Here are some great family time projects

Fire Cracker Crowns
These fringed caps make for a fun way to sport your patriotic colors on the 4th of July.

CRAFT MATERIALS: - Craft foam, red and white - Blue tape (1 1/2" wide) - Star stickers - Scissors - Gold pipe cleaners - Tape - Yellow foam stars

1. Arrange 5 red and 5 white 2 1/2" by 12" craft foam strips side by side, alternating colors. Apply a 26" strip of blue tape across the panels about 1 inch from the bottom, wrapping the ends around to the back. Decorate the tape with sticker stars. Then cut a 1/2" fringe in each panel starting from the top and ending just above the tape.

2. Flip crown over and position a gold pipe cleaner in the center of each of the inner 8 panels so that the lower end is about an inch below the fringe. Tape them in place. Now sandwich the top of each pipe cleaner between a yellow foam star and a large sticker star. When your child is ready to wear the crown, wrap it around her head, overlapping the ends and securing them with a large paper clip.

Independence Day Pops

Keep your kids cool this 4th of July with frozen-yogurt rocket pops.

RECIPE INGREDIENTS: - 3 cups vanilla yogurt - Red food coloring - Blue food coloring - Waxed paper - Sugar cones - Popsicle sticks

1. To make a half dozen pops, tint 1/2 cup of the yogurt with red food coloring and 1 1/2 cups with blue food coloring. Leave the rest plain.

2. Make waxed paper cone liners by folding six 12-inch square sheets into triangles, wrapping each around a sugar cone, and using tape to hold the shape. Then place the paper cones inside the sugar cones.

3. Fill each cone with 1 tablespoon red yogurt, followed by 2 tablespoons white yogurt, then 3 tablespoons blue yogurt. Insert a Popsicle stick and freeze the pops until firm, about 4 hours, using the cone box to keep them upright.