It’s the ideal opportunity to transform your backyard into a full-fledged family entertainment area, even though you’ll be grilling enough brisket to feed half of Houston.
Whether you’re racing in a pillowcase, avoiding water balloons, or belting out “Party in the USA!” there are seven activities that get your heart beating with a healthy dose of H-Town flair.
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Houston heat is no joke, so celebrate in the park, in your yard, or anywhere else that has air conditioning. Energy, laughter, and perhaps a little healthy competitiveness (including bragging rights) are all brought about by these activities.
Red, white & you scavenger hunt
Assign each participant a color—red, white, or blue—and divide into groups or work alone. After setting a timer for one to three minutes, go about the house or yard and gather as many items that are your color as you can. Consider things like blue flip-flops, red mugs, or your Maltese family dog (hey, it counts).
The winner is the person who gathers the most color-coded items!
Fourth of July Sack Dash
Locate some pillowcases (it’s a plus if they’re blue, white, or red), line up, and sprint to the finish line as if your honor wasn’t at stake. Everyone is welcome, including children, adults, and extremely competitive cousins.
Water Balloon Toss (a.k.a. Splash Roulette)
Toss a water balloon gently back and forth while standing a short distance apart in pairs of family members or friends. To make it more difficult, step back after every successful toss. The winning duo is the last toss without blowing up their balloon. Prepare to have a great time and get drenched!
4th of July bingo
Create your own bingo cards with traditional Fourth of July symbols, such as eagles, sparklers, fireworks, and barbeque grills. Don’t stop there, though; add Houston treasures like Trill Burgers, Beyonc, the Rockets, Astros, and Brisket.
There are two ways to play it:
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Traditional style: Someone calls out random items on the bingo sheet and players mark them when they hear them.
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Spot-it style: Players roam around the party or house and mark items when they see or hear them in real life.
Bingo, everyone! The first person to get five consecutive yells! and gains the right to boast for the day.
How well do you know the USA?
Play a fun and educational trivia game with your family or friends to see how much they know about the United States. What year did we get our independence? Ask about pop culture, American history, and even holiday cuisine.
Examples of inquiries:
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Who wrote
The Star-Spangled Banner
?
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What city hosts the country s oldest Fourth of July celebration?
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Which U.S. president kept a pet alligator in the White House?
Divide into teams or individuals, record the score, and grant the winners the right to boast until Labor Day.
Pie face first, questions later
Arrange little pies on a table and give daring people the task of eating them without using their hands. There will undoubtedly be tons of cheering, whipped cream faces, and amusing pictures. Probably a nap for the first person to complete.
Advice: To keep it entertaining rather than scary, use smaller pies. Have wipes as well. Numerous wipes.
Is it even a party in the USA without musical chairs?
You know the routine: turn up the music, arrange one fewer chair than the amount of players, and let the patriotic mayhem start. Hurry to find a seat when the music stops, and the last person standing is eliminated. Continue until someone takes the blue, white, and red throne.
Start with “Party in the U.S.A.” (of course), and then keep the energy up with Katy Perry’s “Firework” or other on-theme songs.
Need more fun? Here s the bonus round
Do you want to add even more variation? Try these crowd-pleasing last-minute ideas:
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Cornhole
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Tug-of-war: kids vs. adults edition
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