Every year, we try to hit at least one fourth of July parade. These parades are fun and really give us both a sense of patriotism and community.
In our old neck of the woods, when we lived in our smaller home with the postage-stamp yard, the town Independence Day parade went right past our home, literally. We simply got some lawn chairs out and pulled them up to the sidewalk before the parade started. Our neighbors would do the same. One neighbor always hands out Italian ice (or water ice as it is called here in Pennsylvania), while another always hands out pretzels. And of course, there is the candy that gets thrown from the floats, cars and wagons. If we needed anything else, we could always run back into the house.
Since last year, though, we actually have to travel more than a few steps to get to the parade in our new town that winds its way to the local park. The first year, we pretty much showed up empty handed, but this year we know better. There are some items that we could bring to make the experience of watching the parade even more fun. It helps to bring extras of things, if you can, to hand out to nearby kids and families. Most of these items you may have in your home. Others can be purchased inexpensively at the dollar store or mart store.
Flags: Little flags on wooden sticks are wonderful for waving around as the parade goes by. You can even make your own out of paper and plastic straws.
Pin wheels: Nothing says fourth of july such as a child with a pin wheel. Purchase or make them yourself. You can even print out a design online.
Wait! We aren’t done yet! I was just warming up with my suggestions. Check back for the next post when I give you one of the most critical items to bring, along with eight other suggestions for a fun time.
Mary Ann Romans writes about everything related to saving money in the Frugal Blog, technology in the Computing Blog, and creating a home in the Home Blog. Starting June 1st, don’t miss her articles in the Baby Blog. You can read more of her articles by clicking here.
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