July 4th is all about celebrating our independence and enjoying the day with family and friends! It marks the passage of the Declaration of Independence by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776. At Ann + Reeves, we love celebrating and getting all decked out for whatever holiday is on the calendar. We love creating traditions with our family and bringing you ideas of how to celebrate with yours. In the spirit of celebrating our independence we’re here to share how #annreevescelebrates: July 4th. We hope this post inspires you to create new traditions with your family. Be sure to share your favorite activities with us on social media by tagging @annreeveskids and #annreevescelebrates.

Take A Beach Vacation

Our founder, Elizabeth, typically travels with family to Nantucket for the Fourth of July. The town has a huge water fight on Main Street between the old fire truck and the new fire truck. She says, “Everyone on Main Street gets SOAKED!” After that, her family has a picnic lunch at the Nantucket Yacht Club and celebrates with friends while watching the fireworks that evening! A Nantucket July 4th is one of Margaret’s favorite things! 

Hang the Flag

You can’t celebrate July 4th without bringing out the American Flag! Make sure to hang it properly according to the National Flag Foundation’s guidelines.  According to the organization, when the Flag is hung from a pole projecting from a window, or your house, the union should be at the peak of the staff unless the Flag is at half-staff.

Host A Neighborhood Parade

Who doesn’t love watching a cute parade of kids march around the neighborhood in their red, white and blue? Host a neighborhood parade to celebrate the holiday and use this checklist to make sure you don’t forget any details. Make sure to decorate your kids’ bicycles, wear July 4th outfits and bring out the sparklers!

Watch Fireworks or Make Your Own

Fireworks are a timeless July 4th tradition. Most neighborhoods host real fireworks for everyone to gather around and watch, but if your kids are afraid of them or you are wanting to be extra careful and steer clear of the fire, you can make your own fireworks. Get your kids involved and let them make firework poppers. You’ll need plastic treat pop containers, white cardstock, blue and red crayons, patriotic confetti, washi tape, hot glue and tissue paper. Let your kids decorate the paper and then glue the paper around the treat pops. Fill the pops with confetti and tape a piece of tissue paper over the top of the treat pop. Now you have a cute DIY confetti pop for July 4th! 

Host a Cookout

There’s no better way to celebrate a holiday than to invite friends and family over for a meal. Host a backyard cookout for July 4th and grill hotdogs and burgers for the quintessential Independence Day meal. Serve red, white and blue Gatorade or Kool-Aid and decorate with flags, streamers and balloons! Make sure you have a game for the kids (and adults) to play while everyone waits for the food. Play a DIY game like “Ring the Flag” or opt for red, white and blue giant lawn Jenga. For ring the flag, all you need are some small yard flags and July 4th glow sticks. Since the rings are glow in the dark, you can play until the fireworks start! 

Shop The Star Spangled Collection

Make a July 4th Dessert

For a simple and easy dessert that won’t melt in the hot summer sun, make a Rice Kristy Treat cake! To make it festive for the holiday, line it with red and white striped ribbon and add a fun cake topper - something that says “Snap, Crackle, Pop!” Other great options are apple pies and the original red, white and blue bomb rocket popsicles! 

Take a Patriotic Family Photo

We love an excuse to dress for a special occasion! On July 4th wear whatever you have that features an American Flag or dress up in your favorite Ann + Reeves July 4th outfit. This year, we released our Star Spangled collection featuring red and navy gingham and smocked stars. To make these outfits perfect for July 4th, girls can top them off with a big red bow and boys can bring their streamers and sparklers! Make sure to snap a photo of the entire family in their red, white and blue. It makes the perfect family portrait and can even be used as a Christmas card photo.