4th of July Party & Portable S'mores Bar

Every year on July 4th, we meet up with my mom, my sister's family and my brother's family to watch the fireworks in a park. We bring lots of food and set up a picnic dinner; the kids eat and run around on the playground. We bring balls and gloves and frisbees to play catch, pop-its and sparklers for the kids, and everything we need to make s'mores on the go. It's one of my favorite summer time traditions!

Stacked pallets make for a quick table where we can set everything up and keep creepy-crawlies out. Every year I pick up a couple of toasting forks from the dollar spot at Target. That way I can replace any that get broken and there are always enough for the kids to have their own.

I line tera cotta pots with foil, fill them 1/2 to 2/3 of the way full of sand, and then top them with charcoal or wood chips (I prefer the wood chips, because they actually burn whereas the charcoal tends to flare up and then smoulder giving the marshmallows a smokier flavor). When we're ready to make s'mores, we light them nd let the kis toast their marshmallows over the mini-campfires.

Pre-portioning the s'mores makes them easier for the kids to handle (and ensures that everyone gets some). These paper treat sacks are the perfect size to hold the chocolate and graham crackers for two s'mores. Bonus: if you get the square marshmallows, they fit perfectly as well!

Every year, I add to our collection of toasting forks from Target's dollar spot. That way we have enough for everyone to use. Glow bracelets, sparklers, and confetti poppers, also from Target, are fun for the kids.

I picked up some burlap sacks from Tractor Supply Co. so the kids can have old-fashioned sack races!