Fourth of July Amazing Race Ideas
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This Fourth of July Amazing Race is sure to be the highlight of your celebration. With just a few simple supplies from local stores, you can put together a fast-paced, action-packed game that’s perfect for your next patriotic party. Get ready for laughs, teamwork, and a whole lot of red, white, and blue fun.
Our Big Fourth of July Amazing Race Ideas
Football Toss Game
Making this work for the Fourth of July Theme
To make this patriotic, use a blue tarp and number the targets. Teams will have to add their points until they reach 1776 (the year the Declaration of Independence was adopted).
Kerplunk Game
Image Source Pinterest
To make this Work for the 4th of July: Use Red, White, and Blue balls for a patriotic-looking Kerplunk. Decorate the Bucket with 4th of July Symbols.
Make multiple Kerplunk games.
You’ll need:
Balls, Marker, Fencing, Duct Tape, Bucket or Laundry Basket, Dowels or PVC pipe
Assemble the kerplunk game and select a few balls to mark 1776 onto.
How to play Kerplunk:
It’s a lot like Jenga, in that you don’t want to be the player who knocks everything down. Each player (when it’s their turn) would strategically pull the bamboo sticks out, one at a time, and hope and pray that the balls don’t drop.
For the Amazing Race, each team has to successfully pull out 3 or 4 sticks hoping a ball with the year 1776 marked onto it drops to the bottom. If they score a 1776 ball, they can move on.
If necessary, reset the game for the next team.
Balloon Pop
Image source ABC Party Ideas for Girls
How to Make this Patriotic for the Race:
Make little slips of paper with the words – Declaration…of… (and) Independence. The teams have to pop the balloons and figure out what phrase they have to make with the words. Once they have the phrase, they can present it to the judge for the next clue.
Water Balloon Pinatas
Use Red, White, and Blue Balloons for fun balloon popping game.
How to make this work for a Fourth of July Themed Race: Use a marker to mark balloons with the word July and more with the 4th. Teams will have to pop two balloons making up July 4th, before they can move on.
Target Practice
Once teams have completed the targets a certain number of times, they will be given an envelope containing letters that complete the word (July), and the numbers that are are written in Roman Numerals – 4 and 1776 (The day our country was born).
They will have to put the Letters and Roman Numerals together to complete that date and present it to the judge. Hopeful they paid close attention in math class.
Find the Flags
Hide flags around a space in the yard.
Players will be given the Lyrics to the Star Spangled Banner for this mission and told they have to find the symbol the song is referring to and count them.
This photo is from last year’s race. I added a fun twist by placing flags in the hay bales and giving each team an excerpt from The Star-Spangled Banner. Their mission? Use the lyrics as a clue—figure out what the song is referring to (hint: the American flag) and search the field for as many hidden “symbols” as they could find. Once they thought they had them all, they had to report to the judge with their final flag count. If they were wrong, they had to start all over. It was a patriotic challenge and a big hit with the teams!
Patriotic Craft
Set out a table with craft supplies and a completed version of the craft for teams to replicate.
This American Flag Popsicle Stick Craft from U Create With Kids would be a great one for the race.
Memory Station
Have the following phrase written or typed on cards to pass to teams.
Teams should memorize “Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door.”
They will need to recite this word-for-word to the judges.
Road Blocks
Have Index Cards ready with the words “Road Block” – one for each of the other teams. If they see another team has a considerable lead, they can hand them a “Road Block” card, and the team will have to complete one of the tasks below.
Teams will need to find a birth year for one team member. Of course, in roadblocks, only one member is allowed to play this challenge.
Teams will need to complete a relay race or game like
Human Ring Toss, Beach Ball Relay Race, or Back-to-Back Water Balloon Relay
Trophies can be something as fancy as a custom ordered trophy or just Foil Hats, Balloon Torches, and Leis.
~ Melissa – KidFriendlyThingsToDo.com
Hi Melissa ! My name is Ksenia , I’m from Russia . I really liked about your publication on the children’s party games. Could you tell us more about the rules for that game in the fourth photograph ( with balls and bamboo sticks ) . Thank you in advance!
Hi Ksenia! Thank you so much for stopping by to visit. Sure, I’d be happy to tell you how to play the Ball Drop Game. If you’ve played Jenga before, then you know that the object is to “NOT” be the person that knocks over the tower of blocks. This is a lot like that. Each player (on their turn) would strategically remove a bamboo stick and hope and pray that the balls don’t drop! That’s it! I’ll add this simple “how to” to the post. Thanks so much for the comment. 🙂
I had a game this as a kid. It was called Plinko. I would love a senior community to engage in something this. Question… what is the tube made of?
I had this type of game as a kid called plinko. What is the tube made of? Brings back lots of memories!
Hi Sue. Do you mean the game with the bamboo sticks and the balls? I think it would be so much fun in a senior community. Heck, in any community. I would have a blast playing against someone with this game! I believe the base is wooden, and the tube itself is made from fencing. Here is a link from This Old House to the full instructions on building one for yourself. I hope that helps.