Preparing for the 4th of July

Anytime we’re approaching an upcoming holiday, where families may be traveling and outside of their routines, we must remember to prepare our kids for what to expect during these events. There are new environments, new people, a different schedule and/or routine, more unexpected events that can occur. These are all things we can prepare children for! 

Talking about travel:

First, if you’ll be traveling, start talking to your child about this travel before the actual event. You can do this by reading books about how you’ll get there – i.e. books about airplanes, road trips, vacations, etc. Here are a couple examples to get you started: 

• My First Airplane Ride

• Playtown: Airport; A Lift the Flap Book

• Go, Boats, Go!

BUT, don’t limit yourself to books! Engage in play about this, too! Use toys like airplanes, cars, and trains to act out what these activities might look like. You can also use things like cardboard boxes or chairs from your own home to pretend like you’re on an airplane. Think about giving your child different roles as you play – so maybe they have an opportunity to be a pilot, flight attendant, or gate agent!

Talking about where you’re going:

Second, you’ll want to talk about where you’ll be! You can think pretty generally about this - beach, mountains, somewhere cold, etc. Here are a couple books to get you started: 

• Froggy Goes to Hawaii 

• Penguin on Vacation

• Pete the Cat Goes Camping

• Curious George Goes Camping

• Fred and Ted Go Camping (***One of my favorite books!)

Act it out & practice in play!

AGAIN, don’t limit yourself to books! Use play for this too.

• Headed to the beach? Grab some beach towels and buckets to pretend like you’re at the beach right in your backyard. You can also use pretend sand for this, to start getting your child ready for the different sensory experiences that might occur so they’re not completely new while on vacation. 

• Going camping? Here’s a great set from Melissa & Doug for pretend play camping!

Finally, what specifically about 4th of July?!? 

A few books to get you started:

• The Night Before the 4th of July 

• Curious George Parade Day

***Frequently, you can find a read aloud of books on YouTube. Just search for the book title + “read aloud”.

Practice all the experiences of July 4th before the big day:

Pretend to have a parade through your yard with bicycles and wagons. Think about including things like noisemakers, if your child can handle it. Here are some additional ideas for preparing your child for 4th of July: 

• If your child benefits from the support of noise cancelling headphones, start practicing with them now.  

• Talk about fireworks:

  • Describe what they sound like, what they look like? 

  • What can we do if they get too loud? – Cover our ears, wear headphones, ask to go for a walk somewhere quieter 

  • Do a fireworks craft – there are tons online! Include adding something fun like pop rocks.

• Going to a barbecue or party? Here’s a great Grilling Set (this is a frequently requested item by my kids in speech therapy, but of course, use what you have first - tongs, spatulas, pieces of cardboard for burgers! Consider exposing your kids to foods they might experience at the barbecue a few days before you go, so they’re familiar.

Share your tips & tricks…

What strategies do you currently have to get your child ready for 4th of July?! Share below in the comments! Look forward to seeing what strategies/supports work for everyone’s family!