Training #3 Homework 2

Summer Escape Week 3
HEROES, OLD GLORY, AND THE AMERICAN STORY (June 30-July 4) (Closed July 4)

DESCRIPTION:Kids Klub is letting freedom ring during the week of our Nation’s Birthday! Campers will learn about our sweet land of liberty through patriotic arts and crafts and American games. Let us come together to celebrate the USA because every heart beats true under the Red, White and Blue!
 
 

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Every week you will be required to "Create the Environment" for the specific theme week in the order of summer camp. Above is the First Week name and description in our brochure. Please Create the Environment by providing:
1. Providing a description of decorations you will need to ensure your space is fitting to the theme
2. An idea for a special event for the theme week and steps to ensure success
3. A guest speaker for the week that would be accessible (no celebrities, unobtainable people/groups- people you can actually have a chance of booking without cost to the program)
4. 2 arts and crafts projects specific to theme and supplies needed
5. 3 high active/low active games specific to theme

1. Red, white, and blue streamers to make a giant American flag.  Red white and blue construction paper to have students make stars and put their name on them, to place on the flag.  Small American flags to hang from the ceiling.  Checkered or American Flag designed table cloths to create a picnic scene.  Red white and blue pinwheels.  Posters of the statue of liberty.  Uncle same top hats.  Large white paper to paint the letters USA on and have kids place red and blue hand prints around the sign.
2. Picnic:  Students would eat lunch outside and have a picnic with their friends.  We could then play barbeque games. 3 legged races, sack races, various relay races, a donut eating contest.  Etc.  Each counselor could set up 2 stations and run those stations for the campers
3. I would ask somebody from the National Guard or the Army come in and speak to the campers about the honor of being a soldier.
4. 4th of July paper Lanterns: Supplies needed: Cardstock in Red, White and Blue, A ruler, Scissors, Star punch or Star Stickers, A pencil, Glue Sticks, Festive Ribbon, Stapler.
- Fold your cardstock in Half Lengthwise.  Then take your ruler and draw lines from the fold, leaving an inch from the end of your line and the edge.  Leave about .75 inch on each side.
-Have the kids cut on the line, stopping when the line ends, not through to the edge
-Unfold your paper and then with the folded bumps on the outside, turn inward and attach at the top and bottom.  Then staple both the top and bottom a couple of times
-Then decorate!


American Flags- Supplies needed: red, white, and blue construction paper, scissors, and glue.
-Draw out the lines on a blank piece of white paper, mark off a box for the stars and draw lines labeled red and white,  have the campers cut out small colored, red, white, and blue squares and glue them onto the flag.  

5.  Red, white , and blue token tag: high active.  Each student gets a red, white, or blue token.  Students will run around and try to tag each other.  If you get tagged you must give your token to the person who tagged you.  Once you collect one red, white, and blue token you win.

Color guard: high active. First, place plastic eggs or balls of different colors -- at least one egg per player -- into a pail or tub. Choose one person to be the color guard. The guard stands next to the tub with her eyes closed while the other players each take an egg from the tub and move a few steps away.  he guard then opens her eyes and shouts out a color. Any player holding that color egg must now try to get the egg back into the tub without being tagged by the guard. Players can throw their eggs, but any that land outside the tub must be picked up by the thrower. Anyone who gets tagged, or whose egg is caught by the guard, is out of the game. The last remaining player gets to be the color guard in the next round.

Red, white, and blue tag: high active.  Avoid being caught by the Flag catcher.  One person will be the flag catcher.  The other students will either be assigned the colors, white, red or blue.  The flag catcher calls out one of the 3 colors and if your color is called you run to the other side without being caught.  If you are caught you may also become a flag catcher.  American flag can also be called and all colors will have to run.

