Today’s post is jam-packed with fabulous ideas for celebrating CANADA DAY!
We are truly lucky to live in such a huge, beautiful country with all the freedoms and rights that we have – and we need to celebrate that! This is no time to be modest, you fellow Canadians, let’s be PROUD and teach our kids to be thankful for our amazing home.
And for all my American friends – many of these ideas are adaptable to the 4th of July – just add blue and use stars instead of a Maple leaf! Wishing you a wonderful holiday as well!
CANADA DAY ARTS & CRAFTS
Tin Can Windsock
These look so great outside blowing in the wind! Perfect for the front door or porch. Click here or on the picture to find the instructions.
Canada Day Streamer Wands
So much fun for a parade or just running around the yard!
You Will Need:
* Red and white coloured Wooden Dowels
* Red and white ribbon
* Hot glue
* Red and white wooden beads
* Optional: red and white striped paper straws
Cut 4 or more pieces of ribbon. Hot glue them to the end of the wooden dowel. Glue a wooden bead on the end. If you want to use the straws – feed them over top of a skinny wooden dowel and secure with glue before adding ribbon and bead!
Maple Leaf Printing
This paper can be used to make special placemats for a Canada Day dinner, or as paper for cards, or just for the sake of it!
You Will Need:
* White acrylic paint
* Red paper
* A Maple Leaf 3″ Cookie Cutter
Pour out some white paint and show your child how to dip the cookie cutter into the paint and then make prints onto the paper! Easy, but attractive.
Canada Day Doorstep Decoration
Perfect way to decorate the front of the house or the front porch or the balcony!
You Will Need:
* A large empty coffee tin
* White and red acrylic paints
* Glass Beads
* A variety of pinwheels, small flags, etc. to place in tin
Paint the can white. Trace a maple leaf onto the can with pencil and fill in with red paint. Alternately, you could have your child make their handprint on the can. Or – just have them decorate any way they like using red and white paint and items!
Fill with dirt or sand and place in a few Canadian pinwheels, streamer wands, flags!
Maple Leaf Rubbings Art
Onetime loved how the leaves magically “appeared” on his paper!
You Will Need:
* A few maple leaves
* Red or white paper
* Red or white crayon with paper removed
Have fun finding a few maple leaves in your neighbourhood. Show your child how to place them under a piece of paper and roll a crayon on its side to get a copy of the leaf’s print!
Fireworks Painting
Create some colourful fireworks on paper to celebrate!
EVEN MORE GREAT Crafts from Canadian Bloggers!
1. And Next Comes L has some cute Canadian Peg Dolls you can make out of clothes pegs!
2. How Wee Learn has a “hands-on” Handprint Canada Flag that your little ones can paint themselves!
3. East Coast Mommy has a FREE printable Canada Day Fan that little hands can cut out and colour for a hot Canada Day!
4. Mama Pea Pod has some sweet Patriotic Fireworks Hair Accessories for girls.
CANADA DAY SENSORY ACTIVITIES
Canadian Flag Rice Sensory Bin
Please click on the photo to find the instructions for this fun flag-themed sensory bin!
Fireworks in a Jar
Make some bubbly fireworks in a jar using red food colouring to celebrate Canada’s birthday!
Celebrate Canada Sink or Float Water Sensory Activity
Please click on the photo to find the instructions for this wet and fun sink or float science activity!
Red and White Flag Playdough
Onetime had a lot of fun with this dough. He enjoyed using the cookie cutter and I took the opportunity to talk with him about our Canadian flag and how it is one of our country’s symbols!
You Will Need:
* 2 cups flour
* 2 cups water
* 2 Tbsp Cream of Tartar
* 2 Tbsp Oil
* 1 cup salt
* Red food colouring (I use Wiltshire for the vibrant colour!)
* a Maple Leaf cookie cutter
* Optional: red glitter
Mix the dry ingredients together. Add the water and oil. Cook over medium-low heat until the dough no longer looks wet. Allow the dough to rest for 1 minute away from heat. Knead in the food colouring.
Once your playdough is ready, colour about 2/3rds of it red and leave the rest uncoloured. Create a Canadian flag for your child out of playdough to catch their attention!
This recipe makes a really soft and easy to manipulate dough. It also lasts for over a month if kept stored in a plastic bag.
And Next Comes L has Six Sensory Activities for Canada Day including a Maple Scented Texture Playdough recipe (can you say YUM?), Canadian Flag Light Box Play ideas, and a Canadian Flag Sensory Bottle among other awesome ideas!
OTHER CANADA DAY ACTIVITIES and IDEAS
Canadian Flag Toast
What a great way to start the day on July 1st! The first time I made this, Onetime didn’t feel like eating breakfast, until he saw this awesome toast! Then he gobbled it all up and wanted seconds!
You Will Need:
* Raspberry jam
* Bread
* A Maple leaf cookie cutter
Toast your bread. Cut out a Maple leaf and then spread on your butter and jam to make it look like our flag!
Canada Day Scavenger Hunt for kids of all ages!
DLTK’s Home has a huge collection of Canadian songs, colouring pages, crafts, games, recipes and party ideas!
Today’s Parent magazine has a FREE printable Canada Day Collage Card that you can use as an invite for a Canada Day party.
CANADIAN GOOD READS
We’re always reading at my house – probably 5 to 6 books a day! Here are some of my (and Onetime’s) personal Canadian-themed favourites!
For a soothing tour through the provinces and territories – perfect for preschooler bedtimes, check out Good Night Canada (Good Night Our World)
Full of Canadian symbols and sure to be a pleaser for toddlers and preschoolers, check out ABC of Canada
Onetime and I had a lot of fun creating and making many of these crafts and activities that celebrate our amazingly beautiful country and we hope that you do too!
If you are interested in finding even more Canada Day ideas, FOLLOW my Canada Day Pinterest board at:
Best,
