With President’s Day approaching, now is the perfect opportunity for education. It’s imperative that kids understand their nation’s history. With leaders such as George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and more, we can be inspired. We can also understand how our nation’s ideals have been formed. Here are four activities to teach kids about our nation’s leaders.
Study Coins
Your kids might look at a coin, like those from Rocky Mountain Coin, and think of it as nothing more than something to spend. However, you know that there’s a rich history of every person on the very front. Have your kids carefully examine each coin. Tell them about who is on the heads side of the coin. Tell them what you know about whatever president is on the front. You can discuss the accomplishments of these presidents and why they were deemed worthy of being on money.
Museum Visits
There’s no better place to learn about history in an exciting and eye-opening way than a museum. Look for museums in your area with exhibits pertaining to presidents. If you live near Washington, D.C., you can see incredible memorabilia at the Smithsonian. When you’re at a museum, you can spark your kids’ curiosity and encourage them to ask questions.
Watching Movies
There are all kinds of great documentaries and feature films about the presidents for you and your children to watch together. Whether fictionalized for dramatic purposes or being recounted by historians, these films can teach a great deal. Concepts that might seem vague can be brought to life with visual depictions. Depending on the ages of your children, you can make judicious decisions about the most appropriate films. You can also learn alongside them as you watch these movies.
Writing Exercises
To really exercise your children’s brains, you can have them do some beneficial writing exercises. For instance, they could write letters to the presidents, as if though they are going to receive them in the past. They can discuss what their ideals are and how they admire the presidents. They could also write short essays. Putting their thoughts into action can really help them expand their minds and learn further.
By teaching your kids about presidents, you can help them learn quite a bit. You might have a future historian on your hands. Think of how much this experience could teach them about history. This can also be an opportunity for a terrific bonding experience.