1. Providing a description of decorations you will need to ensure your space is fitting to the theme
• The American Flag
• Small American flags in cups on tables
• Star cut outs on the wall
• Fireworks posters
• Red, white, and blue streamers
2. An idea for a special event for the theme week and steps to ensure success
• We could have a 4th of July BBQ
• I could bring my grill from home and we could have hot dogs and chips
• We could play games like corn hole and Frisbee
• Have red white and blue face painting
• Watermelon eating contest
3. A guest speaker for the week that would be accessible (no celebrities, unobtainable people/groups- people you can actually have a chance of booking without cost to the program)
• Anyone from one of the branches of the military could come in and talk about what it means to protect our country and our freedom
4. 2 arts and crafts projects specific to theme and supplies needed
• Finger paining flags
o Red paint
o White paint
o Blue paint
o Sheets of paper/poster board
• Tie die shirts
o Red, white, and blue die
o Rubber bands
o White t-shirts
o (Socks, shorts, etc.)
o Buckets
o Plastic bags
5. 3 high active/low active games specific to theme
• Capture the flag (American flag)
• Potato sack race
• Picnic game
o My name is Alli and I’m taking an apple pie to the picnic
o My name is Ben and I’m taking bread to the picnic
o ^Using things that could be at a 4th of July picnic

DECORATIONS
Anything and everything red, white and blue!
Red/white/blue streamers
Handprint/footprint American flag made by campers
Star cutouts
Statue of liberty cutout
Red/white/blue wreath
America themed posters i.e. statue of liberty, the white house, fireworks

SPECIAL EVENT
I think that the best way to celebrate this week would be with a good old fashioned 4th of July picnic! I know grill out every Friday but for this week we can make the cookout really patriotic. We can have typical 4th of July foods: burgers, hotdogs, corn on the cob, watermelon, popsicles, etc. We can even set up picnic blankets for the kids to sit down on and eat lunch. To keep it fun and lively, the outside activities would include classic picnic games like cornhole, a three-legged race, a sack race, ice cube in a spoon race, possibly a relay activity. We could also do face painting and possibly a food eating contest, watermelon or pie maybe.

GUEST SPEAKER
If we could manage it, a member of any military branch would be a great speaker. But we could also have a firefighter or police officer come in and speak to the kids about what freedom means to them and how they help protect our freedom. We could involve the camper’s parents this week since I’m sure there are a few firefighters, police officers or military members in the bunch.

CRAFT
Star garland (string of stars): red/white/blue construction paper, hole punch, scissors, star stencil, red string. These could be done early in the week so that we can use them as decorations for the site/picnic.

Patriotic wands: wooden sticks, ribbon in a variety of patterns all in the red/white/blue theme. These can also be used at the picnic!

Hand-print/fingerprint American Flags: white construction paper, red/white/blue paint

GAMES
Low activity: Flag hunt – the counselors would hide a bunch of tiny, kid-made American flags outside on the playground for the campers to find. The kids would be split up into teams and the team who finds the most flags wins!

Low activity: Watermelon seed spitting contest – This game would be played during our 4ht of July picnic. The campers would get a piece of watermelon and then proceed to spit the seeds to see who can spit the furthest.

High activity: Red, white and blue tag (alternate version) – Each child is given one token that is either red white or blue. The children then run around trying to tag each other. If you are tagged then you must give the person who tagged you your token. The first person who tags enough people to get one red, one white and one blue token wins.

Decorations:
Some decorations could be blue, red, and white streamers, Balloons that are red and blue and white. Also put stars around the site with some American flags to bring out the patriotic theme for the fourth of July. Finally some American flag banners to put around the site.

Special Event:
At the end of the week you could have a picnic/BBQ with all different food and games. When I think of the Fourth of July I always think of a huge BBQ with my friends and family where there is a bunch of different games and hot dogs and hamburgers.

Guest speaker:
For a guest speaker you could see if anyone has a parent or grandparent that has served in the army or the military. Or if you don’t have anyone that has a parent you can see if there is anyone that has ever served is willing to come in and talk to the kids.

Arts and Crafts:
Make firecracker flags- the supplies you need for that would be some construction paper to make it into a circle then have some patriotic ribbon hanging from it.
Finger print American flag-You would need some paint and paper. Have kids finger print an American flag or you could even have them paint some patriotic things to have hang around the site.

3 high/low active games:
Capture the flag- high active game because you have 2 teams where you hide the flag and you have to find each others flag without getting caught.
3 legged race-high active game-have different teams and compete with them. But with this you would have to be careful and make sure kids don’t get hurt.
A baseball/kickball game- high active game- when I think of the fourth of July I think of a picnic where we get a ton of people to play baseball or kickball game.

