9 Essentials for a Stress-Free 4th of July with Kids

This year, I had the privilege of taking my four children to see fireworks by myself. My oldest is 9, then 7, then 4, and finally 1 year old. Wow! Fireworks with children as a solo parent was something. It was a little stressful, but I jumped right into planning mode, which always helps me. Tackling holidays, carnivals, and special events is often the job of a firefighter’s wife since they have a set work schedule that doesn’t always give time off for these events.

The best thing that I did was prepare for the fireworks in advance. I packed up the car and we arrived early to spend time at the carnival. Packing definitely helped to settle my nerves and knowing I was prepared gave me some piece of mind. Arriving early is so important to avoid arriving in the crowds and makes parking easier. And the end of the night goes so much better when you get a good parking spot now. So what do you pack to occupy children of all ages for the long night of firework?

Necessary Supplies for Fireworks with Children

The best thing you can do to prepare for fireworks with children is to gather the essential supplies and have a system to get them from the car to the field where the fireworks will occur. Yes, your children can help pull a wagon or carry their own chair. The more that they can help the better, so don’t hesitate to ask.

Bright colors are always nice! These let your children see you from a distance just in case they get separated. Not only do we bring something with bright colors, like a blanket, umbrella, or stroller, but we also wear bright colors too! But don’t make this your only method, teach them to stay near too.

Easy of Travel

1. Bring your stroller if you have an infant or toddler. The long walk from the parking lot can be exhausting. Also, when you leave, your exhausted little one will appreciate the ride and so will you when you see the amount of people trying to leave with you. We use this stroller as it fits the carrier seat, turns into a stroller, and can become a bassinet. Plus, my little one loves to just sit in the basket down below without the stroller seat on top or lay in the stroller seat when it is on the ground.

2. Bring a collapsible wagon. Yes, even with a stroller, I bring the additional wagon. It is great for carrying everything else you need to bring for fireworks, plus a sleepy toddler or young child if need be. Plus, it gives your children something to hold on to when you are leaving so that they don’t get behind the group or too far ahead.

Protecting Your Children

3. Pack a light spring coat or extra sweatshirt for each child. Maybe even a pair of pants, depending on the weather. I also ensure that my children wear socks and gym shoes (sneakers or tennis shoes) whenever we go to fireworks. Helps with the amount of walking we will be doing. If it will be sunny out, plan to bring sunglasses or hats as well. This helps to keep them safe in the sun and protect their eyes. If the night is expected to get cold, or even drop 10 degrees, I always pack two extra blankets so that my children can cover up during the fireworks or use them as pillows to lay down (I make them share).

4. Don’t forget the sunscreen and bug spray too! These are so important if you plan to be out during the sun and stay late.

5. Diaper Bag. I always pack enough diapers, wipes, and a change of clothes for my children who have not fully mastered the potty. In addition, I include a small first aid kit in my diaper bag. This always has bandaids, antiseptic spray, some gauze, cortisone cream, antibacterial hand-sanitizer, nail clippers, scissors, tissues, and extra hair-ties for long hair. I also usually have some adult and children Tylenol just in case as well. (If you have a toddler learning to use the potty, a potty chair is also nice because port-a-potties do not come in child sizes usually).

Setting up Camp

6. Bring lawn chairs and a large outdoor blanket for your children. We usually only bring a lawn chair for each adult and the blanket for the children. But feel free to bring a lawn chair for your children as well if you prefer. We love this outdoor blanket that folds into a zippered bag. I find the zippered bag so much easier to refold and store than the blanks that velcro, especially with young kids and a dog.

Entertainment during fireworks with children

7. Cooler and bag of snacks. I pack the cooler with extra drinks, lots of water bottles and some Gatorade for hot days. Also, I love to pack fresh cut up vegetables and fruits, especially when you bring an infant or young toddler that will not be able to eat everything offered there. Packing dinner and bringing it with helps to save money. Freeze Ice pops are great for hot days as well.

For snacks, I always pack at least one snack container for each children for every 3 hours we will be out of the house. If we are out for 7 hours, I will pack 3 containers per child. If we don’t use it, great! But if I don’t pack it, they will be hungry and I will spend unnecessary money at the concessions.

8. Something to entertain your children. No matter how many carnival rides, booths, vendors, friends, etc will be at the fireworks, there is always time when they are sitting and waiting. And well….children and waiting do not go well together. So, I ask all my children to bring books to read. Looking for books to read with your infant, toddler, or preschool, be sure to check out my special posts dedicated to reading with your children.

