Celebration Flags

The town next to us boasts a fabulous kids parade every Fourth of July, where kids of all sizes decorate a vehicle of their choice and then parade down the main street, ending at the park for a big festival of music, hotdogs, and bouncy houses. This is our second year in the parade:  Last year I did all the decorating, but this year N and I collaborated on a triangle banner to adorn her wagon.  We talked about the parade all morning, and she was enthusiastic about the process of drawing circles, dashes and dots all over her triangles.

This really simple project could be spun in a hundred different directions (see links below for other ideas), and it’s a great way to add some bling to your yard, wagon, bedroom, patio, birthday party, etc.

What’s the hook?

• Your child will reflect on a holiday, idea, or celebration (i.e. Fourth of July, Nature, Birthday)
• Your child will have an opportunity to collaborate
• Your child will be part of a process of contributing to an important celebration.

Time

20+ minutes

Materials

• Paper
• Scissors (for the adult)
• Drawing materials; crayons, markers, paint, etc. (we used markers)
• Yarn, ribbon, or twine
• Masking or Clear Tape

Directions

• Cut paper into shape of choice. We made triangles. I cut 8.5 x 11 paper in half, and then cut free-hand triangles from the paper (we were in a hurry!).
• Give your child a stack of triangle papers, and keep some for yourself.
• Draw on your papers, and encourage your child to draw on his or hers’. Since it was the 4th of July, I drew red and blue stars. My daughter has been into circles and dots lately, so that’s what she drew.
• Cut a piece of string to the desired length.  Leave a little extra on either end to tie it off.
• Tape the top/back of each triangle, side-by-side, to the string.
• Voila — you have a banner!
• Extra fancy, extra credit: If you plan to see both sides of the banner, glue another set of triangles to the back of each piece.  And, if you have time and a sewing machine, you could sew these together with some pretty, wide ribbon for a more lasting creation.  See “Sew a Simple Fourth of July Banner” below.

Related Projects

Sew a Simple Fourth of July Banner

Tutorial: No sew triangle pennant banner with kids

Garden Wish Flags

Newspaper Bunting: A Tutorial

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