Independence Day is a great day to celebrate and enjoy time spent with friends and family. What is really cool about it are the different ideas people come up with to interact with one another! Yes, there are traditional games to play like volleyball, croquet, horseshoes, and corn hole…etc., but we thought we would do a little research for you and come up with some new, simple ideas which can be really fun for people of all ages!

1. Treasure Hunt

This can be for adults AND children…depending on what the “treasure” is. Separate the kids, or adults, or both into teams. Have someone in charge of coming up with clues and scattering them all over outside or inside depending on the weather. Each clue will lead to the next and at the end of the trail is the “treasure” for the team. This could be food, candy, prizes, gift cards…etc.

Hint: Color code teams and clues so each team only finds its own color-coded clues and does not get messed up with another team’s clues. There is also the option to time the hunt and see which team gets done first.

2. “Around the Table” Ping Pong

For this game, you need a ping pong table, two paddles, one ball, and from 5-15 people. Stands around the table, and the two people on either side of the net have the paddles. The first person on one side of the net serves then drops the paddle on the table and moves in a clockwise direction around the table. The person on his or her right moves in and picks up the paddle to return the ball. Everyone gets a chance to hit the ball, and as you can see, it really has to move fast! Everyone is allowed two misses and then they are out on their 3rd miss. When there are only two people left, they must hit the ball, place the paddle down, turn around, pick up the paddle, and return the ball, until one of them misses and is out. This seems like a pretty intense ping pong game! A great way to make things interesting…

3. Fourth of July “Jar” Game

Fill a large jar or fishbowl with red, white, and blue candies and challenge guests to guess how many candies are in the bowl. Put a pen, paper, and an empty basket beside the bowl and have guests place their names and guesses in the basket. Whoever guesses the closest to the actual amount of candies in the bowl gets to take the whole container of candies home.

4. Independence Day bingo

Perfect for indoor or outdoor fun, print out free patriotic Bingo cards online or design your own using construction paper and stickers. Give away small prizes to winners for extra fun.

We hope you like our ideas and we also encourage everyone to have an excellent 4th of July weekend! Please be safe and remember – Don’t drink and drive – be sure to always have a plan and a designated driver.

Steve was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. As was the practice for new doctors his father worked day and night during his medical residency at Charity Hospital there. Steve comes from a long line of doctors. His father, his grandfather, his great grandfather, even two uncles were all specialists and/or surgeons in their chosen medical specialties, including internal medicine specialist, obstetrics / gynecology, neurosurgery and general practice / surgery. His great-great grandfather was the Surgeon General of Ohio during the Civil War.