HEROES, OLD GLORY, AND THE AMERICAN STORY

1. Providing a description of decorations you will need to ensure your space is fitting to the theme

Red, white, and blue, EVERYTHING! American flags hanging up and the "kids klub" site mascot hung up and decorated like Uncle Sam. It's important for campers to understand what it means to be free and why our country pride's itself on the red, white, and blue. That being said we could create a huge flag and have them each use their hand print as a star, that way they feel as though they are a part of it all. STREAMERS, STARS, FIREWORKS pictures

2. An idea for a special event for the theme week and steps to ensure success

We could have an end of the week cookout. (Explain to the campers/families that they will not need to pack a lunch on a specific day unless the camper does not want a hotdog or hamburger.) We can then have a grill lunch and then before/after play summer games like baseball/kickball, have a water balloon toss, egg race, three-legged race etc. We could even finish with one of the tarps and create a huge water slide since this will be one of the hottest times of the summer. Another option would be to have a face painting station where campers can choose to cool off and get their face painted since they will be running around.

3. A guest speaker for the week that would be accessible (no celebrities, unobtainable people/groups- people you can actually have a chance of booking without cost to the program)

I think it would be especially influential if we could find a parent who has served in the military to come and explain why they chose/choose to fight for our country.

4. 2 arts and crafts projects specific to theme and supplies needed
(As a site make the huge american flag with handprints) - paint, larger rolling paper

Paper Plate Uncle Sam - Paper plate, Construction paper, cotton balls, google eyes, glue, scissors
Make a patriotic square hat and place it on top of the paper plate, then add eyes and a face to the paper plate, finish it with a cotton ball beard

Finger Painted Fireworks - paint, construction paper, glitter
Paint a finger one color and then lat it on the paper, continue to go in a circle with different/or the same color until you make a firework. (glitter can also be added while the paint is wet)

5. 3 high active/low active games specific to theme

Water Dodgeball - high active - this can be played at the end of the week as a finale. Each camper is given a set number of balloons 2 or 3 so that everyone gets a fair chance to throw. If you get hit you're out.

Stations - low active - divide campers into four groups and have them rotate between can jam, corn hole, frisbee, and box hockey. This can be used to keep them occupied while setting up for a bigger game like kickball or water dodgeball.

President Scavenger Hunt - high active - break the campers into two teams. have a counselor hide coins around the playground outside. (lincoln, Jefferson etc.) have the campers run around and look for the coins, bringing them back to their team designated counselor each time they find one. the team who's coins add up to the most at the end win. (or the team who found the most number of coins)

Decorations

• There’s no surprise for what the colors will be used for this week. During this week, we will express our country’s pride in the utmost ways. Everything will be red, white, and blue including that grand ol’ flag! Campers will be encouraged to show their pride by dressing in the appropriate colors.
  

Guest Speaker: James Hesen (Local History Professor at Salisbury University)

• Get ready for a little history lesson with Hesen! No worries, he won’t bore the kids to death, just some facts and “did you knows” for the campers to learn. There is no cost for him and he shall be contacted soon.
  

Arts & Crafts

• Hand Flag
  

As a simple starter craft, the kids will construct a flag using just their hand, paint and an imagination. Creating this crafts gives the campers a great way to show off their talent showcase them to the entire site.

• Fireworks
  

Not real fireworks! Campers get to create their own red, white, and blue fireworks. All that is needed is paper, watered down paint, and a paint brush.

Games

• Revolutionary War – Water Edition
  

This manhunt-style game is the perfect way to cool off and have fun. The object of the game is to get the entire team to the other team's base without being seen nor tagged. The hunters tag as many people as possible before they get to the base. To play, divide the group into two teams. Give the hunters a garbage bin full of water balloons; about 100 to 200 is ideal. Hunters can use the balloons to attack the opposing team. A hit from a water balloon equals a tag and that tagged player would have to join the hunting team. This is a high-active game.

• Fourth of July Musical Chairs
  

Place chairs in a circle (one less than the number of children). Have children march around the circle to some marching music or Yankee Doodle Dandy. Stop the music periodically and have children find a chair to sit in. The child without a chair is out. Remove a chair each time. Repeat until there is only one chair and two players left. The one to sit down on the last chair is the winner.

Event

• Signing of the Declaration of Independence
  

The entire site will come together and reenact a skit of the Declaration of Independence signing. This event is both fun and educational while providing campers the opportunity to show their drama skills.

