It’s time for Independence Day! The 4th of July is one of our family’s favorite holidays. It’s a time to reflect on the birth of our country and enjoy good weather, great food, and family. It’s also the time my kids take advantage of the long days, and create new 4th of July games to play with ordinary objects. This year, we’re celebrating the American Revolution with a fun outdoor game called American Cannons.
We grabbed everything we needed for this game right at our local dollar store. 4 large buckets, 2 small containers, 9 plastic baseballs (how American can you get!), and a cute star-shaped plate to house all of the balls.
The game is simple: toss the baseballs into the containers. The buckets are worth 1 point and the smaller containers, located in the middle of the setup, are worth 2 points. I placed some water in the buckets to keep the baseballs from bouncing out when the kids plopped one in there.
Place the small containers on the ground, then surround them with the buckets. We kept it easy with just 4 buckets, but you can do as many as you like.
My kiddos got really into the game. Things got serious when my 4-year-old scored two points before my 9-year-old did! They started to bring their A-game, and I couldn’t stop laughing at determined they were to win.
To keep it interactive, I also had them both collect the balls and bring them back to the star plate each time someone finished their turn. It kept the game moving, and no one got bored.
Once the kids decided they were done, we sat down had had a nice, cold Capri Sun. They worked up a sweat, and needed a Pacific Cooler to bring down the heat.
I love being able to send them out to play, and have a drink like Capri Sun waiting on the sidelines for them. With no High Fructose Corn Syrup and 35% less sugar than leading regular juice drinks*, Capri Sun is a great choice to have after an epic 4th of July games battle.
Plus, Capri Sun pouches have their own fun built right into themselves. The kids love to see what color their drinks are by viewing the bottom!
After the games were done, there was one last thing to do: dump that water! The fun never stops with outdoor games, right?
I hope you and your family get to try out American Cannons this holiday. It’s an outdoor 4th of July game packed full of patriotic fun!
*This product has 13g sugars; leading regular juice drinks 22g sugars per 6 fl oz serving
This is adorable, and omigosh, your photos are amazing! Such a cute idea.
Thank you, Jo-Lynne!
First, your kids are so stinking adorable! Second, adding water to the bucket to keep them from bouncing out is genius! I would have never thought of that. I love how much fun you can have with things from the dollar store with just a little imagination!
Thank you so much, Ashley! The Dollar Store has been inspiring me quite a bit lately. This game was thought up by my kids when we visited the store. So much fun!
That’s such a fun idea! We really don’t have a single thing planned for the 4th of July this year. I guess I need to get working on that.
Oh that is such a fun little game! My kids would have a blast. Great theme for the upcoming weekend!
This looks like so much fun! My daughter would have a blast playing this game, I think it would be fun for me too!
I have to admit, Susan, I loved it even more than my kids! We have a great time playing it together.
It looks like so much fun! That game will keep the kids entertained from the 4th of July until Labor Day.
Exactly, Crystal!