Veterans Day is an important opportunity to express our gratitude and teach our kids about the contributions and sacrifices U.S. veterans have made!
There may be parades, volunteer opportunities, or other in-person ways to honor veterans in your local area. But if the weather, your schedule, or other circumstances don’t allow that—or if you just prefer to celebrate from home!—we have some quick, simple ways to include fun lessons about history, veterans, and military service into your day!
Here are five great ways to honor veterans this November 11th:
Learn about military ribbons and medals
Look up some of the colorful emblems, ribbons, and medals awarded to service members with your child. They can draw, paint, or cut construction paper to recreate the awards while you both learn which impressive accomplishment each one represents. Young kids might enjoy cutting out their favorites and pinning them to their shirt or creating a pretty display.
Interview a veteran
Show your appreciation by setting up a Zoom call with a grandparent or other family member, family friend, or neighbor who served in the military and interviewing them about their service. Here are some questions you can ask:
- What branch of service were you in? What kind of work did you do?
- Tell me about a couple of your most memorable experiences.
- What is one of the hardest things you faced?
- What was it like to come home?
- Anything else you want to share?
If your kids are older, they can do a more formal interview and submit it to the Library of Congress through the Veterans History Project.
Write a thank you card
Letters and drawings from kids will lift anyone’s spirits, but it’s extra special to send a note or picture thanking someone for protecting our freedoms. If you don’t personally know a veteran, websites like Operation Gratitude and A Million Thanks make it easy for kids to send letters to deployed troops, wounded warriors and veterans.
Learn to fold the flag
Did you know there’s a specific way the American flag is supposed to be folded, and each of the 13 folds has its own special meaning? This special flag folding is part of many important ceremonies, but might be most recognizable from military funerals. Look it up with your kids and learn the history and symbolism behind the patriotic ritual of folding the flag.
Donate items to veterans
One way to honor veterans is to make sure those who’ve served us continue to have their needs met. If you’re able to donate, look for a local food bank or veterans organization that is looking for donations, whether monetary or physical items. Many organizations have wishlists for veterans (for example, Veterans Inc. in New England and My Brother Vinny in New York), some have donation centers for clothing and other needed items (for example, the Paralyzed Veterans of America), while others will pick up household donations (for example, AMVETS and Vietnam Veterans of America). Kids can be involved in gathering items to donate or asking friends and family members for donations.
A previous version of this article was published on November 11, 2022.
