Meaningful Patriotism for Kids [From the Mouths of Moms]

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Ways to Teach Patriotism for Kids

With 4th of July just days away, Pinterest and all of my favorite blogs are full of awesome red, white, and blue crafts and activities. Don’t get me wrong – I love a good holiday activities and crafts. But how can we REALLY teach patriotism to our kids… in an even more meaningful way? Who better to ask than our creative B-Inspired Blogger mamas! Let’s see what they do to encourage patriotism for kids…

10 Meaningful Ways to Encourage Patriotism for Kids [From the Mouths of Moms]

Lead By Example – “I come from a family of servicemen and women, as I’ve mentioned in the past. My grandmother was a Marine recruiter, my grandfather served in both the Coast Guard and the Air Force, and my father is a retired Marine. On top of that, each of my seven aunts and uncles have served (or still serve) in some branch of the military. To say I was raised with an intelligent, patriotic, hard-working, and critical-thinking family is an understatement! Appreciating , thinking about, and praying for our servicemen and women is something I do daily. Engineer is also exposed to it quite a bit from me, my dad, and my step mom!” Mary Catherine of Fun-A-Day!
Thank a Veteran – “Last year I was so moved by a Veterans Day speech given by a friend and coworker. She is now a kindergarten teacher, and nobody would guess she was a veteran or the memories she carries with her if they didn’t know her personally. She reminded all of the kids at our school that veterans are everywhere. They are our teachers, custodians, postal workers, doctors, and store clerks. And we can thank them personally on Veterans Day and every day for their service to our country.” Shaunna of Fantastic Fun and Learning
Visit A Service Member’s Grave – “Visiting a family member’s grave gives children a chance to connect with family killed in battle. This doesn’t need to be a morbid experience at all! When we took a trip to California after Christmas, I ‘introduced’ Engineer to the uncle he was named after. For me, it was a way to celebrate my uncle’s life and show Engineer how important that uncle is to our family. I got a lot out of the visit, but Engineer really did too! He “talked” to my uncle, cleaned off his grave, and left flowers for him. It was a meaningful visit for both of us.” Mary Catherine of Fun-A-Day!
Tell Family Stories – “Once a year, we put freshly laminated pictures on our family headstones and tell stories about those [veteran] family members. It is through those stories about Grandpa serving (seeing his pictures) and seeing the headstones of others who have serve that my boys are learning about the freedoms of our country, to value those freedoms, and start to understand the scope that many sacrifice for those freedoms.” Sheila of Pennies of Time
Do Patriotic Crafts and Activities – “Each year I try to do a craft or activity with the kids for Memorial Day and July 4th. While working on them I try and explain that we live in America, and many people have fought to make this a great place to live. (They are still young so I keep it simple.)” Jaime of Frogs & Snails & Puppy Dog Tails
Write Letters to Service Members – “At least a couple of times a month, we do something for someone currently serving in the military or for a veteran. I really like it when we get a letter back from someone serving because it helps make my boys be grateful for those that leave their families to serve.” Sheila of Pennies of Time
Go To Parades & Applaud Service Members – “We go to a lot of parades, and teach our boys to put their hands over their hearts when the American flag passes by, and to clap when service members go by. At this young age (4 and 5), I simply tell them that the men and women in uniform travel all over the world to protect us from “bad guys,” and we should clap to show our appreciation.” Dawn of Prickly Mom
Celebrate the Red, White, & Blue – “Late Spring and Summer invite so many wonderful and colorful activities. There is no better color combination than red, white and blue. Although Liam is a bit young to understand the true meaning of these days that pay tribute to and thank our past and present soldiers, he can understand the importance of the flag and how we represent it and care for it! Our big rule is the flag is never on the ground! I made him an invitation to play that celebrates our flag and the three beautiful colors that go into it!” Sarah of Little Bins for Little Hands
Host a Red, White, & Blue Playdate – “Encouraging our children to learn the Symbols of America and showing our gratitude to our soldiers. We host a red, white and blue playdate with our friends each year! Making a fun Red, White and Blue Snack is a must!” Kim of The Educators’ Spin On It
Learn the Pledge of Allegiance – “[Liam] loves his flag! Liam got out the flag and told me to put my hand over my heart so he could say the Pledge of Allegiance. We are so happy that they still help them learn it at school and he is happy to sing it anytime. A wonderful moment was when he sang it to a group of soldiers in my husband’s office one day when we went to visit!” Sarah of Little Bins for Little Hands