I can’t believe we’re almost to July 4th! We’re not doing formal school right now, but I’m doing my best to sneak in some fun and educational activities here and there. Here are a few ideas I found to celebrate our nation’s birthday.
- Uncle Sam and Old Glory: This is a great book that explains about our nation’s symbols. I like that each symbol gets a page, so it gives a little detail, but not so much boring stuff that’s going to overwhelm and bore young kids. It also makes it nice to read a bit at a time when you have a few spare moments!
- The Declaration of Independence: This book is just what it says: The Declaration of Independence. What makes it so great, though, is that it is broken down into phrases that are illustrated to make the meaning clear—since sometimes the formal language of the 1700s can be a bit confusing. This is a great way to talk about what all of this means and why it’s so important.
- Liberty’s Kids: You might remember this series from PBS, and now you can purchase it on DVD. Both of my kids really enjoy it and it’s nice to have a cartoon they can watch and actually pick up some important information. There is also a website where kids can play games that go along with the different episodes.
If you want to do some more formal learning, Homeschool Share has a page full of different connections to the American Revolution. You can easily find books, lapbooks, printables, and links here to make your planning easy!
If you want to go the crafty route, of course Pinterest is full of great ideas. I really like this Liberty Bell craft!
However you celebrate this Fourth of July, please be safe and take a moment to remember all of our men and women who have fought and are still fighting to keep our country free and independent!
