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Dear Friend,
Greetings from your friends at WTTW!
We hope you're enjoying everything summer has to offer in Chicago! To help you make the most of July and create indelible family memories, here is our guide to a wide variety of summer festivals and events throughout the area. Whether you like music, art, film, dance, farmers' markets, or block parties, there's something for everyone.
Summer is also a time for the beach and playing in the water. Check out these tips from our friends at Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood for keeping young swimmers safe. And for your summer vacation road trips, here's a handy printable PBS Kids Summer of Adventure activity book that might be useful. There are some great ideas in it for rainy days too!
In this issue of the WTTW Family Newsletter, we bring you more kid-friendly recipes and fun crafts that are perfect for celebrating the Fourth, including a festive dessert pizza that incorporates the American flag and a refreshing milkshake; plus instructions for making July 4 rocket toys and something all kids love: slime. There's also a beautiful picture book suggestion for younger children, some viewing recommendations, and our Question of the Month.
We hope you have the best July ever!
Anne Gleason
Executive Vice President and fellow WTTW member |
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JULY EVENTS FOR FAMILIES |
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Join WTTW in the community at events throughout July! Preschoolers are sure to enjoy one of our WTTW Kids Learn & Play events at public libraries around the Chicago area! These free and fun activities guide preschool students as they develop social-emotional, math, and language and literacy skills. Visit WTTW's Event Calendar to find one near you, and check for updates as more events are added to the schedule! |
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JULY CRAFTS FOR KIDS |
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What’s more fun than watching the Fourth of July fireworks with family and friends? Take inspiration from beautiful shapes and colors to craft your own rockets using materials from around the house! Let creativity shine when decorating old toilet paper or paper towel tubes with glitter, sequins, and ribbons, or any other bits and bobs you have on hand. |
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Keep those little hands busy during the 4th of July holiday and throughout the summer with this patriotic slime recipe. Encourage exploration of different colors and add-in combinations such as clear glue with red or blue food coloring, glitter, confetti, or glitter glue! Store your homemade slime in air-tight jars or containers to hand out as gifts, or to keep for the slime fan in your home. |
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JULY BOOK OF THE MONTH |
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by Maggie C. Rudd with illustrations by Elisa Chavarri |
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This colorful picture book for kids ages 3-6 celebrates community, summertime, and the Fourth of July, when the cookouts are over and the pool gates are closed, and families go outside to look to the stars. Surrounded by neighbors and friends, they watch the fireworks show as it glitters and sparkles and paints the sky in celebration! This energetic, evocative book is a joyous ode to summertime and tradition. Here are more children's books related to Independence Day. |
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Learn about sponsorship opportunities. |
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JULY RECIPES TO MAKE WITH KIDS |
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Summer recipes are extra special because of all of the fresh seasonal fruits available! Try these two easy recipes perfect for the season that kids can help you prepare. And if you're looking for more ideas for all occasions, check out some kid-friendly cookbooks! |
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Mix crafts with cooking with this patriotic Fourth of July treat that you can make with children. Start off by flattening your favorite cookie dough to make a crust, and have the kids gather the strawberries and blueberries, or raspberries and blackberries. Once your cookie dough is baked, kids can help to cover the surface with piped icing or cream cheese frosting, and to decorate this festive food flag! The perfect dessert for your holiday picnic! |
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This is a refreshing and yummy dessert beverage that you can make as a treat for the whole family as you celebrate summer! This recipe features strawberries, sugar, vanilla ice cream, whole milk, fresh sprigs of mint for a garnish if you like, and an optional whipped cream topping. Add a red, white, and blue mini-flag and colorful straws and you're ready for the holiday! |
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JULY FAMLY VIEWING |
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Settle in with the entire family for A Capitol Fourth, the annual Independence Day concert live from the grounds of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC. Everyone will love the rousing patriotic music played by the bands from all branches of our armed forces, and be thrilled by the spectacular fireworks display over the Jefferson Memorial and the Washington Monument. The program is once again hosted by Alfonso Ribeiro and features performances by The Beach Boys, Yolanda Adams, and The Temptations, among many others. The website includes a history quiz, recipes, games, and other ideas for making your family watch party a special one.
For kids this month, there will be two new movies to stream: on July 10 from Molly of Denali, Wise Raven & Old Crow follows Molly’s family on an epic river trip to a traditional Gwich’in village to celebrate their late Grandma Catherine. Getting there won’t be easy. Molly will need to listen to the land and connect with her culture to get them there safely. And on July 20, kids can stream a new film from Ready Jet Go!. When Sunspot develops an allergic reaction, Jet must leave Space Camp in order to find a cure. Will Jet succeed in getting his discovering what’s going on? Finally, starting July 24, the family can enjoy eight new episodes of Work it out Wombats!
Stream PBS Kids 24/7 on our website at wttw.com/kids or download the PBS Kids app for more. |
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Why are fireworks loud and colorful? |
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According to the American Pyrotechnics Association, fireworks have been around as long as the second century B.C. and were invented (as so many things are) by accident when someone tossed bamboo stalks onto a roaring fire, which exploded “because of the overheating of the hollow air pockets in the bamboo.” Fireworks were brought to our shores by European immigrants, and have been integral to July 4 and other celebrations year-round since the very first U.S. Independence Day.
What goes into a typical July 4 fireworks display in Washington, DC? Here’s a video that takes you behind the scenes, and another in which a chemistry and pyrotechnics expert explains how fireworks are made, including what goes into creating their brilliant colors. Also, since loud noises can be stressful for pets, here are some tips for helping to keep them calm.
Have a glorious Fourth! |
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