Celebrating July 4th with Kids and Shiny Pennies

• Posted: June 30, 2026

What comes to mind when you think of celebrating Independence Day? Food, fireworks, family time?

In America, we love celebrating our freedom with picnic fun on this summer holiday. But sadly, many of us overlook celebrating our most important freedom, precious religious freedom.

In simple terms, religious freedom allows every person in the United States to hold their own religious beliefs and to live them out without unnecessary interference from the government. This includes the freedom to practice a specific faith, to change beliefs, or to choose not to follow any religion at all.

These freedoms are not just cultural ideals — they are legally protected rights. Religious liberties are rooted in the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which states:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

As followers of Christ, this is a great privilege and blessing that we can’t take for granted. Yet the Founding Fathers made sure that under the First Amendment, all Americans since the start of our Republic have the freedom to practice our faith.

As parents, we can’t forget to include our religious freedom as part of our Independence Day celebration when teaching our kids! Not everyone has access to the beautiful gift of religious freedom worldwide. While there is nothing wrong with being excited about a good fireworks show or a delicious red-white-and-blue cupcake, we need to help our kids appreciate the enjoyment of religious freedom.

One way to celebrate religious freedom with your children this July 4th is with shiny pennies.

Lots of  kids wonder — and probably yours do too: “In our life, who should we trust?” Well, in 1955, President Dwight D. Eisenhower and the Congress answered that question in a very tangible way for our nation. A bill was signed into law H.R. 619, that required the inscription IN GOD WE TRUST to appear on all paper and coin currency that everyone used, so people would see it every day. Today, all coins carry this important reminder.

To hit this home with your kids try the following activity from our Bible2School program.

Shiny Pennies

• Give your child a penny and say, “Today we are going to hear about how God started the nation of Israel with a man who placed all his trust in God and we will learn how we can trust God.”
• Read Genesis 12:1-4 and 15:5-6 together with your kids. Ask, “Have any of you ever moved? What was it like? How did you feel?”
• Say, “I’m sure Abraham had some of those feelings as well. What we do know is he placed his trust in God, no matter how he felt.”
• Ask, “How can we tell someone is trustworthy? Answer: “They keep their promises.”
• Over and over again in the Bible we read about God’s promises to His people and how He kept those promises. Not one promise that God made was ever broken! Because of that, we can place our trust in God!

Every time your child looks at a penny, they will be reminded of this important lesson that IN GOD WE can TRUST and we have this freedom in America. When celebrating our religious freedom this Fourth of July, may we give thanks to God for our country. As we gather around the picnic table with our family and friends with all the great food watching fireworks sparkle, we can reflect upon God’s provision, faithfulness, and love.

Happy Independence Day!

Want to Learn More? 

• To find out more about the blessings of religious freedom, check out Backpack Faith.
• Additional resources on religious freedom can be found here.