Fall is an exciting time of year for kids with the spookiness of Halloween and all things turkey for Thanksgiving. But what about activities for Veterans Day? This federal holiday on November 11 is often overlooked by youngsters, but there are plenty of Veterans Day activities you can do with kids beforehand!
It’s important for students to learn that Veterans Day is the one day we set aside here in the US to honor all the members of the armed services. Understanding the value of these community members is an important takeaway lesson as it helps students understand this isn’t just a fun day off from school. Many kids only see members of the armed forces in movies and video games, but school can be a perfect space to dive deeper into the lives of the brave men and women who fight for our country.
If you’re not sure how to introduce Veterans Day to your young learners, we’re here to give you a hand! Keep reading for Veterans Day bulletin board ideas, books to read aloud, meaningful resources to download and much more.
Veterans Day Activities for Kids
Visit a Memorial
If your school is close to a war or veterans memorial, you may consider taking a field trip to visit it and reflect this holiday, but you don’t have to leave the classroom to make a meaningful “trip.”
If you aren’t near one or can’t organize a field trip, consider a virtual tour of the veterans and war memorials of Washington D.C., including:
- World War II Memorial
- Korean War Veterans Memorial
- Vietnam Veterans Memorial
- Vietnam Women’s Memorial
- United States Marine Corps Memorial
Teach Your Class About American Flag Protocol
From the proper way to hang a flag to the proper way to handle it, there are plenty of intricacies that come with handling our national symbol. Take the time this Veterans Day to get your students acquainted with some of the basics. Here are a few tips you can share:
- Never let the flag touch the ground.
- Never display the American flag upside down.
- Do not draw on the flag
- When you’re mounting flags on a flag pole, the American flag should always be at the top!
You can reach out to the American Legion near you to see if they have pamphlets for your students on topics such as how to fold the American flag and the meaning behind each part of the flag. You might even find a veteran at the legion would be happy to visit your classroom to present the topic!
You can also take a deep dive into the history and symbolism of the American flag this Veterans Day with an American Flag Poster Project. This printable resource includes four templates to help your students learn the proper way to display the flag, its history and its meaning.
Go a step further, and discuss how the American flag has played a part in recent events or compile your students’ work into a bulletin board display.
Build a Veterans Day Bulletin Board
Speaking of bulletin boards … if yours needs to be refreshed after Halloween, our Veterans Day Bulletin Board Display combines letter writing with a coloring activity. Have your students write a thank you note to a veteran and color the template. Once your bulletin board is complete, consider inviting community veterans to your classroom to share their experiences and explore the messages from the students.
This teacher used our Veterans Day Thank You Cards to create a colorful classroom display!
Land of the Free Because of the Brave
Photo courtesy of Kansas music teacher Michelle Smith
Try this easy bulletin board idea Kansas music teacher Michelle Smith did with her students for Veterans Day. Have your kids bring in a photo of a veteran in their own family, or let them research a veteran they’d like to honor at school. Compile all the photos onto your board for other students, teachers and parents to admire.
Be sure students bring in copies of any original photographs so there isn’t any risk of them getting damaged in transit or at school!
Thankful For Our Veterans
Photo courtesy of fifth-grade volunteer parent Jaime Ayala
Fifth-grade parent volunteer Jaime helped assemble this wonderfully creative Veterans Day bulletin board at her child’s school. The American flag is made up of red, white and blue paper chains and each tag on the left has the students’ names in the classroom.
Want to recreate this unique look? Have your students help with paper chain-making! With each student assembling one to two chains (top to bottom), this bulletin board will be completed in no time. They can even include the name of a veteran they may know on the piece of paper before it’s glued to the next link.
Browse our Bulletin Board Letters to save time on your board’s title!
Not All Heroes Wear Capes
Photo courtesy of Alabama fifth-grade teacher Kenisha Gage
Fifth-grade Alabama teacher Kenisha assembled this honorary bulletin board with her students titled, “Not All Heroes Wear Capes.” She created a background using Ameican flag elements and each student colored in their own ribbon.
You can try this idea for your classroom or your school’s hallway using our Veterans Day Acrostic Poem Templates:
Design Veterans Day Parade Floats
Bring a STEAM theme to your Veterans Day plans!
Challenge students to design and build miniature parade floats that showcase various aspects of Veterans Day. Use a variety of recyclables such as cardboard, paper, etc. to design a parade float for the different branches of the military, and hold a Veterans Day parade around the school building to show off your Veterans Day crafts.
Fingerprint Their Own Flags
Younger students can make American flags using their fingerprints dipped in red, white and blue paint. It will be messy, we know, but their parents and guardians will love it.
Learn the Pledge of Allegiance … In ASL
Try something a little different this Veterans Day by helping your students learn the Pledge of Allegiance or the song God Bless America in sign language. The video above is from music teacher Gilster’s Goodies. You can even suggest this idea to other teachers or admin and see if it can be played at an assembly for the entire school to try!
