The Fourth of July is one of the best holidays. We can celebrate our wonderful county, enjoy the summer time and spend time with our families!
I’m a big fan of cook outs and fireworks- they are so fun! Some of my fondest memories are spending time together around the fourth watching the fireworks and eating too much food!
So when it comes time to traditions to do with my own kids, there are so many options available!
For starters, you can grab this free fourth of July printable! Simply click the image, save it and print it out!
Next you can check out these other fun fourth of july activites !
Fun Patriotic Activities to do with your family
Photo Credit:
www.icanteachmychild.com
Shaving Cream Fireworks
Messy fun with only a few household activities, this is a great way to create patriotic art with basic supplies.
These adorable pinwheels take less than 15 minutes, and (BONUS) teach you the directions so you can make different types of pinwheels. Start with the fourth of july, and then make them for other spring and summer holidays.
Orlando is the number one tourist destination in the USA, and rightfully so, it has some pretty fun things to do (cough cough *disney* *universal* *seaworld*)
We all know that first responders don’t make nearly enough for what they do… I mean, who becomes a firefighter for the pay? But if your like my husband, then you don’t like asking for a discount.
I totally understand that too! Taking the kids to Disney World is no walk in the park when it comes to your checking account though, so hopefully you find something to ease the financial burden.
Here’s a compilation of some first responder discounts for Orlando and the neighboring areas. I will update as I find more (and I live in Orlando so I will keep my eyes pealed). Please note: Discounts and benefits are subject to change without notice. I am not affiliated with any of these discount programs.
Being a firefighter can be hard at times. Just like it’s hard to be a Dad at times.
You’ve got all these thoughts running through your head and sometimes it’s really hard to turn it off.
A lot of times you’re at work worried about the kids and sometimes you’re with the kids and can’t help but to think about work.
Let’s face it the job takes it’s mental toll.
I know for me, especially after I’ve had a hard shift, I just come home and I hold my kids and wonder am I doing everything I can to make sure I don’t f*ck them up? Are they bothered by me leaving for 24 hours every 3rd day?
It’s hard because we see the worst as firefighters.
We see the chronically ill kids, we see the bad accidents, we see the kids that are abused.
It really does have a lasting effect on us, wether we believe it or not.
It has us questioning our role as fathers and if we are doing a good job.
So how can we be better fathers and firefighters?
Step one- Be Fully Present
This can mean a lot of things, from putting down your phone to getting those thoughts out of your head.
You can’t enjoy your kids if you’re constantly thinking about something else, or trying to escape reality through social media.
Give yourself a few minutes before you walk inside and just breath and calm your mind. Or sneak away to the bathroom for a breather. It really helps to have a place to get your mind right when it starts to slip
Remember you need to change gears from firefighter to dad. (and then back again!)
If you are fully present, it will help with both sides of the coin. It will allow you to sleep better at night knowing that you involved your kids, and it will help you when you are at the station, wondering if they are better off without you (they aren’t, they need you so much more than you realize).
Step two-set up some legacy things
At best these will be items that you can share with your kids when they are older, at worst they are items that will be shared with your kids when you’re gone.
Make them happy you’re a fighter, but proud that you’re their dad.
This also means making sure that you have life insurance (and a good amount!) in place. It’s hell on your family if you pass away and leave them with only enough for a year or two.
Get some large 15 year term policies while the kids are still at home to make things easier if the unthinkable happens.
I took the kids the other day to get a firefighter bear at build a bear that has my voice recording. Yes, it helps for the days that I’m away, but I know it will mean more if I’m gone.
We simply can’t think we are invincible. That’s how we hurt our families the most.
BE A MAN AND MAKE A PLAN!
It’s ok firefighter bear, I totally feel like that with my helmet on too.
Step three- set up special daddy and me time
Well this may seem like a no brainer, between working and volunteering and life, the kids aren’t always put first.
It’s simply not possible.
After all we have to work so that we can take care of them.
And what do we even do with them? I asked my wife enough times she finally gave me a list of things to do.
