Fun Fourth Of July Party Ideas

Everyone loves the Fourth of July because it's the perfect time to eat some really amazing food while celebrating our country. We also get a chance to be ultra patriotic and deck out our homes in awesome red, white and blue decorations. Whether you're throwing a classic barbecue or going for something a little different this year, you're going to want to make this Independence Day memorable.

Having friends over will be fun, but instead of just talking and drinking, why not throw in some fun activities? For kids, you can set up some fun, patriotic games, but all the adults at your party won't want to miss out on the fun either. We've thought up some great activities for all your guests to enjoy.

Patriotic Photo Booth

This is a super fun way to get your guests acting goofy  — especially fun after a few drinks. Simply set up a camera with a timer and have people take the photos themselves. This is best set up inside where you can hang up a large American flag as the background. Don't forget to buy some mini flags, a few cheap top hats, wigs, and kitschy sunglasses. By the end of the day you'll have a collection of silly and possibly embarrassing photos to share with your friends.

Balloon Pop Painting

For those of you who have seen the Princess Diaries, you'll know what we are talking about. This activity needs a few supplies. You'll need a lot of balloons, a large piece of paper or poster board, throwing darts, and red, white and blue paint. You'll also need tape or hot glue. Hang your canvas up on a wall outside, fill up the balloons alternately with the paint, and glue or tape them onto your canvas. You'll also want to lay out an old sheet or some more paper underneath to keep things clean. Then hand out the darts to your guests and let them try to pop the balloons. Paint will explode out of them and in the end you'll have a fun piece of art.

Sparklers Photography

This one's another fun photo opportunity. It's best at nighttime so you get some really cool pictures that emphasize the sparklers. A fun way to do this is to elongate the exposure on your camera, if you have a DSLR, and draw out shapes and words with the sparklers. You have to hold the camera very still for this to work, so set it up on a tripod if you have one, and then have everyone start waving their sparklers around for fun designs. Don't worry if you don't have a fancy camera, though. Any photos that you take with the sparklers will be pretty and fun.