Interview a Veteran
Students can practice their interview and research skills and also learn more about the nation’s history by interviewing a veteran! Direct students to pick an interview subject (they can interview a veteran in their own family) and to do research on their subject, put together questions, and conduct an interview, taking notes with the answers they get.
If you have students who don’t have a veteran in the family, consider inviting one to your classroom for everyone to listen to. If this it isn’t possible, consider taking a field trip to a nursing home if they have veterans who are able and willing to speak with your students.
We’ve put together a series of veteran interview prompts for kids to use, including “why did you join the military” and “which branch did you serve in?”
Make Cards for Veterans
You don’t have to limit the writing practice and thank yous to bulletin boards! This Veterans Day activity is a great way to practice letter writing while also teaching kids about the importance of sharing kind, uplifting messages with others. Students can choose to give their letters to a friend or family member who has served in the Armed Forces or to perhaps an unrecognized veteran in the community.
Some tips to keep in mind when students are making cards for veterans:
- Tell your students not to include their last name or any private information such as their home or email address.
- A group photo of your class is a great idea!
- Keep it simple — no glitter or confetti.
- Explain to your students that the veteran or soldier will likely not be able to write back.
See our complete guide to creating and sending Veterans Day cards.
Organize a Class Collection Drive for Vets
Want to encourage your students to be active outside of the classroom? Organizations such as Operation Gratitude have veterans-minded options to encourage your students to be more community-minded this Veterans Day. Students can be active supporters through letter writing and organizing collection drives.
Operation Gratitude has an ongoing need to fill care packages and have a list of their most requested items:
- Protein snacks
- Hygiene wipes
- Puzzle books
- Interactive toys (such as yo-yos)
- And more
Take note that they accept items year-round! If you miss out on participating in a drive for Veterans Day, you can always encourage your students to give back during the holiday season.
If you’d like to go further and start a fundraiser at your school, consider the Wounded Warrior Project. They outline how to plan your fundraiser step-by-step and have great ideas for varying age levels including penny drives, pajama day donations, and dunk tanks. Check out their Student Ambassadors booklet for more ideas and information.
Assemble a Veterans Day Headband
Is your school hosting a Veterans Day assembly or event? Show veterans how much they’re appreciated with our We Love Our Veterans crown templates and have your class display their red white and blue creations.
This symbolic gesture will not only be enjoyable for your students to complete, but it will surely bring a smile to a veteran’s face.
Watch a Veterans Day Video
PBS Learning Media has an engaging introductory video to Veterans Day for K-5 students. You can use this video to spark discussion during your Morning Meeting or before a Veterans Day lesson. You can also check out this longer explanation from Kid Explorer!
Explore Character Traits Through a Veterans Day Lens
A Veterans Day activity centered around characteristics can be a perfect chance for your students to practice using descriptive adjectives to describe a member of the armed forces using words like “brave,” “heroic” and “inspiring.”
Create American Flag Collages
Are you looking for a way to add a tribute to Veterans Day to your art classes? Why not focus on the art of collage? Encourage students to create American flag collages using torn red, white, and blue construction paper.
Make Paper Plate Medals
Introduce your students to the different medals that soldiers have earned for their bravery, from the Medal of Honor to the Purple Heart, then have students design and decorate their own paper plate medals to honor veterans. Students can provide their own names and write an accompanying paragraph that explains why this is an important tribute to honor.
Build Soldier Bears
Read the book “Buddy the Soldier Bear” by Marie Joy, then have your students create these adorable little soldier bear thank you crafts to display in the hallway. The patriotic colors and handwritten notes make them the perfect hallway display during your Veterans Day celebrations at school.
Use a Veterans Day Google Interactive
For all your first-grade and kindergarten teachers out there, our teacher team has created this interactive Veterans Day Google Interactive activity so your students can learn about Veterans Day along with the branches of the U.S. military.
This is a perfect ready-to-use social studies lesson, appropriate for both independent or whole-group activity work.
Decorate Doves
After teaching your class that Veterans Day originated as a way to celebrate the official end of World War I on November 11, 1918, a peace dove craft may be appropriate.
Older kids can create origami doves using this handy origami bird instruction sheet, while younger students may simply want to fill in a dove coloring sheet.
Write a Letter From The Trenches
After learning about World War I and II, students can practice creative writing with their own “letter from the trenches,” imagining what they would have experienced as a soldier and using descriptive language to share that experience in a letter home to a parent or sibling.
Explore the 5Ws
After a lesson about Veterans Day, encourage your students to summarize what they’ve learned by sharing at least one fact under the 5 Ws — who are our veterans, what did they do, why do we honor them, when do we honor them, and where do people celebrate Veterans Day?
“Grow” a Freedom Tree
Make a “Freedom Tree” to show thankfulness for the hard work and bravery of the members of our armed forces. Students can make paper leaves with nice messages and hang them on a paper branch.
Remember to incorporate discussions about the importance of Veterans Day, the sacrifices made by veterans, and the significance of honoring them through art. These projects not only promote creativity but also help students gain a deeper appreciation for those who have served in the military.
What do you do in the classroom for Veterans Day?
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