If you’re looking to celebrate our nation’s independence but are having some trouble coming up with ideas for fun activities, here are some Fourth of July games to liven up your gathering. Commemorate the most American day on the calendar in the most jovial ways possible!
What’s more American than shoving things into your mouth? Watermelon is the perfect treat for those sweltering summer days. It’s delicious, nutritious, and refreshing all at the same time. Sure you’ll have to buy an obscene amount of melons and they’re not easy to store or transport, but it will all be worth it to see the seed-ridden smiles on your guests’ faces.
Why have an eating contest instead of just serving watermelon as a snack, you ask? The spirit of competition is alive and well. What’s more patriotic than trying to prove your superiority at something that doesn’t matter in any way? A watermelon eating contest will really get things moving at your party, but if you have any prodigious trash talkers in your inner circle, you might want to omit them from the guest list. You don’t want things to take a sinister turn. Is that blood or watermelon juice?
Baseball is America’s pastime, no matter how boring it may be to watch on TV. That’s where Wiffleball comes in. Baseball suddenly becomes exponentially more entertaining when you introduce a little physical comedy.
Whether they’re participating or not, your guests will howl with laughter at the sight of your overly proud uncle pulling a muscle in his back while flailing wildly at a plastic ball he can’t hit. The fun is unavoidable.
Another great thing about Wiffle ball is that all you need is a bat and a couple of balls, all of which can likely be picked up at your local dollar store. You don’t need to buy any bases either, as literally anything in your yard will suffice. Ring in this Independence Day with a farcical version of our nation’s pastime worthy of “The Three Stooges.”
Connect Four is such an underrated game. It’s far more intuitive and simple to pick up than chess and checkers, yet the mind games are just as real. The joy of lulling your opponent into a false sense of security, only to strike when least expected is palpable. However, you don’t want to have to bring your guests inside to play a tiny game, do you?
That’s why you get the giant version. You can stick this bad boy in your yard and observe from afar as your family and friends slowly tear each other apart psychologically. Perhaps that’s an exaggeration, but everything comes back to the spirit of competition. This is America, after all.
Let’s flex that big American brain of yours. There’s something about trivia that just ignites our egos, even if it’s on a topic we don’t really care about. History may be a painfully boring topic to most, but when you turn it into a game that can be won, suddenly it’s much more enticing. There are many different trivia-making services out there that you can find, and you can always feel free to get creative.
How could you possibly make beer pong even more American? Super-size it, of course! This fun idea for your party combines athletic conquest with inebriation, a tremendous combo. While it’s probably not a good idea to fill each bucket all the way with alcohol, as you probably don’t want people to die at your party, this is still a great way to enjoy a drinking game outdoors.
Luckily, it doesn’t necessarily have to be a drinking game, either. What makes beer pong such an enduring game is the threat of consequences. If you hit your shot, your opponent has to drink. The better you do, the drunker they get. A non-alcoholic version loses this dynamic, but the oversized buckets offer the solution. Fill them with ice-cold water instead, and every time your opponent lands their shot in one of your buckets, you have to dump the water on yourself. Problem solved.
Spending time outdoors in the summer heat demands a means to cool down. That’s why water fights of any kind are so fun and so inevitable. If you have a pool, then the need to plan for an aquatic skirmish is lessened greatly, as splashing will always break out and end up outside the pool. If you don’t have a pool, you’ll need to think ahead.
You’ll need some super soakers or water balloons to facilitate combat. Each of these can be a hassle that will bog down the pace of your fun though, so you’ll want some fast, self-filling water balloons. Keep your guests in the action and out of your living room.
If baseball is America’s greatest pastime, Cornhole is inarguably a close second. Don’t fight me on this one. It’s such a simple yet essential backyard game to play. Everyone understands how to toss a bag onto a wood board. It can be enjoyed by kids and adults alike.
What makes this suggestion specific to the 4th is this design. This beautiful board sets the tone for your Cornholing, and for your entire party. Salute our country by getting those bags in the hole. Show Uncle Sam you love him.
Now this one isn’t really a game, but who cares? Having a photo booth can be a really fun way of creating and capturing memories that will last a lifetime. That is, assuming we’ve got Covid relatively under control by then. Having a booth at your party where every participant is forced to breathe each other’s air may not be the best idea if the pandemic is still in full force.
You can provide your guests with some fun Fourth of July-themed props as well to really facilitate that patriotism. Capture your fun forever. If there aren’t sufficient photos, did your party even happen?
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