Red, White, & Blue Kids Placemats

I normally don't go over the top on 4th of July activities, crafts, food, etc.  Normally, we have a BBQ or go to fireworks but I don't plan a lot with the kids or make any special foods.  But this year, I just seemed to catch the Red, White, and Blue bug.  So these red, white, & blue kids placemats are the first of two kids crafts, the other one is coming early next week.  Plus I have two Independence Day Sweets recipes coming soon too!

First, up is this easy but fun kids craft.  This placemat is really easy so the kids can do it themselves, but does take longer than just a couple minutes.  Side note: I hate when it takes more time to set up a craft then it takes to do it!   But this crafts only takes a couple minutes to set up and does take a bit of time to do.  

My kids and I have had a lot of fun making placemats this last year.  We made ones at Thanksgiving and then again at Valentines Day.  So I thought it would be fun to make some for Independence Day.  

Red, White, and Blue Kids Placemats

What you  need:
- 6 horizontal strips 1 ½ - 2 ins wide (all the same size) in 2 colors, I used red and white
- 7 Vertical Strips same width as the previous, I used blue
- glue stick

How to:
Weave the vertical strips in between the horizontal strips.  I glued after each weave on the first and last strips but after that you only need to glue the top and the bottom of the strips.   See pictures below.  
You can cover the finished placemat with contact paper or laminate it.  However, we will just throw ours away after our 4th of July BBQ. 

I figure this would be a great activity for my kids as they wait for the festivities to start on the 4th of July.  Something to keep them occupied so they don't ask me over and over again when it's time for the BBQ or fireworks!   

What do you like to do with your kids on the 4th of July?

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