But something that we can do and we need to do more of is setting up special times and events just for daddy just for you and the kids. Sometimes simply letting them help you with a project around the house is all they want and need.
(Here’s my secret list- get food, go play! It’s simple. Normally we do chickfila and the park, or the bounce house, or the water park. When they are older we are going to hit the trails)
Step four-prioritize your self care
Why should you prioritize self-care when you should be spending what precious little time you have free with your kids?
Here’s the secret, if you don’t take care of yourself, you can’t take care of your kids.
If you’re stressed out and yelling at the kids ( because we’ve all been there and done that.) You simply won’t be the best that you can be.
I assure you that you cannot fill from an empty cup and if you are not taking care of yourself… your cup is empty.
I had to learn this the hard way (and maybe you did too) but lets not be knuckle heads. Firefighters are dealing with rates of burnout and suicide (and grumpy ole men who won’t retire) at rate that are WAY too high.
If you’re an ass at the station, you’re probably a grump at home. Take care of yourself.
Step five-keep all things in perspective
It may seem like a really big deal to you now, but it probably isn’t.
What I mean by that is, your kids being with you is a relatively short period of your life.
If you live to be 70, 18 years doesn’t seem that long.
And if you really think about it kids are only really interested in you for the first 10 years or so. Then they go through that rough adolescent stage, then they become adults and your friend.
So when you’re in the trenches of parenthood wondering if you’re screwing everything up just remember that this is a very short period of time. And somethings that you want to do without your kids could possibly wait until they are older.
This doesn’t contradict self-care as you still need that to be fully functioning, this just means that you shouldn’t work six days out of the week while your kids are itty- bitty and then wonder where the time has gone.
I hope this helps you become the firefighter and father you are meant to be
Life has a funny way of working out. I never thought I would love being a father as much as I do, nor did I know that Firefighting was my calling. But that’s the way it works.
Trust the process. And don’t take your kids, your wife, your life, or your crewmates for granted.
Let me know some of the ways you make the fire life work with your dad responsibilities.
My oldest has become a preschooler, and he is still insanely obsessed with Fire trucks and Firefighters. Naturally, Firefighters are a common topic in our house and invite lots of learning time.
Most of our learning time comes in the forms of words. We’ve moved past the standard talk of firetrucks to a much larger vocabulary. My son can now tell the difference between ambulances, tower trucks and fire rescue trucks. He wants to role-play with fire hose, face masks and his turnout gear.
Obviously, when it came time to learn and practice writing, I wanted to have several firefighter options for him!
Free Firefighter Printables
Word Tracer
Preparing my preschool for kindergarten is a big task. We’ve been working on fine motor skills with lots of different activities. This word tracer is PERFECT for him.
We have lots of firefighter based words to fill in and he was more than happy to work on tracing his letters (till he got distracted and wanted to make a star- but then we got back on task with the promise of a fire truck coloring sheet- see below!)
Coloring Pages
It can’t be all work and no play! These are perfect for practice to color in between the lines. I like to sandwich these between the “work” pages.
So I tend to print of 2-3 pages and let him pick one, color it, do a worksheet, then color again. It really helps with holding the writing utensil and mastering those fine motor skills (with firetrucks, of course!)
Matching words with pictures
I did have to help with this section of the learning activity. Although he did know the word “boot” so that’s a parenting win! I created this word matching sheet with firefighter related items to finish off our day of firefighter worksheets.
You can find all of these firefighter printable and more on Education.com. Check out the free printables here!
Do you have a toddler obsessed with all things firefighter? I do! Fire trucks, helmets and sirens are regular topics at our house. In fact, our toddler is so interested in what his dad does, that my husband has to censor his work day. It’s amazing what toddlers will pick up when you think they aren’t listening!
While they’re aren’t many movies and shows for toddlers, there are many many wonderful books to choose from! Since my husband is a firefighter, we have found and received lots of great firefighter themed books for the kids. (and an insane amount of firetrucks- but that’s a different story for a different post!)
