The Big Girl
Chronicles: A Fourth of July Holiday the
LISP (Low Income/Single Parent) Way
As I was
tossing around ideas to commemorate the 4th of July with my children
this year, I was again left slightly downhearted that my ambitions far exceed
my budget. Commemorating this holiday
the “Big Girl” way, I would want to visit Mt. Rushmore or take the kids to
visit one of the first towns. However
being grounded by lack of funds, I began to prepare the same old same as we
usually do during holidays. While making
plans to entertain, I had to stop and ask myself if I want to do just another
holiday of eating all the traditional foods or revisit the reason why we set
aside the date to celebrate. Sure they
understand that we celebrate our emancipation. But what more can we learn
about this occasion? The next best thing
to venturing to these historical landmark destinations (and the most
budget-friendly option of course) is to bring history to our home. These are some of the ideas I came up with to
include more of the history behind the holiday – the Low Income/Single Parent
(LISP) Way.
Keep it
educational.
One fun way
to make certain that your child continues learning while celebrating is to
visit your local public library ahead of time and check out some books about
Independence Day. Depending upon age
range, decide if you will do a short storytime on the actual holiday or prepare
some discussion for that day.
Put it on
the menu.
Another way
to incorporate more of the original holiday in your celebrating is to include
some dishes that could have been popular around that time in your menu. Cuisine believed to have been popular then
include more seafood rather than our traditional red meat feasts. This would be a great way to shake up the family bar-b-que!
Challenge
the “fun.”
My children
like most kids are little social, hyper-energetic super-excited beings that
love to be surrounded by their peers. A
quick fix would be to rent a movie. And
although that’s included in our festivities, I thought it would be more
interesting to challenge their creativity and have them all organize a reenactment relevant
to the holiday. Flip on the video camera and you have not only preserved another irreplaceable family moment but have something to add to family reunion entertainment that gives you bragging rights.
For more information about fun facts and activities to help add something extra to your traditional festivities, you can visit the following websites:
Family Education
http://fun.familyeducation.com/fourth-of-july/holidays/32874.html
Education.com
http://www.education.com/activity/fourth-of-july/
Make this 4th of July celebration your most memorable yet by adding more cultural significance to your traditional BBQ and fireworks! These suggestions will continue the learning throughout the summer months without challenging your budget. Have Fun!
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