28 Fun Virtual July 4th Ideas, Games & Activities for 2023

You found our list of patriotic virtual July 4th ideas.

July 4th is Independence Day in the United States. The holiday is typically celebrated with parades, barbecues, and fireworks. Virtual July 4th ideas are ways to observe the occasion with distant relatives, friends, or colleagues online via virtual meeting software like Zoom or Skype.

Parties on this day are examples of virtual team celebrations or remote social ideas. This holiday shares similarities with virtual Memorial Day events and virtual Canada day.

This article includes:

• online Independence Day party ideas
• virtual July 4th activities
• remote Fourth of July games
• virtual July 4th events

Let’s get to it!

List of virtual July 4th Ideas

From virtual Fourth of July fireworks displays to remote barbecues to state quiz games, here is a list of ways to celebrate Independence Day remotely with students, coworkers, or friends and family.

1. Virtual Fourth of July Backgrounds

One of the easiest ways to celebrate 4th of July on Zoom is to display holiday backgrounds. For example, stars and stripes, fireworks, the White House, or anything red, white, and blue. Almost every video conferencing platform has the option to change the background, and festive scenery is a subtle but fun way to acknowledge the holiday.

We made some 4th of July Zoom background you can use for work, class, or online social events:

You can find more backgrounds by searching online, or make your own in Canva.

2. Independence Day Bingo

Independence Day Bingo is a holiday video call game you can play during virtual parties or meetings. Simply send participants Bingo cards, then either split the group into breakout rooms or remain in the main room and chat.

Players mark down the names of other participants who fit the descriptions. The first player to mark five consecutive boxes and shout out Bingo wins the game. If playing in teams in breakout rooms, then the winner is the team who has the most lines when time runs out.

We made an asset to use for your game:

For more ideas, check out our guide to remote Bingo.

3. Word Search

Word searches are games that challenge players to find words in clusters of letters. To play the game during a video call, open the document and share your screen. Then, enable annotation options so that players can circle words as they play.

Here is a July 4th word search template you can use:

Here are more educational games to play in online classrooms.

4. Word Jumble

Word jumbles are puzzles that ask players to unscramble mixed-up letters to make words. To play the game virtually, either turn a worksheet into an editable PDF, or ask participants to type answers in the chat. You can turn the game into a race by challenging students or meeting participants to decode as many words as possible within two or three minutes.

Here is a Fourth of July-themed word jumble:

Check out more vocabulary word games.

5. Virtual Fourth of July Fireworks

Fireworks shows are staples of 4th of July parties. There are a few different ways you can incorporate fireworks into your online celebration.

If you are careful, then you can livestream shooting off fireworks outside. You could also buy special indoor sparklers to light a safe distance away from the computer and furniture.

Folks who prefer not to handle explosive can look for livestream firework displays, or can watch videos of past shows.

Or, here is a tutorial on how to add animated fireworks to photos or videos.

6. True American

True American is a drinking game created for the sitcom New Girl. One of the main characters describes the game as, “75% drinking, 20% Candy Land, and by the way the floor is molten lava.” Every game begins with the phrase 1,2,3,4…JFK…FDR! Mentions of American historical events prompt certain actions from players.

While the sitcom never shows or explains the full game, a fan blog compiled a loose set of rules so that viewers can play the game at home.

Check out more online drinking games to play with friends.

7. Fourth of July Trivia

Fourth of July Trivia is one of the most fun virtual July 4th activities. You could either run a trivia game full of facts about American geography, culture, and history, or book a fully facilitated custom virtual team building event. With the hosted event, for 60 minutes, teams compete in a series of collaborative trivia mini games revolving around US History. Groups work together in breakout rooms to complete challenging mini-quizzes and race to answer chat questions in the larger group. The game prompts players to make puns and bets, and encourages family or team bonding over Zoom.

Learn more about Virtual Team Trivia, and ways to run your own online trivia.

8. Online Beach Party

Fourth of July is a summer holiday, and luaus are the ultimate summertime celebrations. To host a Zoom beach party, first make a meeting link and send an invitation to guests. You can ask attendees to download a tropical background to display during the call. Plastic flower leis or paper drink umbrellas are inexpensive and fit into a standard mailing envelope, meaning you can cost effectively send these favors to guests before the party. We recommend a dress code of sunglasses, swimsuits, and pool floaties. During the call, play summery music like The Beach Boys, drink tropical cocktails or mocktails, and play online versions of games like volleyball or Battleship.

