The Fourth of July is a very important holiday. This weekend, we celebrate America and what makes it so special.



And what does make it so special, anyway?



Well, for starters, the United States was founded to be a free society.  So with your kids this weekend, get some freedom going!



At first blush, this might seem a terrible idea, with kids running rampant and roughshod through your house. 



But tell your kids that freedom doesn't mean doing whatever you want -- it means that you get to work with others to make choices for yourself and the group.  It is the opposite of being constantly bossed around.  (An aversion to being bossed around motivated our Founders to start the United States!)



So this weekend, we're encouraging you to do some voting.  You guys could vote on dessert choices.  You could vote to play board games or do an art activity.  You could vote for a two-minute family hug or not. 



My own kids really like voting.  They puff up with pride a little bit at being able to contribute to the decision-making in a democratic fashion. 



When a tie occurs, do what our Congress people do:  they wheel and they deal.  They negotiate.  And then they re-vote.



Of course, you don't want to vote on everything!  Bedtime, for instance, is not negotiable!  There is still a role for the benevolent dictator (Mom).  And give the kids choices on which to vote.  Write-in ballots don't work so well.

Happy Fourth of July!

For more fun, free, and occasionally offbeat family activities, click on over to TodayIsFun.com.

See Also:

-Fun Summer Activities for Kids: Play with Chalk!

-Family Fun and Leisure: Play This Great Game

-Not-So-Lazy Summer Days