We bring bubbles (the bubble shooters are always nice but there is just something about blowing bubbles too), glowing bracelets/necklaces, glow-in-the-dark beach balls, deck of cards or dice, and usually their baseball mitts and a ball (no bats!!!). It’s usually dinnertime and the half hour before fireworks start that I need something to entertain them so that I may finish eating and don’t get asked, “How much longer?” until I am ready to burst.

For the Parents

9. Finally, your ID and money/credit cards. You never know when you will want to buy something or need something last minute. So I always bring some cash, my wallet, my cellphone, and my ID. If you have a solar charger, they are always nice to have as a back up too. Always best to be prepared just in case.

It is a lot of prep work and packing. Plus a lot to carry, hence the wagon and the stroller! The preparation is worth the smiles and ease for a long day and night of fireworks celebration. Start preparing early can save your sanity and help your arrive home all in one piece.

If I pack tightly and use large bags, I can usually pack everything into the cooler, diaper bag, one additional large bag, and my purse. Plus the chairs and blankets which I usually just keep separate. Putting things into bags helps with the unloaded and reloading of the car as well. Plus, your kids only have access to what you allow them to have while at the fireworks.

Plan for Support

Even if your significant other can attend fireworks with you, having a group go together adds so much. Invite family members to attend with you whenever you can. Asking the grandparents, an aunt, uncle, or grown cousin can be a life saver. The more adults you can entice to join you, the better. All the extra eyes on your children help. And if they have their own kids, that’s extra fun for your children too.

What if you don’t have a lot of family nearby? That’s okay too. Invite some of the local parents to join you or tag along with them. This might be your local friend group, a few of your child’s friend’s parents, or even families from the neighborhood. With a larger group you can often bring less because your children will have playmates and you will have extra adults to lend a hand when needed. Plus, your older children can play games or go on rides while your little one naps or needs a break. Just remember to return the favor as your youngest grows.

Parent Mindset for Celebrating Fireworks with Children

You do not have to take your kids to the local fireworks. You can often times celebrate these at home or another location away from the crowds. There is no pressure to leave the house. As a mom who dislikes crowds, this is never my favorite experience, but the kids love it so much.

Prepare yourself for the long night ahead. You will need to arrive before dark in order to find a safe location for viewing. Then when you leave, there will usually be a crowd. You can wait a few extra minutes before leaving to limit the walking crowd, but you will have a crowd of cars too. Knowing that we will need to wait helps both myself and our children. Plus, you could always bring a movie for the car ride because what should take 10 minutes may take an hour.

Prepare for the crowd too. Get yourself ready to be around lots of unknown people. Prepare your kids too. They will need to know to stay close to you, how to find you if they get separated, and the consequences for giving you a scare. Be sure to follow through if you need to but hopefully you won’t have a need. Children want to have fun at these type of activities so with a little discussion, they will usually be on their best behavior. And may even hold your hand too!

Plan for Leaving Fireworks Too!

Have a plan for leaving the park. Your children will be sleepy, but you will need to cart out everything your bring in. So be sure to let them know if they want to go to fireworks, they will need to help carry everything back to the car when they are tired. If they whine and complain, you will remember this for the next time they want to do something fun. I find that giving my kids the heads up really makes a difference when they need to help while sleepy. They are more likely to want to carry something and even help pull the wagon.

Just remember, leaving isn’t as fun as arriving.

Other Options for Fireworks

You can always ask around and see where you can view the fireworks from in a more secluded location. Often there are many local parks that offer a view of the fireworks that aren’t the main field. This is always nice because you get a little more space, smaller crowds, and easy access and exit from the fireworks. However, you may miss out on the carnival and some of your children’s friends. So be sure to bring extra entertainment just in case.

You can also celebrate the 4th of July at home. Many times you can see the fireworks from your own backyard or the park down the street. This can be a nice way to watch fireworks, especially when you have a little one. You can put the youngest children to bed like normal and stay awake with your older children to view the fireworks closer to home.

If your state or country allows, you can also make your own fireworks celebration. Just be sure to be safe and have a safe location for setting them off so as not to set a fire or cause any injuries. Then be a good neighbor and clean up after yourself.

Drop us a comment below and let us know your favorite items to bring to the fireworks for your children or the secrets you’ve discovered for celebrating the 4th of July with your kids.

Hi, I’m Nicole.

Here at Creatingbutterflies we provide families with practical solutions to real life problems for everything parenting, scouting, dual language, and enjoying time outdoors. We are a family of 6 with 4 wonderful becoming bilingual children who loves scouting, camping, and hiking with their family. Mom is an educator and dad is a firefighter/paramedic.