want, but I always like to have at least one signature drink at parties!
I’ve collected a handful of drinks that would be great for any fourth of July parties!
Blueberry Lemonade
Serve glasses of this blueberry lemonade alongside glasses of this strawberry lemonade to get the red, white, and blue effect!
Freeze water balloons and use them as ice with your drinks! They freeze beautifully and once they melt, they’re perfect for cooling off with some of these water games or a water balloon fight of course!
4th of July Activities
There are so many different types of yard games you can do for 4th of July – anything you’d do at a backyard bbq you can do for a 4th of July party!
The ones below are specific to 4th of July and would only work for an awesome 4th of July party, not any other time of the year! If you need more fun ideas, you can always turn any of my minute to win it games into a 4th of July theme as well!
4th of July Minute to Win It Games
Since I was already talking about minute to win it games, let’s start there. These are simple 4th of July games that are easy enough that they should take less than a minute! Pick one or two or play them all!
If you want something quick and easy to do with kids, this 4th of July scavenger hunt is a great choice! It’s the perfect way to give kids a surprise full of sparklers, sunglasses, and more!
Split into teams and see who can find the items on this hunt first! Or just give everyone their own and let them find it on their own time. It’s so much fun and the only thing my kids want to do these days!
This fun red white and blue ring toss game can be made in minutes with some sparkling cider bottles and a little paint! We did this last year and the kids had a blast!
Let’s finish it off with fun things to give away to guests when they go home (or to use during the party). You could really do anything you want that’s red, white, and blue but here are some specific favors I personally love and think your guests would too!
DIY Confetti Poppers
These fun DIY poppers come with a free printable and instructions to create your very own poppers for fourth of July! They’re simple to make and I’ll be the first to tell you, people love these! This is one of my favorite DIY ideas ever!
If you’re ending the night with sparklers, these sparkler favors are a fun say to say thanks for coming! Plus, they come with a free printable to make it extra festive!
Is there anything more All-American than Cracker Jack? These fun favors come with a free printable tag to wish guests a happy 4th of July on their way out!
Send guests off with treats and trinkets that are perfect for watching the fireworks with this fun idea! It’s one of my personal favorites, and I’m totally doing it next year!
Here are a couple of additional resources to help you plan the ultimate fourth of July barbecue or outdoor bash!
Patriotic playlist – the ultimate list of patriotic music to have going during your Independence Day party!
Inexpensive 4th of July party decorations – Amazon has an amazing selection of patriotic decor that’s cheap and perfect for one-time use! All of the things here are under $10!
Fun crafts – if you want to add some crafts to your 4th of July party, these are some great ones using items from your local dollar store!
4th of July word search – a simple printable activity that kids will love! Put it out with some 4th of July coloring pages for a simple quiet activity.
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