I’ve compiled our top 10 firefighter books, and I hope you find a few for your home library that your little firefighter will enjoy.
This article may contain affiliate links at no additional cost to you, read the disclosure here.
We are slightly obsessed with the Priddy brand of books, we love having some interactive play! This book is an excellent introduction to community helpers for toddlers.
They can learn about Firefighters, as well as other emergency workers in a fun lift-the-flap style book.
The Good night books are a big hit here with my toddler, and nothing could be more exciting than a nighttime book featuring all things Fire trucks! Good Night Fire Engines features firefighters, fire hats and gear, fire hoses, hydrants, firehouses, dispatch rooms, heavy rescue vehicles, antique fire engines, toy fire engines, fire poles, and so much more. This book is available on Amazon Kindle!
This hilarious book for toddlers and toilet training is a must have! It combines firefighters using the potty to help your toddler with the transition to potty learning. We had some great success with this book! Hopefully it works just as well for kiddo number 2.
Touch and feel books are a parent’s favorite. These books are perfect for babies and grow with them into toddlers as they learn textures and words. My toddler is STILL obsessed with this book despite being able to touch a real fire truck at daddy’s job!
This is a super cute and easy board book for toddlers as they follow along on Firefighter Franks day. The illustrations really make this book a favorite, my son loves to “read” it when he’s doing independent play.
I loved the little golden books as a kid, so getting to read them to my son has been a huge bonus! Of course, he prefers this one because it’s all about Fire Engines.
A classic book with a really fun story– you definitely want to add this to your collection !
This is a cute book that introduces a lot of good behaviors as you work through the book. This is part of a series of books that we also enjoy, but specifically this book as we follow our Firefighter throughout his duties!
Curious George is a popular one at our house, though I didn’t think he would like it (thanks PBS!). We have both of these books, the board book for independent play/reading and the regular book for story time.
I didn’t know they had a stuffed animal (stuffy if you ask my son) of curious George as a firefighter- so I plan to get that for my son!
Pete the Cat is another favorite at our house, especially because its full of behavior to role model and fun adventures. This book is no exception as Pete the cat gets to save the day as a Firefighter. Every toddlers dream right?
We love our board books but Pete is one of the ones my toddler asks me to read over and over.
Plus this book comes with stickers if you order it from Amazon.
There you have the list of the top Firefighter books personally vetted by a firefighter family with way too much fire related stuff (sometimes I say junk- I’m swimming in red and firetrucks!) Did I inspire any new book buys? Or gift ideas? Let me know!
And if I missed a favorite firefighter book for younger kids- drop a comment below- I *might* add to our collection one of these days. Oh ok, I will probably add it to our collection. I can’t help but foster the love of reading and if my toddler wants firefighters- well that’s an easy request!
Babies are an incredible bundle of joy, but not all parents get the luxury (yes, I say luxury since the US is so behind on maternity and paternity leave!) of having one or both parents off for any period of time.
So how do you adjust when you are home as a new mom and your Firefighter has gone back to work? It’s not like it’s a 9-5. Many Firefighters work 24, 48, and 96 hour shifts, military firefighters have some crazy schedules and wildland- well they are gone most of the season!
Then throw in some training, some overtime, a fire that happened at the very end of shift that has your Firefighter staying late or coming in early- it can mean that the new mom is home alone a lot!
And I can resonate. My husband only had 5 days off with our first baby- and I was recovering and our son was sick. It was crazy. but we survived.
Let’s look at some of the best tips from seasoned fire wives about how to handle the Firefighter shifts when you are a new mom!
Shower while baby is sleeping
Showering is seriously, one of the MOST important things a new mom can do. She needs to FEEL HUMAN. and taking a shower with some fresh clothes will do wonders for that.
After 3 kids I make it a priority to shower everyday- because otherwise you just start to feel bad!
Know that it’s ok to cry
So many women are concerned about PPD/PPA and that is valid- but don’t NOT cry because you think you are weak.
Crying is pretty normal for several months after birth, you’ve got a new baby that requires a lot of responsibility and things are not as picture perfect as you imagined.
