Memorial Day is an American holiday. Originally called Decoration Day, it is a day of remembrance for those who have died in service to our country. It can be difficult to help children understand the significance of Memorial Day or to grasp the sheer number of men and women who have died serving our country, so that we may enjoy freedom. Listed below are some Memorial Day activities to help your children remember those who have made the ultimate sacrifice.
Memorial Day Activities for Children
1. Visit a Military Cemetery or Memorial. Bring flowers or prepare a statement of thanks to read aloud while you are there.
2. Read “The Wall“, a Reading Rainbow book, by Eve Bunting ($6.99 on Amazon) or visit your local library and read some other books on Memorial Day.
3. Send a letter or care package to servicemen and women serving abroad through the Adopt a Platoon Program or A Million Thanks Program.
4. Pay a visit to a Veteran’s Hospital and spend some time listening to the stories of injured servicemen. Pass out some small flags, a small gift or homemade craft as a token of your appreciation.
5. Recite the Pledge of Allegiance and sing the National Anthem.
In what ways will you be remembering the fallen on Memorial Day?
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Originally published on May 24, 2012. Updated for content. This blog is reader-supported and contains affiliate links.
I love this post. Did you know that my school-aged cousins don’t even know the Pledge of Allegiance because they don’t say it in their school anymore? I just can’t believe it. We’ll be printing out fun flag coloring pages! I totally should have done a flag craft for this week 😉
These are great tips, and they’re totally do-able
Isn’t it sad that a few people complaining causes so much upheaval for everyone else. How does a child learn to love their country?
Thank you for this post! As a military family, and the wife of a disabled Marine, Memorial Day hits close to home. My children are still really young, but we will be instilling in them a pride in our military, and an appreciation for those that have served before us.
Great post! I think kids should understand that soldiers and war are not like the movies..it’s not all big explosions and excitement. A lot is given up and sometimes that’s includes their own lives.
I think we’ll talk about members of our family who served in the military.
Reading responses to your post – I didn’t realize that some school age kids don’t know the pledge anymore. Depending upon the age there are good ideas for all different children here. Thanks