1. Decorations: Anything red, white and blue! Streamers, flags, fireworks, tablecloths that you would use at a 4th of July Picnic, and more!
2. Special Event: Patriotic Picnic! This could happen during the normal grilling time on Friday, but make it an all afternoon event with music, games (like cornhole and a water balloon toss), and other snacks that you would typically have at a cookout (chips, patriotic themed dessert, etc). We could even invite parents to come join the celebration if they are interested.
3. Guest Speaker: someone from a local police or fire department that can share what they do with the kids, explain what freedom means to them, and explain safety measures to take during 4th of July celebration if kids are going to be near fireworks/sparklers.
4. Crafts:
Firework Mobile - using cupcake liners as the background, the kids can flatten out the liner and paint in in red, white, blue and possibly glitter. Once it dries, you cut the edges of the liner a little, hang them from a string or pipe-cleaner, and you have a mini fireworks display. You can also tape the liners to a sheet of black paper to look like fireworks in the sky.
Flag Shirts - Kids could bring in a white t-shirt (or we could try to provide them) and paint a flag on it, covering one hand in blue for the square of the flag, drawing the red lines with their fingers, add dots/stars over the blue once it's dry. If these are done early enough in the week, the campers and staff could all wear their shirts for the picnic at the end of the week.
5. Games
"Three legged race" (high active) - could be played at the picnic. Have two campers of around the same size compete against other campers their age in a three legged race across the playground.
"Can bowling" (low active) - stack cans (painted in red, white and blue) and have campers roll a ball towards them, trying to knock over as many as they can. The older campers may also be able to play like you would at a carnival, where you toss the ball at the cans instead of roll, but that would depend on the ages, number and behavior of all the kids.
"Scavenger Hunt" - younger campers would need to be paired up with older campers in order to answer the questions. Campers would go around the playground, answering questions about the fourth of July and America's Independence to make their way through the search (questions could be based on information they learned earlier in the week or day or just random fun facts to guess at about the holiday).

1.Decorations: For this week I would have decorations involving patriotic colors. I would have red, white, and blue streamers hanging from the ceiling. I would also get some red, white, and blue plastic table clothes for this week. I would hang an American flag on the wall as well. I would also have the mini pinwheels that were decorated in stars and stripes around the room. I would also have firecracker decorations hanging from the ceiling. Any plates, cups, or utensils that week would be red, white, and blue as well. I would have a cut out of the Statue of Liberty to place on the wall along with the liberty bell and other American monuments.
2.Special Event: I would have a picnic this week. We could get a grill and make hot dogs and hamburgers. We could have some fresh fruit and vegetables as well. There could be a water balloon contest. We could also have a baseball game that all of the kids could participate in. There could be face painting set up and an area where the kids could complete a Fourth of July craft.
3.Guest Speaker: I know that Salisbury University has ROTC so we could get one of the members of ROTC to come and talk to the students about what it is like to be in ROTC and what it means to them.
4.Arts and Crafts
a.Patriotic Popsicle Sticks: Jumbo Popsicle sticks, scissors, glue, red, white, and blue paint, and
white or silver star-shaped stickers.
b.Fireworks in a Bottle: Red, white, and blue pipe cleaners, an empty water bottles, star confetti,
and glitter.
5.Games:
a.Musical Ball Pass: This would be more of a low-active game. The kids will sit in a circle on the
ground and one child would be given a ball. You would play the music (preferably patriotic music)
and the kids would pass the ball to the person next to them and when the music stops the child
with the ball is out. The last child left wins the game.
b.Potato Sack Race: This is a high-active activity and can be played at the picnic we would have.
We could choose bags that were red, white, and blue for this to make it more patriotic. The child
would line up and put their legs into the sack. The whistle would blow and they would hop to the
finish line.
c.Flag Relay: For this we would have the same number of small American flags as we have
children. We would place two buckets on the other side of where the kids are lined up and fill them
with sand and place the flags in them. We would split the kids up into two groups and determine
the number of flags to put in each bucket based on the teams. The kids would run to the other
side and get their flag and march back with it, to help avoid injury. Once that child has returned to
their side the next person in line would go and the first team to retrieve all of their flags would
win. This would be considered a high-active game