If you can, find a good shoulder to lean on who can reassure you that things are going to work out.
Lower your expectations
We tend to have this idea that everything will be blissful after a new baby- especially first time moms that are so focused on the delivery that they ‘forget’ about afterwards.
simply take the time to lower your expectations, use paper plates even if your crunchy AF. Wear those comfy sweats from 10 years ago because they are the only things that fit.
And shamelessly ask your visitors to help you clean the house while you rest.
Don’t put all this unnecessary pressure on you OR your Firefighter. This is a VERY short period of your life, you can make it through, I promise. Survival Mode!
Use a baby carrier, baby swing or whatever other “crutch” you need
Personally, the baby carrier is my life saver. It puts babies to sleep, keeps them entertained if you want to get in the kitchen, and helps with colic. Babies just want to be close to the caregiver!
Use whatever crutch you need (safely, never leave baby unattended, unbuckled or propped up with a bottle EVER) so you can get through the shift!
Have your groceries delivered and meal prep ahead of time
Grocery delivery did not exist with my first, but I took full advantage with my second!
Not in the budget? Ask your friends or family if they would pay for it, or make the trip themselves. Those first few months (really the first year!) are so weird and cumbersome when you need to get to the grocery store.
I’ve even had to leave my cart and go to the car before- it happens! Just do your best.
Make stacks of sandwiches, have a basket of snacks, use the instapot or crockpot for quick meals. just remember TO EAT!
Get away when he is home
I know this doesnt help when your firefighter is gone on shift- but planning time away when he is home will help you maintain your sanity. Even if you just go and sit in the car for an hour and listen to a podcast.
You are mom, but you are also yourself- don’t loose her in the sadness and frustration of being alone while your Firefighter is gone on shift.
Facetime, Skype and Visit
Please, get some adult conversation in, especially if it’s a long shift for your spouse.
Facetiming is great, just pull your hair back and have a solid background and no one can see the mess!
Or talk to your neighbor, or call a friend or family member. Just don’t go the whole time without talking to people, that gets very old (no text messages dont count!)
Above all, remember that it’s going to be ok!
Lastly, just breathe. Things will get better. You will find a new groove and life will work itself out.
Most importantly, just snuggle that baby!
Conclusion
Are you a new mom with questions about how to survive those early Firefighter shifts? Drop me a comment if you need some more suggestions!
We all love pictures, especially today with our sophisticated smart phones and especially with firefighters (seen instagram lately?)
From single shoots, to couple engagements and then family photos- there’s so many great ideas and cool options for pictures! Then add in maternity pictures, wedding pictures and special events- there’s no limit to the amount of photo ideas.
So let’s look at some of the favorite ideas all in one place with some helpful suggestions.
This article may contain affiliate links at no additional cost to you, read the disclosure here.
Before we begin
Obviously a Firefighter photoshoot of some sort isn’t complete without bunker gear or some other fire related uniform.
Let’s just keep in mind that gear is covered in carcinogens that have been linked to high levels of occupational cancer.
Think twice before you use gear that might not have been properly cleaned! Ask your firefighter to do a thorough decon of all gear that will be in contact with children or newborns.
When the station got brand new gear, we took advantage of it for some fun kid friendly photos!
Quick Items and Ideas for a Firefighter or Thin Red Line Themed Photoshoot!
Thin Red Line Flag– Flags are such a classic way to spice up a shoot! Use them for backdrops or for a newborn shoot.
American Flag– Obviously, this can’t be placed on the ground, but it can be used as a backdrop or drape. Most Departments have a really big flag too- ask to see if you can borrow it for a photo session at the station!
Firetruck- this one is a no brainer, but some departments do have some strict rules about pictures. You can always talk to the county or see if their are some “junk” trucks that have been bought by a local company to use!
Animals– what’s cuter than a doggo and a firetruck? throw in a cute kid and it’s a great photo!
Ax, Halligan, Fire Hose, helmets- These Classic tools of the trade are great (albeit a little dangerous for kids) photo props since your firefighter uses them all the time.