9. Remote Barbecue

Remote Barbecues are one of the best examples of virtual July 4th events. Since cookout food takes time to prepare, guests should start up the grill before the call. Then, participants meet up on video meeting software to finish and eat food together. Attendees can set up phones, tablets, or laptops outside and enjoy fresh air and sunshine during the call. For a special touch, you can send guests boxes of food like steaks or sauces, or reimburse the costs of grocery or takeout. You can also swap recipes, and hold a cooking competition by uploading pictures of finished dishes on a social media page and asking guests to vote for favorites.

10. State Capital Quiz

State capital quizzes are one of the best remote Fourth of July games. The quiz tests participants’ capital city knowledge. There are a couple different ways to play.

Way #1: Send teams to breakout rooms with a questionnaire to complete. After five to ten minutes, award points based on how many correct answers each team has.

Way #2: Call on participants randomly, naming a state and asking the player to give you the capital, or vice versa.

Way #3: Ask one player to list off all the states and capitals. For an extra challenge, require that contestants list states in alphabetical order.

This quiz format is compatible with other state trivia, such as state symbols, quarters, food, history, and tourist destinations.

11. Virtual Road Trip

The United States is a large, geographically and culturally diverse country. One of the best ways to celebrate America remotely is to take a virtual tour of famous landmarks, parks, and historical sights.

First, plan your stops for your virtual road trip. Here are a few destination recommendations:

• The Grand Canyon
• Las Vegas Strip
• Yosemite
• Death Valley
• Mount Rushmore
• The White House
• Golden Gate Bridge
• Statue of Liberty

Whether your group prefers to visit battlefields, Native American reservations, or unusual museums, you can craft an experience that sends you across the country without having to leave your screen.

You could also book a guided tour where an expert shares pictures and facts and answers questions during a Zoom meeting. Or, you can create a shared photo album and invite guests to upload pictures of memorable US travels.

For online travel inspiration, check out our lists of virtual tours of museums and parks.

12. Care Packages

Presents are a welcome addition to any party. Mailing care packages adds a physical element to all-online parties, and helps guests get into the spirit of the celebration. Not to mention, a box of goodies makes a fun surprise for remote employees.

Here are some ideas of items to include in your 4th of July care package:

• Red, white, and blue or summer-themed snacks
• Sunglasses
• Sunscreen
• Towels
• Baseball caps
• Glowsticks
• Bubbles
• Confetti
• Mini flags and flag pins
• Novelty headbands
• Patriotic stickers
• Baseballs or beach balls
• Tiny bottles of BBQ sauce or hot sauce
• Tote bags
• Flip flops

Many of these items can be branded with company logos, if you plan to send care packages to staff. Or, you can curate a package of American-made gifts to support US small businesses.

Note that you cannot ship fireworks in the regular mail. If you want to send sparklers or small fountains, then you will need to purchase these items directly from a vendor.

For more employee present ideas, check out our list of work from home gifts.

13. Digital July 4th Scavenger Hunt

Digital scavenger hunts are games that prompt players to put down devices and race around the house in search of objects. We recommend playing lightning style: name one object at a time, and award points to the first player who shows the item on screen.

We made a virtual Fourth of July Scavenger Hunt template you can use for your game:

Check out our guide to digital scavenger hunts and our list of online scavenger hunt apps.

14. Patriotic Playlist

Listening to a July 4th playlist is one of the quickest ways to get in the holiday spirit at your virtual party. You can curate a list of patriotic tunes like God Bless America or army marches, or put together pop culture hits like Katy Perry’s Firework, Born in the USA by Bruce Springsteen, and Jimi Hendrix playing the National Anthem.

Here is a patriotic YouTube playlist, and here is a Fourth of July party playlist on Spotify.

The ways to play audio vary depending on which virtual meeting software you use. For instance, to share sound on Zoom, select the screen share option, go to advanced settings, and click the share audio option.

15. Amerikaraoke

Folks have celebrated America through song for hundreds of years. There are dozens of tunes praising the nation, the majority of which most folks know by heart. One fun way to show national pride on Fourth of July is to hold a virtual Americkaraoke party.

Simply queue up patriotic lyric karaoke videos and then share your screen. Guests can either take turns belting tunes, or join together in one big sing-along. Costumes and props are encouraged. Any singer who uses a US president action figure as a microphone automatically gains superstar status.

15. Craft Red, White, and Blue Decorations

Fourth of July’s color scheme makes it one of the most craft-friendly holidays of the year. Any craft can be an Independence Day craft as long as the project uses red, white, and blue.