1. I would decorate the gym like a Fourth of July BBQ. I would procure a ton of American flags and banners as well as blue/red/white streamers. Maybe we could hand out poppers that explode confetti (to be done outside)!
2. A special event could be a showing of Captain America on a rainy day (it always seems to rain that week) or we could have a costume party where students dress up as their favorite American hero. Of course, we would establish rules about the costumes.
3. I would get a friend or counselor to either dress up as Captain America for the costume party and students would be able to pose as a movie poster with him or have one of my military friends from the Naval Academy make an appearance and talk about why we are lucky to be born in the US.
4. Students could create an American superhero on giant paper, using paint, glitter and other items. Another craft would be creating a flag that represents their America (we could ask them to bring in items like photographs).
5. There is nothing more American than a good old game of soccer (haha!) but we could put a patriotic spin on it by using a blue ball and naming the teams something patriotic. Another high activity game could be an spoon race where students balance an egg on a spoon. A low activity game would be the Animal Game but set with an American theme.

I absolutely love the fireworks in a bottle idea! Such a cool craft, and kids would love it. The ROTC speaker is an excellent idea as well, and would be easy to attain, assuming students were around in the summer.

Kmarz17 wrote:1.Decorations: For this week I would have decorations involving patriotic colors. I would have red, white, and blue streamers hanging from the ceiling. I would also get some red, white, and blue plastic table clothes for this week. I would hang an American flag on the wall as well. I would also have the mini pinwheels that were decorated in stars and stripes around the room. I would also have firecracker decorations hanging from the ceiling. Any plates, cups, or utensils that week would be red, white, and blue as well. I would have a cut out of the Statue of Liberty to place on the wall along with the liberty bell and other American monuments.
2.Special Event: I would have a picnic this week. We could get a grill and make hot dogs and hamburgers. We could have some fresh fruit and vegetables as well. There could be a water balloon contest. We could also have a baseball game that all of the kids could participate in. There could be face painting set up and an area where the kids could complete a Fourth of July craft.
3.Guest Speaker: I know that Salisbury University has ROTC so we could get one of the members of ROTC to come and talk to the students about what it is like to be in ROTC and what it means to them.
4.Arts and Crafts
  a.Patriotic Popsicle Sticks: Jumbo Popsicle sticks, scissors, glue, red, white, and blue paint, and  
  white or silver star-shaped stickers.
  b.Fireworks in a Bottle: Red, white, and blue pipe cleaners, an empty water bottles, star confetti,
  and glitter.
5.Games:
   a.Musical Ball Pass: This would be more of a low-active game. The kids will sit in a circle on the
  ground and one child would be given a ball. You would play the music (preferably patriotic music)
  and the kids would pass the ball to the person next to them and when the music stops the child  
  with the ball is out. The last child left wins the game.
    b.Potato Sack Race: This is a high-active activity and can be played at the picnic we would have.
   We could choose bags that were red, white, and blue for this to make it more patriotic. The child
   would line up and put their legs into the sack. The whistle would blow and they would hop to the
   finish line.
   c.Flag Relay: For this we would have the same number of small American flags as we have
   children. We would place two buckets on the other side of where the kids are lined up and fill them
   with sand and place the flags in them. We would split the kids up into two groups and determine
   the number of flags to put in each bucket based on the teams. The kids would run to the other
   side and get their flag and march back with it, to help avoid injury. Once that child has returned to
   their side the next person in line would go and the first team to retrieve all of their flags would
   win. This would be considered a high-active game

1. Providing a description of decorations you will need to ensure your space is fitting to the theme:
-American flags (minis) on the tables, red white and blue confetti to sprinkle on the table, table cloth with american colors, streamers, posters of places around america.

2. An idea for a special event for the theme week and steps to ensure success:
-A great idea would to have a picnic/BBQ. We can lay out blankets and provide different types of drinks, hotdogs, hamburgers, mac & cheese, chips, etc. Everything can be red, white, and blue themed. To ensure success, the staff members would have to set up everything first and to make sure the campers stay away from the grill.

3. A guest speaker for the week that would be accessible (no celebrities, unobtainable people/groups- people you can actually have a chance of booking without cost to the program):
-A great speaker to have for this theme would be a local fireman, policeman, a parent or someone from Salisbury that served in a branch of military. These people represent the ones that protect our country and our local environments.

