We’re just a week away from 4th of July celebrations, so it’s time to pull out the 4th of July books. This year when I pulled them out we had what I call a “book picnic” with a red, white and blue charcuterie board and some simple homemade frozen treats. I love to do book picnics with our holiday/themed books, because:
A. I love themes
B. It builds hype for the upcoming holiday
C. My kiddos will sit and listen to more books if snacks are involved!
The snacks for this picnic were super simple. Charcuterie boards for the 4th of July are so easy!!! There are so many red, white and blue foods you don’t have to work too hard to be festive. For Memorial Day I did a treat board…which, of course, was a crowd pleaser. This go around I stuck to more snack foods and less sugar. You could always do a little of both, just don’t be surprised if the sweets disappear first!
I also made some frozen cool whip sandwiches. They’re super easy, and 2/3 of my boys have an obsession with whipped cream. (I can’t blame them!) You simply scoop some cool whip between two grahams and freeze. For a more festive look I swirled gel food coloring in the cool whip first. I’d recommend freezing for 12-24 hours, and word to the wise: do not use spray whip cream!
Now to the books of our book picnic! Recently we’ve added a couple of 4th of July books that I really enjoy so I wanted to highlight them. I love holiday books, but some are just better than others. Here are a few that are on the top of our list:
My Fourth of July by Jerry Spinelli is my top 4th of July pick right now. It’s so nostalgic and gives me all the feels as the main character describes the traditions his family has for the 4th of July. The illustrations really capture my boys attention and bring to life this fun filled day. We borrowed this one from our library last year and I waited ever so patiently for it to come in stock on Thriftbooks so I could grab a copy.
Pie is for Sharing by Stephanie Parsley Ledyard is one I added to our collection this year. It’s a sweet story of all the things that are great for sharing and follows another day of 4th of July traditions.
Blue Sky White Stars by Sarvinder Naberhaus is a beautifully illustrated book that highlights similarities between our Nation and our Flag.
After the picnic our holiday books take over our hallway shelves for easy access until the holiday passes!
Do you have a favorite 4th of July read or treat? I would love the hear!