Smoke Props and Smoke Bombs– Looking for a really cool and dramatic effect for your pictures? Pick up some fake smoke for a cool fire themed backdrop. These are especially fun for couples and kids to play with!
Cute kids props– Of course, you can use what you have on hand! I know most of the Fire Families have more than their share of firetrucks and outfits laying around. If you dont, there are plenty on amazon!
Firefighter themed clothing and t-shirts– We know that you have a ton of tshirts as a firefighter family, it comes with the territory! Put those shirts and clothing to good use with a few outfit changes during your photoshoot. Or better yet, turn some of them into a quilt!
Props for Special Occasions (graduation, retirement, newborns)
Special occasions call for special pictures! Are you celebrating a life event? There are some really cool props for those that are!
For newborns, I absolutely love having a cloth diaper cover– these are different from bloomers made many years ago.
TimelessCrochetCraft
Also consider getting a custom plaque or shadow box made for the occasion. You could even give it as a gift during the photoshoot and get some reaction shots!
Did you see anything that you are going to use for your next photoshoot? Have some pictures you would like to see featured? Let me know in the comments below or send me an email!
Do you have a Firefighter obsessed kiddo? Or just looking for activities for Fire Safety Week? This Firefighter sensory activity is a fun twist on an old classic! Perfect for a Firefighter themed day.
Firefighters and Sensory Fun!
This sensory activity is comprised of several different “bags of fire” that kids can mush up and play with. Perfect for when you need 20 minutes to get something done!
I actually got 30 minutes out of this activity because the kids switched back and forth between the three bags. That’s a bonus in my book!
Supplies
We used a few different things for our sensory bags!
Gallon sized plastic bags
painters/packing tape (NON NEGOTIABLE- you need tape!)
Shaving cream
Food coloring
Paint in orange, yellow and red
Flour
Glitter
Sensory Bags
For the three bags I choose to do:
Shaving cream and food coloring
Flour and Paint
Shaving Cream and Glitter
Next you seal the bags and TAPE them. I choose to tape some of them to the table, and the others to our dinner mats. The most important part is that the kids can’t accidentally (or purposefully) open the bags.
PRO TIP: Leave enough room in the bags for when the kids want to press on them, so they don’t accidentally pop!
Paint and Flour Shaving Cream and Food Coloring Shaving Cream and Glitter
Enrichment Activity
Looking to take your activity up a notch? I know I’m always looking for ways to increase the usefulness of a project (especially when you have different age groups!)
While my oldest wasn’t ready for letters- adding letter or shape cards is a great way to spice up this sensory activity! Learning can be fun.
Do you have your own future firefighter who is obsessed with all things red and like to shout out “Emergency!” when they see a firetruck? Yeah, that’s my kid. So we have a few fun firefighter activities we love to role-play!
Let’s Play Firefighter!
My kids want to do all. the. firefighter. things. Obsession doesn’t even begin to cover it! So when we find a winner, we stick with it!
This fun outdoor firefighter activity gives me at least 20 minutes of “quiet time”. You know, that time you need to mentally relax without worrying about what your kids are doing!
This is also a great activity for groups or birthday parties. It’s easy to set up and easy to clean up!
Firefighter Play Set up
Ok, so let’s look at the set up for this outdoor Firefighter play activity.
Supplies:
Chalk
Water bucket
Water cannon (or other water squirter)
Firefighter Helmet (we’ve got to play the part!)
Set Up:
Here’s the thing. It’s crazy easy to set up, clean up and it gives you lots of play time! Win/win!
Simply draw your building, and pick some windows to make some fire. I normally draw a few buildings so that way the kids are preoccupied for longer.
Then let the kids use the water cannon to “put out the fire!”.
Next time I do this activity I think I’ll try some colored shaving cream for the “fire”. Could be a next step up activity!
Since my husband is a Firefighter, my son (and really, my 18 month old daughter) are obsessed with all things Firefighter. This Firefighter Slime is the perfect inside boredom buster, sensory activity and role-play all in one! That’s a win in my book.
