As far as holidays go, Presidents Day isn’t one that springs to mind as a “kids holiday,” especially right after a candy-filled Valentine’s Day. However, it’s an important holiday in our history, and with a little creativity, it can be fun for your children!
What is Presidents Day?
First let’s talk about Presidents Day in terms that children can understand. What is Presidents Day, and why is it important to our country?
President’s Day is a holiday that occurs the 3rd Monday of every February to celebrate our past and present U.S. Presidents. We celebrate them because of their great contributions to the United States and to our democracy.
A Little History
Presidents Day was originally a day to celebrate George Washington, then was later expanded to honor Abraham Lincoln. Eventually, the holiday grew to celebrate all U.S. presidents, past and present.
Kid Activities to Celebrate Presidents Day
While many holidays have a big repertoire of activity inspiration on Pinterest for ideas to celebrate with your child, Presidents Day tends to be overlooked. Here are some fun ways to celebrate Presidents Day with your child.
- Go to the library. Check out books about former presidents from the library. Most libraries have great children’s books that introduce the child to some of our most famous U.S. presidents and their notable achievements.
- Draw a picture. There are many printable coloring pages online of former presidents. Find your favorite and color it while sharing with your child what you appreciate most about what that president contributed to our country.
- Watch a Presidents Day video. Here are some great teacher-approved videos about some of our presidents and about Presidents Day: https://www.simplykinder.com/presidents-day-videos/
- Elect a “President for the Day” at your house. Hold a ballot vote to decide who should be the president for the day in your home. You can even vote to have a president for just dinner if a day-long president seems like “too much.” While the (most likely) child is acting as president, talk about some of the challenges and opportunities that real life presidents face and have faced.
- Dress up in your U.S. garb. Break out the red, white, and blue. Today is a great day to dress up in your patriotic clothing and celebrate the U.S. presidents.
- Enjoy fun facts. Pull up a chair and read some of these fun facts about Presidents Day and our country’s former presidents: http://www.sylvanlearning.com/blog/idex.php/presidents_day_facts_for_kids/
- Make cookies. Make these fun Presidents Day cookies with Nilla wafers and chocolate: http://partypinching.com/presidents-day/
- Write a poem about your favorite president. What rhymes with George Washington? Have fun making up short poems about your favorite presidents. “Abraham Lincoln, honest as can be. He lived in a log cabin, and helped the slaves be free!”
- Pull out your coins. Lay out one of each coin, then talk about some of the notable acts of the presidents whose faces are on those coins.
How did you celebrate Presidents Day with your child? Let us know in the comments below!
Look familiar? This article was originally published in February 2021 and was updated in February 2023 with fresh information, ideas, and links.