• Activities and games boost kids' holiday cheer on July 4th.Thinkstock/Comstock/Getty Images
  
  After America officially declared itself independent from Great Britain on July 4, 1776, Americans have celebrated the monumental occasion annually with social gatherings, fireworks and flag-waving, among other activities. As part of a July 4th celebration, kids can mark the holiday by engaging in patriotic-themed activities and online games.
  
  

America's Colors Word Game

• Kids name red, white and blue items, or phrases containing those colors' names, in this July 4th game. The first player starts with red, with the two players thereafter tackling white and blue, respectively. The next child then starts over with red. Players have five seconds to name a word; if they fail to do so, they exit the game. The last kid remaining wins.
  
  

Making Fireworks

• With adults using actual fireworks, kids make safe fireworks in the kitchen. After pouring whole milk into a baking pan, kids squirt various colors of food coloring in the milk. Kids then squirt some dishwashing liquid--which separates the milk's fat from the rest of the milk, causing it to move--into the mix; the colors should burst and swirl. As an alternative, kids fill half of a paper lunch bag with small pieces of colored construction paper or tissue paper. Grabbing the bag around the opening, kids blow the bag up and squeeze the bag tightly closed. They slap their other hand against the bottom of the bag to pop it, causing the confetti to fly.
  
  

Making Flags

• Kids use construction paper to make American flags in these activities. After tracing a flag on white construction paper, kids tape yarn onto craft sticks and dip the yarn in red paint. To make the flag's stripes, kids hold the craft stick and drag the yarn across the flag outlines. Kids color the left corner of the flag blue and add white stick-on stars. As an alternative, kids glue pieces of white, red and blue tissue paper to their construction paper flag. Unless using white construction paper, kids should use enough tissue paper to cover the background color.
  
  

Red, White And Blue Tag

• In this July 4th game of tag, kids compete with red, white and blue chips. Two kids serve as "it" and chase all other players, who hold a red, white or blue chip in their closed fists. Tagged players must give the "it" kid their chip, then get a new chip from a designated person. The first "it" to collect one red, one white and one blue chip wins the game.
  
  

Fireworks

• Kids match colored detonators to rockets in the online game "Fireworks," accessible at sites such as Primary Games. After rockets take off, players click the matching colored detonator once the rocket starts glowing. If players miss a certain number of rockets, the wheel at the bottom left of the screen stops spinning and the game ends.
  
  

Firework Columns

• Players arrange like-colored firework bombs in straight lines in the online game "Firework Columns," accessible at sites such as Novel Games. Lining up three or more bombs vertically, horizontally or diagonally, players press the arrow keys to move the falling bombs, and the up arrow key to rotate the bombs. Should the bombs pile up too much, the game ends.
  
  

4th of July Game

• Using their mouse to guide a rocket, players follow a sparkle trail to ignite fireworks in online "4th of July" game accessible at sites such as eZone. Should players get off course, they quickly move their mouse back to the trail. The game ends when players stay off the trail for too long, resulting in a lag in exploding fireworks.