LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - Draw, color, or paint. Depending on your child's age and preferences, you may want to let them draw, color, or paint something patriotic. Talk to you child about what the 4th of July is -- about freedom (and responsibility) and ask them to capture their feelings or a particular image in art. For younger children, 4th of July coloring pages are widely available online, all you need is a printer. For older children, give them a challenge and ask them to draw or copy a patriotic work of art. 

If you have chalk and a sidewalk, 4th of July chalk art is also a fun activity that will keep kids safely occupied for a spell. 

Have a speech contest. For those who are academically inclined, the 4th of July is a great time to learn about American history. The transcript of many great and short speeches are widely available online or can be found at the library. Think: I Have a Dream or the Gettysburg Address. If your child is a performer, a costume can be improvised and a speech delivered to family on the big holiday. 

For older children, you may ask them to write a speech on a patriotic topic and to deliver the speech in their best presidential spirit, it's good preparation for your future president! 

Have a parade - What's the 4th of July without a parade? Create your own by putting kids to work decorating their bikes and scooters in red, white, and blue. A visit to the local dollar store should yield plenty of crafts material for decorating. Make sure the decorations are safely done, be wary of anything that could get caught in the spokes of wheels and such. 

This activity works well if you have several children or a neighborhood of friendly families. Kids without bikes or scooters can make patriotic banners, signs, or simply carry flags. The parade can be on the front lawn, or down the street depending on what's safe and how many participants you have. 

Make sure everyone dresses in their red, white, and blue!

Prepare a picnic. Barbecues and family picnics are a big part of the 4th, so it's a good time to let kids bake treats for the big day. Patriotic cookies, cakes and other recipes are widely available online. Older kids can help with the barbecue; younger kids can help with preparing place-settings and gathering everything needed for the picnic. 

The 4th of July should be an occasion when kids manage to keep themselves occupied pretty well. However, there's no reason you can't fill the days leading up to the holiday with activities to prepare and appreciate the holiday. With just two weeks until the big day, now is a good time to start!

© 2012, Distributed by NEWS CONSORTIUM.