How To Teach Children About Memorial Day

Valerie Chisom, M.A.
May 18, 2020
2 min read

The first thing many people think of when they think of Memorial Day is the first barbecue or picnic of the season...the unofficial start of summer. However, I would like to encourage you to teach your children the real meaning of Memorial Day. The first thing that I explained to my daughter, is the history of Memorial Day.

For preschool, pre-K, Kindergarten, and first grade, I think a short history of the holiday is sufficient.

The history of Memorial Day begins shortly after the Civil War. People in both the north and south were mourning the loss and injury of their friends and family who had been in the the war. So, they began having memorials. Later, the memorials became only for the members of our military who lost their lives during any war. In 1971, Memorial Day became a federal holiday to be held on the last Monday of each May. I follow this history with a discussion about our freedoms.

In addition to teaching a brief history and discussing freedoms, it is important to explain the memorial aspect of the holiday. A memorial is a meant to remind us of a person or event, and our Memorial Day is a day set aside to remind of us those in the armed services, who died in service to our country. It is a day to honor those who gave their lives so that we may have the freedoms that we have. Since Memorial Day is about honoring those that are not living, I personally teach that it is not appropriate to wish someone "Happy Memorial Day." What I do teach them that it is appropriate to thank to a living service member for their service.

Since young children think in a concrete manner, it is good to have an activity as a jumping off point to start the explanation about the meaning of Memorial Day.

What are some activities that you can do to celebrate Memorial Day with your students? I'm glad that you asked. As a fun and easy activity, I made some Memorial Day Scissor Skills Practice Cutting Strips. Scissor skill cutting strips are fun, and can be used for sorting and collages after the cutting is done. But, in addition to the cutting strips, I included a list of 17 activities in the packet that teachers and families with young children can do to celebrate Memorial Day.

.Below are 10 of the activities that you may be able to do, even during a time of social distancing.

Sing patriotic songs.
Do some patriotic arts and crafts.
Fly the United States flag at half mast.
Color a U.S. flag picture.
Discuss what a hero is.
Draw a picture of his/her hero (whether real or imaginary).
Watch the National Memorial Day Parade (or it's substitute pre-recording program during social distancing) on TV at 2pm on Memorial day. (It is streamed live on YouTube and Military.com.)
Have a moment of remembrance at 3pm local time on Memorial Day.
Write a thank you note to someone who is currently serving in the armed forces. (You can visit the Operation Gratitude: https://www.operationgratitude.com/express-your-thanks/write-letters/to learn one way to do this.)
Read the Bill of Rights.