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More than just a three-day weekend, President’s Day is an opportunity for Americans to celebrate our current and past presidents. Created in 1885 in honor of George Washington, President’s Day was historically held on his birthday of February 22nd each year. However, in 1971 the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, which was created to create more three-day weekends for American workers, moved the holiday permanently to the third Monday of February. We now recognize this holiday not only as a tribute to George Washington, but to all of our Nation’s presidents. Looking for some fun ways to celebrate this holiday with your kids? Here are some of our favorites:
1. Write a letter to the President. You’re never too young to write to our nation’s leaders. Have your kiddos write a letter with their thoughts or ideas on current or new policies. They don’t have to be lengthy or even realistically implementable. When I asked my eight-year-old daughter what she would want the president to change, she said she wanted a new law allowing children to bring stuffies (stuffed animals) to school every day because it made kids feel safe and happy. The address to mail your letter to can be found here.
2. Take a virtual field trip to Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Presidential Library and museum. FDR was the only president to serve more than two terms (term limits weren’t imposed until after his presidency). This virtual tour will provide insight into Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt’s work, in the oval office and beyond.
3. Read books about President’s Day and being a president (not just of the United States!). Some of our favorites are:
4. Imagine what it would be like to be the President! Check out this free worksheet from Teach Starter that helps kids think about what they would change, what they would try to do, and what they would need help with if they were president.
5. Older kids might enjoy The Presidents Game, a rummy-style card game for two to four players. You can get the free printable here.
6. Want to try your hand at learning all of the names of the presidents? This video puts the names in song form to help you learn!
7. Create an edible log cabin. Did you know that Lincoln Logs were named after President Abraham Lincoln? The former president was born in a one-room log cabin in Kentucky. If you don’t have this infamous toy lying around, no worries! Create your own (edible) log cabin using peanut butter and pretzel sticks!
8. Don’t forget all the President’s Day themed printable activities on Beeloo. We’ve got coloring pages, color by number, mazes, crosswords, word searches and more!
