With Flag Day and July Fourth on the horizon, I’m hoping that lots of families will be reading my children’s picture book The Flag Keeper over the next several weeks and learning a lot about U.S. flag etiquette. Alexis Bonari has also written a wonderful article below about other patriotic activities that you can do with your children.
Get your kids excited for more than the usual barbeque and fireworks this Flag Day or Fourth of July. The following activities are sure to make patriotic days memorable and educational for the whole family.
1. Consider taking the kids to spend the weekend at a historically significant site:
• Colonial Williamsburg, VA. The 18th century town and historical actors are sure to intrigue and educate the kids.
• Washington, D.C. It’s no secret that there’s plenty to do here, from visiting the Washington Monument to spending an entire day at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum.
• Philadelphia, PA. It’s picturesque and offers sites like the Liberty Bell as opportunities to teach the kids something about the nation’s history.
2. What’s more patriotic than gender equality? Tell Daddy to scoot over and let Mama and the kids do the grilling. Elizabeth Karmel over at Girls at the Grill shows women and children that neither gas nor charcoal grills are things to be intimidated by. She offers grilling newbies and gurus alike tips and tricks. Download the Grilling Activity Book and have the kids try their hands at a few recipes like Mud Pie Bananas and Star and Moon Pizza.
3. Instead of stopping by the grocery store for burgers, support America’s backbone by buying locally raised beef burgers from the farmers’ market. This is a golden opportunity to teach kids the importance of buying local food directly from hardworking farmers. The burgers may be a little more expensive, but I promise you’ll taste the difference.
4. Get the kids involved in a few patriotic crafts. Here are two low-key ones that nonetheless provide around an hour of activity:
• Patriotic Pinwheel
• Patriotic Napkin and Utensil Holder
Alexis Bonari
Alexis Bonari is a freelance writer and researcher for College Scholarships, where recently she’s been researching scholarship request tips as well as sample scholarship thank you letters. In her spare time, she enjoys square-foot gardening, swimming, and avoiding her laptop.
Join the 5-Day Family Flag Challenge
Get this series of patriotic family activities delivered straight to your in-box: receive ideas for crafts, easy recipes, drawing projects, educational videos, and more.
Stacy Juba has written sweet and sassy chick lit novels, mysteries about determined women sleuths, and entertaining books for young adults and children. Her books include the Storybook Valley chick lit series and the Hockey Rivals young adult sports novels.
Stacy is also a freelance developmental editor and online course creator. Sign up for her free masterclass, How to Create Your Editing Game Plan.
Stop by her other websites and blogs: Shortcuts for Writers and Hockey Rivals.
