Don’t get so caught up with your special barbecuing techniques that you forget how much kids love to play with fire. Give them a role in starting the charcoals, responsibility for some of the cooking (though not what everyone is going to eat since they will worry it into little pieces) or, better yet, make a fire pit somewhere in the yard (after checking on local ordinances) for your kids to poke at to their heart’s delight. And remember, no 4th of July gathering is complete without a long rambling lecture to your children, right before they get to eat, on their lack of appreciation for all the benefits we enjoy as citizens of this great nation!
