Activities to do with Your Children to Commemorate Memorial Day May 30, 2022

“And I’m proud to be an American, where at least I know I’m free. And I won’t forget the men who died, who gave that right to me.” Lee Greenwood - Song ‘God Bless the USA’

       Memorial Day is a federal holiday that has been proclaimed to honor those who died while serving in the armed forces, fighting for the many freedoms that we have as Americans.   My blog post last year about Memorial Day will help you teach your children all about the history of that day.

For this Memorial Day, I would like to provide parents and others with activities for their families to commemorate this important day.  It is best that you first teach children about what that day represents, and then do the activities so that they have a full understanding and appreciation of the activities.

Some activities are:

• Visit a Veteran’s cemetery and lay flowers and put up flags.

• Send a care package to troops.   I provide the website below for Support Our Troops Care Packages, where you can purchase and send a small gift card and packages.

• Bake patriotic treats.  Note that they become “patriotic” because of the colors and decorations you put on them.

• Take cookies or other treats to a veteran whom your family knows and talk with him/her about his/her service.

• Teach your children about medals of honor.  At the links below, there is a free coloring sheet and a website for children that provides a history the medals.

• Do some crafts and projects around this theme.  There are many that are available online at no cost.  One of the crafts can be creating a card for a veteran your family knows or for veterans in general at a hospital.  The card can also be sent to a soldier overseas.

       These are just some activities, and the links below provide many more. Of course, you can still enjoy your family picnic and games!

To learn more, please visit:

https://www.military.com/memorial-day/celebrating-memorial-day-with-children.html

https://www.countryliving.com/life/g4377/memorial-day-activities/

https://kids.kiddle.co/List_of_Medal_of_Honor_recipients

https://kids.kiddle.co/Medal_of_Honor

https://www.enchantedlearning.com/crafts/memorialday/

https://supportourtroops.org/care-packages

Teach your Children About Memorial Day

The last Monday in May each year is honored as Memorial Day.  It is typically seen as the first day of summer and families usually clean their barbeque grills off and plan big get-togethers.  But, what is Memorial Day all about and how can you involve your children in the true celebration of this holiday?

            President Harry Truman proclaimed this day in 1950 to be a day of remembrance of those who died while serving in the armed forces in the line of duty.  It is a memorial to them and the great sacrifices that they made for our country.

            There are many ways that you can teach your children about what Memorial Day is all about.  Here are some suggestions:

• Lay flowers at the grave of a person you know who died serving his/her country

• Visit monuments of fallen soldiers. Some of the most famous in the country are found in Washington D.C.  However, if visiting the nation’s capital is not an option, you can always find graveyards and memorials in or around your town to visit.

• Purchase an American flag to put outside your home or have your children draw and color some to put in the windows of your home.

• At the website below, military.com, there is a link to a coloring page for the Medal of Honor. 

• There are crafts, worksheets, and projects for children at https://www.military.com/memorial-day/celebrating-memorial-day-with-children.html

To learn more, please visit:

https://www.military.com/memorial-day/celebrating-memorial-day-with-children.html

https://www.military.com/memorial-day

https://www.parents.com/holiday/memorial-day/traditions/patriotic-ways-to-celebrate-memorial-day-with-kids/

https://www.timeforkids.com/g56/meaning-memorial-day/

Celebrating Memorial Day with Children

Photo from Houston Family Magazine

Memorial Day is an annual holiday set aside to honor those in the military who have fallen, particularly during military service.  Many people confuse it with Veteran’s Day which is day to recognize and honor all veterans. Typically, we celebrate Memorial Day with parades and visits to cemeteries and war monuments.  However, due to the quarantine restrictions, we will have to be very selective as to what activities we participate in.  And, of course, children should be included in all your plans!

The links below provide you with a lot of information you can use as teaching tools about Memorial Day as well as activities for children.  These activities range from games to baking special patriotic deserts to coloring and, of course, reading.   Importantly, please do not have your children mindlessly playing computer games or video games all day.  Keep their bodies and minds active by planning ahead of time what you will do as a family to honor our fallen heroes.

For more information, please visit these links:

• Military - Memorial Day

• Celebrating Memorial Day with Children

• Patriotic Ways to Celebrate Memorial Day with Kids

Have the Entire Family Commemorate Memorial Day

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Today is Memorial Day.  It is a day that has been set aside for us to honor those who have died in the fight to serve and protect our wonderful country. While it is always fun to dust off the grill and invite friends and family over for one of the first barbeques of the season, let us not forget the important sacrifices behind this holiday.

Teach your children about why Memorial Day is celebrated. If explaining the holiday in a child-friendly manner seems difficult for you, there are several articles online that you can use for assistance.  Also, libraries and bookstores have many age appropriate books.  Once your children understand the reasons behind the holiday, participating in activities will be more memorable and heartfelt.

Here are a few examples of activities that the whole family can participate in before or even after you fire up that grill:

1. Children love crafts. Encourage them to make letters or cards for veterans and families of fallen soldiers. They can then deliver them to the people whom you know, to veterans’ hospitals or Veterans Affairs offices. Feel free to join in on the fun. Crafting can be a great bonding opportunity and give parents the time to address any unanswered questions about the day and any other activities that are planned.
   

2. Visit monuments of fallen soldiers. Some of the most famous in the country are found in Washington D.C. However, if visiting the nation’s capital is not an option, you can always find graveyards and memorials in or around your town to visit.
   

3. Carry flowers to honor the fallen. One of the most appropriate flowers used to pay homage are poppies. In the poem In Flanders’ Fields, poet John McCrae venerated the sacrifice made by those who lost their lives in service during the First World War. He wrote about poppies being in the fields. The flower has been associated with war and remembering the fallen. Explain to your children the history behind the flower and take some to a veterans’ graveyard, memorial, or even to a veteran.
   

4. Go see a Memorial Day Parade. Parades can be such fun to watch. They are not only an excuse to get out of the house, but also a wonderfulopportunity for the entire family to experience a town, city or county coming together to honor and commemorate truly extraordinary people, people who have made the ultimate sacrifice for their country.
   

5. Observe the National Moment of Remembrance. Since December, 2000, the National Moment of Remembrance has been set to begin at 3 p.m. wherever you are in the country. This is a time to for you to stop whatever you are doing and pay your respects.

There are countless other activities that can be done today.  What is important is that you participate in them together as a family and give honor to those who first honored us.