4. 2 arts and crafts projects specific to theme and supplies needed:
-Patriotic paper lanterns. We will need construction paper in blue, red, white, ribbons with stars on it, glue, scissors, colored pencils.
- Patriotic flag pin. We will need a bunch of safety pins and red/white/blue beads.

5. 3 high active/low active games specific to theme:
-Capture the flag (high active). We could use an american flag.
- Patriotic egg toss (low active). American flag decorated eggs.
-Uncle Sam (Like Simon Says)/ (high active). Uncle Sam calls out patriotic moves to get the players to mess up.

Decorations:
This week is all about celebrating the land of the free and all that it has to offer! American flags, the bald eagle, the statue of liberty, the white house and other objects that symbolize our country can be incorporated into the decoration of the site this week. There shouldn't be too much discrepancy in terms of color scheme here (:

Arts and Crafts:
Patriotic T-Shirts- campers can decorate their very own T-shirt to sport at their family's 4th of July gathering!

Fireworks in a Bottle- this is a super easy craft that all campers will enjoy. Campers can use pipe cleaners, glitter, ribbon and more to create their "fireworks"


Games:
Cross Country Scavenger Hunt- Campers will follow along a set of directions that will lead them on their road trip "across the country." Along the way, campers may "visit" the statue of liberty in NYC and other monumental places in the United States.

Flag Tag Relay- Campers will enjoy this fun American twist on a simple relay race. All you will need is two buckets of sand, and enough small American flags for all players. Campers will split into two- three teams and form a single file line. On the word go, the first person in line will march to the appropriate bucket (no running!) , grab a flag from the sand bucket and march back in order to tag the next player. The game continues in the same manner until all flags are gone and all players have had a turn. The team that retrieves all of their flags first can be the winners or everyone can be considered a winner by being able to keep their American flag.

50 Nifty- Campers can learn the “50 Nifty United States” song in order to learn all 50 states in alphabetical order! This song can be turned into a game of who can memorize and recite the most states by the end of the week!


Guest Speaker:
Melissa Schock is a high school/college U.S. History instructor who would be more than thrilled to talk about a specific event in U.S. History in a way that is enjoyable and easy for the kids to remember.

Special Event:
Campers can work alone or split into pairs to do a little research on a specific state throughout the week (books/information can be provided to the children on Monday.) During the week, campers will find information on their assigned state and create a poster/display on that state. At the end of the week, campers can display their posters on the different states that they learned about and present to other campers. This is a great way for campers to learn about life in states other than Maryland.

1. Decorations: Have red, white, and blue streamers all over the main room that the kids are in. Use American flags and Uncle Sam hats to decorate, as well. Have table cloths and little firework confetti centerpieces for each table.

2. A special event could be kite flying outside with the kids. They can make their own arts and crafts kite and decorate it for the theme and then we could fly them outside maybe on Friday after the barbecue.

3. A guest speaker can be local firemen, police officers, military, etc. because these are the true American heroes. I know one year at my elementary school they brought a fire truck, ambulance, police car, and helicopter over for us to learn about and sit in.

4. 2 arts and crafts projects:
- Making Kites: Wood rods, big sheets of paper, tape, fishing line, markers, glitter and tissue paper.
- Patriotic Pinatas- balloons, newspaper, glue, water, tissue paper, and candy to put inside of them

5. Games:
-Capture the flag: high active game. We can use red and blue bandanas or American flag bandanas
- Cherades: low active. Act out some of the famous patriotic people in history
-Field Day: High active. Set up different competitive games for the kids to play such as hula hoop relays, egg tosses, three legged races, etc.

1. Providing a description of decorations you will need to ensure your space is fitting to the theme
Our space could be decorated with a large (construction paper) flag, as each camper arrives, they write their name on a star and it goes on the flag; streamers for “fireworks”; printed picture of an eagle
2. An idea for a special event for the theme week and steps to ensure success
Cook out on Friday – hot dogs, hamburgers, pretzel salad, campers can wear their tie-dye shirts, play kid-friendly music, games
3. A guest speaker for the week that would be accessible (no celebrities, unobtainable people/groups- people you can actually have a chance of booking without cost to the program)
A Veteran – can be found through American Legion; to discuss the importance of freedom, and being American
4. 2 arts and crafts projects specific to theme and supplies needed
A&C’s 1: tye-dye, campers to bring tee shirts (or white hat, socks, pillowcase, etc); vinegar, rubber bands, buckets, tongs, trash bags, gloves, dye
A&C’s 2: Create and decorate a hat (think Lincoln style) out of thick construction paper; will need red, white and blue construction paper, pencils, scissors, glue, applique stars
A&C’s 3: Make a camp flag. Start with a large white piece of paper, each camper is given a triangle, square, or circle shape to decorate however they want, and arrange it on the white paper.
5. 3 high active/low active games specific to theme
HA: Baseball! America’s past time.
HA: Divide into two teams, each team is given 1 blue rectangle, 50 stars, and 13 red and white stripes, the first team to correctly assemble the American flag wins
LA: Charades, pick your American hero, act it out to see if we can guess
HA: Colonialists vs. Loyalists Water balloon dodgeball