I made two types of slime for the activities as one tends to work better than the other for one of the activities. I’ve included the instructions below for BOTH types of slime, so you can make them both or pick which one you like!
My kids had so much fun making, playing and using the slime that we spent well over an hour doing all 3 activities. Their current ages are 18 months and 3.5 years- so for an activity to take over an hour of playtime is a very good thing!
Slime Disclaimer: This should be made with the supervision of a Responsible Adult. Slime is not for eating!
This article may contain affiliate links at no additional cost to you, read the disclosure here.
Fluffy Slime
Pro Tip: I used to be a science teacher and I once did a training where we made 15 types of slime. The one where we added a splash of dish soap was always the easiest to clean up, and didn’t change the consistency of the slime at all!
Ingredients
You can “cheat” now with several different types of premade slime kits. Either you can make the slime with the ingredients, or just buy the slime itself. Check those out here!
What you will need:
1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1/4 cup water
Splash of Dish Soap
2-3 Cups of Shaving Cream (not the gel)
1.5 Teaspoons of Contact Solution (must have boric acid/sodium borate in the solution)
Food coloring (or you can color it after the fact)
Instructions
Measure out the following ingredients and mix them in a large bowl with a metal spoon:
1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1/4 cup water
Splash of Dish Soap
2-3 Cups of Shaving Cream (not the gel)
1.5 Teaspoons of Contact Solution (must have boric acid/sodium borate in the solution)
Food coloring (or you can color it after the fact)
Once you’ve mix all those ingredients together, now it’s time to add the most important part! The GLUE!
Measure out 2/3 cup of Elmer’s White Glue and add it to the current mixture.
Things will get a little sticky at first, but just keep mixing!
Regular Slime
Pro Tip: I used to be a science teacher and I once did a training where we made 15 types of slime. The one where we added a splash of dish soap was always the easiest to clean up, and didn’t change the consistency of the slime at all!
Ingredients
1⁄2 tsp of Baking Soda 1 TBSP of Contact Lens Solution 5 fl oz Elmer’s Glue
Food Coloring or Paint
Instructions
Similar to the Fluffy slime above, mix the baking soda, contact lens solution and food coloring first. (add a small squirt of dish soap here too!)
then:
slowly add the glue while mixing.
Mix and mix and then once its a ball, take it out and stretch it with your hands.
PRO TIP: cover your hands in contact solution to prevent and sticky slime from staying on you!
Enrichment Activity 1: Add Glitter
After your slime is made, the very first enrichment activity I like to do (especially because it helps to make the slime even more malleable) is to add some glitter! I didn’t do this with all the slime- just the regular slime.
Simply stretch out the slime, and add a small sprinkle of glitter. I do this over a mat so the glitter stays “contained”. I generally add small amounts and encourage the kids to mold and mix the glitter in.
Remember:
a little glitter goes a long way!
Enrichment Activity 2: Add Paint
I did this activity last since my kids are younger, but if you have older kids it can be done in order.
I took the regular slime, and over the mat, I stretched it out to add small drops of paint. Then you carefully roll or fold the slime on top of itself.
Give it a good mix and you will have some vibrant colors!
Enrichment Activity 3: Fire in the House!
This was, by far, my kid’s favorite slime activity of the day!
First, I gave them some legos to build a house. This can be as simple or elaborate as you want- just make sure you have at least 10 pieces so you can have enough surface area.
Then I took the FLUFFY slime, since it tends to have more reach than regular slime, and wrapped the lego house with it.
The Slime was the Fire and my son was the Firefighter who had to come over and remove it from the house. He did this over and over again, even without my help, he was learning to wrap the slime around the house for his sister (seriously, so cute!)
If you have bigger kids, you can take this a step further and give them “tools”. I think next time I do this with my son I’ll add:
Tweezers, safety scissors and a plastic play doh knife.
Wrap Up
We had SO. MUCH. FUN. making all of the slime and using it for Firefighter Role Play. Check out my other posts for Firefighter Kids Activities!