Holding a virtual craft class is a great way to entertain kids or encourage employee relaxation and team bonding.

Here is a list of 4th of July crafts from Good Housekeeping, and a roundup of patriotic projects from The Spruc

To hold your online craft class, simply pick a project, send a list of supplies to participants along with the meeting link, then gather on video call to make art together. You can either have a teacher guide the class, or watch a tutorial video online. Be sure to show off your project progress throughout the event, and snap screenshots of the finished products.

For more art projects, check out our list of online craft classes.

16. Online Movie Marathon

One of the more low-key ways to celebrate Fourth of July remotely is to host an online movie marathon. First, choose a flick or two to watch together.

Here are some suggestions:

• Independence Day
• The Sandlot
• 1776
• The Patriot
• Top Gun
• Hamilton
• A League of Their Own
• National Treasure
• An American Tale
• Wet Hot American Summer

Then, meet up on a Zoom call and use a program like Watch2Gether to sync your video. Note that every attendee will need a subscription to the appropriate streaming service, as many platforms have measures in place to prevent watching via screen share.

Pro tip: Stock up on popcorn and movie candy before the call, or send attendees snack packs that include red white and blue movie foods. For an outdoor movie or drive-in feel, bring your device to the backyard.

Here are more movies to watch with groups.

17. Online Hot Dog Eating Contest

Every 4th of July, Nathan’s Famous on Coney Island hosts a hot dog eating competition. You can recreate the event on Zoom. Before the call, have each contestant make half a pack of hot dogs and place each weiner inside a bun. Feel free to invite audience members to watch the fun. When competitors are ready, place sixty seconds on the clock and kick off the competition. After time is up, name the player who ate the most hot dogs the winner.

If your group enjoys competitive eating but cannot scarf down dogs, then you can livestream the official contest or watch clips from past years.

18. Virtual Ice Cream Social

Ice cream socials are one of the most fun online Independence Day party ideas. To host the event, simply send a meeting link to participants and invite your guests to bring ice cream to enjoy during the call. As a special touch, you can send invitees packages of toppings like sprinkles, nuts, syrups, chocolate shavings, gummy bears, and candy, and turn the call into a sundae-building party. For a more in-depth activity, you can make your own ice cream during the call or build gourmet ice cream sandwiches. Or, just keep it simple and encourage attendees to bring their favorite frozen treats to share among friends.

19. Remote Happy Hour

Remote happy hours are a great way to celebrate Independence Day with faraway coworkers, friends, or family members. Simply grab a cold beer, chilled glass of wine, or summery cocktail or mocktail of choice, and meet up on a video call to mingle. During the call, guests can chat in breakout rooms, play games, and mix up holiday cocktails. As the host, consider paying for the first round of drinks by reimbursing guests or sending gift cards.

Here is a collection of Fourth of July cocktails from Good Housekeeping, a list of summer cocktails from CountryLiving, and an array of boozy ice cream treats from Delish.

For more tips, check out our guide to remote happy hours.

20. Fourth of July This or That

This or That is a game that prompts players to choose between two similar options. We created a list of Independence Day This or That prompts to ask guests while waiting for the grill to heat up, or waiting for it to get dark enough to shoot off fireworks.

July 4th This or That:

• Stars or stripes?
• Red or blue?
• Hot dogs or hamburgers?
• Ketchup or mustard?
• Baseball or football?
• Ice cream or popsicles?
• Fireworks or parades?
• Sparklers or smoke bombs?
• Backyard or beach?
• Cookout our picnic?
• Travel or stay home?
• Flip flops or barefoot?
• Water guns or water balloons?
• Macaroni salad or potato salad?
• Fruit salad or watermelon?

Check out more This or That questions.

21. Freedom Files

The Freedom Files is a simple gratitude activity. Participants list reasons why they love America and freedoms they are thankful for. For example:

• Living in such a culturally diverse country; melting pot for the win!
• The ability to criticize our government and institutions without fearing for personal safety.
• Ambition. The American dream persists.
• So many types of snack foods!

To launch the activity, create a shared space where participants can share their sentiments, such as a digital whiteboard, a Google Doc, or Slack channel.

22. Independence Day Icebreakers

One of the easiest ways to celebrate Fourth of July at work is to use holiday icebreakers in meetings.

