Presidents’ Day is intended to honor and recognize the contributions to our country of all the American presidents, but most significantly George Washington , born on February 22 and
Abraham Lincoln, born on February 12, which are celebrated together on this holiday.
Celebrate
Presidents’ Day with your kids by learning about our country’s
leaders.
There are many activities and ideas to explore this day. This post shares a few fun ideas to try.
So, get out your American Flag, say the Pledge of Allegiance and make this a national learning day.
First of all… the facts please…
LIST OF PRESIDENTS-UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
01 Washington, George (1789-1797)
44 Obama, Barack Hussein (2009-present)
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ACTIVITY IDEAS
- Create a cherry tree with paint and fingerprints and talk about
George Washington. http://pinterest.com/hiddensplendor/
- Who’s On Our Money Investigative Game: Collect a $1, $5, $10 and $20 bill. Collect a penny, nickel, dime and quarter. Use a magnifying glass and explore everything you can see on the bills and coins. Who can find the most things? Which President’s picture is on each one? Research why that person was selected to be on each one.
- Coin Match up! Match the president to the coin/bill that shows his face
- Guess How Many Jelly Beans or Peanuts
President Jimmy Carter was a peanut Farmer… Ronald Reagan loved jelly beans so much he kept them in a dish at the Oval Office.Fill a jar with jelly beans or peanuts.On small slips of paper, have the children guess how many are in the jar.Appropriate for any age.The winner shares the jelly beans or peanuts with the group!
source: http://www.kidactivities.net/post/Presidents-Day-Fun-for-Kids!.aspx
- Log CABIN To celebrate Lincoln you can build log cabins with stick pretzels (alternative would be to use small sticks and cardboard) . Lincoln grew up in extreme poverty and lived in a primitive log cabin.
- Re-create a log cabin.
Pretzel Log Cabin
Materials:
- Cut the top flap of the milk carton off and tape or hot glue it closed to form the roof.
- Spread chocolate frosting or peanut butter on one side of the milk carton then cover with pretzels.
- Repeat this step all over the milk carton until log cabin is complete.
- You may need to break the tips off of some of the pretzels to make then fit up the sides.
- Break a square cracker in half, then break one of the halves in half.
- Spread some frosting or peanut butter on the back of the first half. “Glue” it to the front of the cabin as the door.
- Repeat this step with a smaller broken piece for the window.
- Spread some frosting or peanut butter to the bottom of the Rolo and stick to the roof.
source: http://www.kidactivities.net/post/Presidents-Day-Fun-for-Kids!.aspx
You can also make log cabins using small sticks or with Lincoln Logs
- COIN RUBBINGS
A simple and fun President’s Day activity is to do RUBBINGS of the face sides of coins by placing paper over the coin and rubbing it with a crayon.
- MY HAT HAS THREE CORNERS (popular song for Pre-K/K about a Colonial Hat)
My hat it has 3 corners. (Form a triangle above head)
If it did not have 3 corners…(Raise 3 fingers)
- Stovepipe Hat
President Lincoln, the 16th President of the USA, used to wear a black stovepipe hat. He was known to keep notes and documents stored in his hat so he wouldn’t lose them!
You can make a tiny version of Lincoln’s hat using a toilet paper tube and black construction paper with the directions from http://www.enchantedlearning.com/crafts/presidentsday/lincolnhat
Supplies needed:
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Cut a toilet paper tube in half, making two short tubes. |
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Cut out a 2 inch by 6 inch rectangle of black construction paper. |
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Trace a circle on black construction paper, using a tube as your guide. Draw four small rectangles around the edges of the circle. Cut this out (this will be the top of the hat). |
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Trace another circle on a piece of black construction paper, using the tube as your guide. Draw a larger circle around this circle, about 1/2 inch outside the first circle. Cut out along the larger circle (this will be the hat’s brim). |
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Continuing with the brim, cut a series of lines through the inner circle. Fold these triangular pieces upwards. |
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Glue or tape the triangular pieces of the hat’s brim inside the half toilet tube. |
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Now, for the top on the hat, use the circle with tabs. Fold the tabs where they meet the circle. Put the small black paper circle on the top of the hat, taping the rectangular tabs to the tube. |
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Place the rectangle of black paper around the central part of the hat. Glue it securely. You now have a tiny stovepipe hat to help you celebrate Presidents Day. |
Source: http://www.enchantedlearning.com/crafts/presidentsday/lincolnhat/
- Become President! Discuss the tasks and job of the president of the United States. Ask each family member to share one thing he would want to accomplish if they were president. More thought-provoking questions can be asked of older family members, which can lead to interesting family discussions.
- Memory Game – Create a link to the past by having your children interview you, their grandparents, teachers, neighbors, etc. Compile a list of Presidents who served during that adults lifetime. Have your children ask the adults to describe an important memory about each President. Who was the first President they voted for? etc.
- Virtual Tours – WAY TOO COOL! Bring History to YOU!
1. Take a tour of Abraham Lincoln’s home, from the kitchen to Willie and Tad’s bedroom.
Lincoln Home Photo Tour
- WRITE TO THE CURRENT PRESIDENT
The White House
http://fun.familyeducation.com/presidents-day/entertainment/32937.html#ixzz2K8WYXPtz
http://www.apples4theteacher.com/holidays/presidents-day/
http://www.dltk-kids.com/crafts/presidents.html
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/crafts/presidentsday/
http://www.kidactivities.net/post/Presidents-Day-Fun-for-Kids!.aspx
http://www.ehow.com/list_5974037_children_s-activities-do-presidents_-day.html#ixzz2K8ezRHOJ
Trivia! John Quincy Adams was born on MY birthday!
Were any of the presidents born on YOUR birthday?
Check out this website to find out:
http://www.indepthinfo.com/articles/presidential-birthdays.shtml or
http://www.researchmaniacs.com/Birthdays/Presidents.html
How do you spend your special day? Here is a web site that tells you some of the ways our past Presidents have celebrated their birthdays. Enjoy!
http://www.history.com/news/all-the-presidents-birthdays