1. I would create the environment by using many different red, white, and blue decorations. We could have those color streamers hung, with red white and blue stars. We could hang an American flag from the sign in table as an introduction to the theme. We could also have a map of the US, and various cut-outs of important US landmarks.

2. A special event could be a cook out that is Fourth of July themed. Traditional cook foods such as hamburgers and hotdogs could be served, and the children to participate in an Independence Day themed scavenger hunt and other traditional picnic games such as potato sack races, relays, water balloon toss, egg toss, and others.

3. I think it would be appropriate for the “Heroes, Glory, and the American Story” week to have someone who is either a veteran, or a member of the reserve or national guard to come talk to the children about serving your country as a regular citizen, and what they can do to be more patriotic.

4. Handprint Bald Eagle
Materials
• Light Blue cardstock
• Brown, white, yellow, and black washable paint
Children use their hands to create a bald eagle!

Uncle Sam and American Flags
Materials
• Plain Popsicle Sticks
• Red, White, and Blue washable paint
• Blue and White felt
• Cotton balls
• Glue
Children can paint popsicle sticks then assemble them to create Uncle Sam or the American flag. Felt can be used for the stars on the flag, and cotton balls can be used for Uncle Sam’s beard.

5. Potato Sack Races
The children can divide into teams for a traditional potato sack race. This would be a high-level activity game. The game could also be altered to be a three-legged race, which is another traditional fourth of july BBQ game.

Water Balloon and Egg Toss
Another traditional BBQ game, the children divide into pairs and toss a water balloon or egg until only one person remains! This would be a low active, but fun outdoor game. It would be good for a very hot day because it allows children to be outside without such a high activity level.

Find the Flag
The children would be divided into teams of 5-6, depending on the number of campers. Each child in the group would take turns finding a hidden miniature American Flag. In this relay style game, the team with each person finding a flag first wins! This would be a high activity game that could be played indoors or outdoors.

1. Lots of Red, White, and Blue.
- streamers
- Stars everywhere
- Cut outs or posters of the statue of liberty and of U.S. presidents
- American Flag
2. Have a day where the kids learn all about different presidents, American Heroes and famous landmarks or cities. Create pictures and posters of all these things. Have a game of BINGO using presidents names and a prize at the end. Also, spend part of the day making cards the kids can send to veterans.
3. It would be great if we could get a Veteran come in and speak to the kids or local police/firefighters.
4. Wind Sock:
- Blue plastic cups, string, red and white streamers, star sticks
- creates a patriotic outside decoration just in time for fourth of July.
Finger Painted Giant American Flag:
-Using fingerprints have the kids use their feet or hands to create a giant American flag.
5. -Flag Football/ Kickball/ Wiffle Ball: These High active games may be for older kids but it would be fun to incorporate classic all American Sports such as football and baseball.
- A twist on Simon Says but instead "Uncle Sam Says"
- A game of All American Corn Hole

1. An American flag hanging up as you walk in. Red, white, and blue streamers, party hats, balloons, and ribbons.

2. For a special event we could have a BBQ by a pool. We could play games all day having fun in the pool and outside of it while teaching the kids about Americas past and its history.

3. For a guest speaker I would ask a friend or someone that was in the military to come in and tell the kids about America and about freedom.

4. For two crafts I would have the kids cut out stars and American flags. I would also have them color in American flags, liberty bells, and fireworks.

5. For games I would love for the kids to play baseball because that is an American favorite sport. I would also like the kids to play a game that involves two teams going against each other like a make believe "war". My last game I would like to play is capture the flag which is a great high intensity game.