A sample list of Fourth of July icebreakers:

1. What is your favorite ice cream flavor?
2. What is your favorite cookout food?
3. What do you love most about America?
4. What freedom are you most thankful for?
5. Non-US natives, what is one thing about the US that most surprised you?
6. You get to choose the next US president directly. Who do you pick?
7. Pick a new national animal for the US.
8. Where is the coolest place you’ve visited in the US so far?
9. What is your favorite July 4th activity?
10. Do you have any July 4th traditions?
11. If you weren’t born in the US, where would you want to be born?
12. Which US president would win in a battle royale?
13. Make a new law that everyone in the US has to follow.

You can also use these prompts at virtual community or school events, or friendly online gatherings.

For more conversation starters, check out our ultimate list of icebreaker questions.

23. US or BS?

US or BS? is a game that tasks players with deciding whether a town name is a real place or a fake. To play virtually, list off locations one by one, and ask participants to vote on whether the city exists within the US or not.

Here is a template you can use for your game:

You can facilitate the game by using the polling feature or asking players to react with a thumbs up or thumbs down.

Check out more free online games for remote teams.

24. Only in America

Only in America is a twist on true or false that challenges players to guess whether the statement applies only to America or also describes a phenomenon abroad.

Here are some sample prompts:

1. Only in America….do people love spam (False!- the processed meat is popular in Korea too.)
2. Only in America.….can you visit an In-And-Out restaurant (True! While In-And-Out does occasional foreign popups, the chain has no permanent locations abroad)
3. Only in America.….can you visit the Wild, Wild West (False! Germany has a Karl May Festival that pays homage to cowboy mythology.)
4. Only in America.….can you order a KFC Double Down sandwich. (False! The sandwich is also available in Europe.)
5. Only in America….can you visit Santa Claus 365 days a year. (True! There are towns called Santa Claus in both Indiana and Georgia.)

Players can also make up their own examples and debate the claims.

25. Flag Guessing Game

The American flag is instantly recognizable, but fewer people can identify state flags. This fourth of July, play a state flag guessing game with your virtual party guests. First, create a slideshow presentation with images of random state flags. During the call, share your screen, and show the flags one by one. The first player to call out the state or type the answer into the chat wins points for themselves or their teams.

In case you do not have time to make your own slideshow, here is a link to an interactive online state flag guessing game.

26. Red, White, and Blue Recipe Swap

Food is a huge part of Fourth of July celebrations. For many, Independence Day means hamburgers, hot dogs, and red, white, and blue desserts galore.

One way to incorporate eating into your online Independence Day parties is to do a recipe swap. A week or so before the holiday, invite participants to a group chat, email thread, or social media group. You can also give guests access to a Google Doc or Google Drive folder, so that collaborators can instantly upload recipe files.

Then, encourage group members to share their best Fourth of July recipes. Participants can share links, Pinterest boards, step by step instructions, videos, and pictures.

On the Fourth, meet up together to show off the finished dishes. You could even hold a cookoff where virtual participants race to bake a chosen recipe during the call. Or, you can create a shared album and encourage group members to share photos and tips post-holiday.

For more culinary inspiration, check out our list of online cooking classes.

27. Holiday Costume Contest

Halloween is not the only holiday suitable for costume contests. Consider throwing a 4th of July costume competition by asking guests to dress up as patriotic symbols or figures from American History. Entrants can either show off their outfits live during a Zoom call, or upload submissions to an online photo gallery or social media page.

Here are some July 4th costume ideas:

• Uncle Sam
• Rosie the Riveter
• Statue of Liberty
• Captain America
• George Washington
• Mount Rushmore
• Betsy Ross
• A bald eagle

You can give categories such as “famous symbols,” “ripped from the History books,” or “quintessential cities,” or leave the activity up to interpretation.

For video call contests, participants can vote via the polling feature. Otherwise, group members can vote by liking photos or submitting a survey form.

For more inspiration, check out our virtual costume contest guide.

Conclusion

Contrary to its name, Independence Day is a time of togetherness. The holiday not only commemorates the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the birth of America, it also unites citizens in a celebration of the nation.

Events like picnics, fireworks shows, and cookouts foster a sense of community and camaraderie. These gatherings boost national pride, honor US history, and connect countrymen. Virtual Fourth of July celebrations unite faraway teammates or loved ones for an afternoon or evening of relaxation and unity. Best of all, no one will have to face summer traffic.

Next, check out this list of virtual Olympics ideas and this list with ideas for virtual Labor Day activities.

We also have a list of the best holiday team building activities.