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Memorial Day for Kids: Fun Activities That Teach Honor and Respect

May 22, 2025 by Mama Carmody Leave a Comment

Memorial Day is more than just the start of summer or a day for backyard barbecues. It’s also the perfect time to explore meaningful Memorial Day activities for kids that teach honor, gratitude, and remembrance in age-appropriate ways.

It’s a special time to honor the brave men and women who gave their lives while serving in the U.S. military. And yes, even young children can begin to understand the values of sacrifice, gratitude, and remembrance.

As a mom, teacher, and proud military family member, I believe in making learning meaningful—and fun! Below are some simple, heartfelt ways to help children learn about Memorial Day in age-appropriate and engaging ways.

 Leave a Coin to Show You Care

One Memorial Day, our family visited a military memorial together—my daughter, son-in-law (who is in the Army), my grandkids and me. As we walked around looking at the names and the memorials, we took part in a simple but powerful tradition: leaving coins on the headstones or memorials of veterans.

Each coin has a special meaning:

  • A Penny on a headstone is a common sign that someone visited the grave to show respect. 
  • A Nickel means that the visitor shared basic training with the deceased. 
  • A Dime means that the visitor served with the deceased service member. 
  • A Quarter is the most significant coin. It means you were with the veteran when they passed away.

Leaving a coin is a quiet way to say: “I remember and I’m thankful for your bravery.”

Watching my grandson point to the symbols and asking questions was a reminder that children are always learning. They may not fully understand everything, but they feel the importance of the moment. They learn by seeing, by doing, and by sharing these experiences with the people they love.

Family visiting 1st Cavalry Division Memorial at Fort Hood/Fort Cavazos, leaving coins to honor fallen soldiers on Memorial Day. Grandson pointing to symbols on monument.

📍 The memorial in our photos is located at Cooper Field near Legend’s Way at Fort Hood (now Fort Cavazos), Texas. It honors the 1st Cavalry Division troopers who served in the Persian Gulf War and Operation Iraqi Freedom, with the names of 69 brave individuals etched into its stone.

Free Printable: Thank You Cards to Leave With a Coin

To make this activity even more special, I created a free printable your child can leave with their coin. These small cards (there are 4 to a page) are the perfect size for little hands and include a space, on the back, for them to sign their name or write a short message.

📍 Click here and leave your email to get the free printable card set. Start a meaningful Memorial Day tradition with your family this year.

More Fun Ways to Celebrate and Learn

  • Visit a local veterans’ memorial and talk about the symbols and names you see.
  • Watch a short Memorial Day video made for children.
  • Read books that help kids understand bravery, honor, and loss (see below!).
  • Color a flag or soldier-themed coloring page.

You can also grab my Free Patriotic Coloring Pages available on Teachers Pay Teachers. They’re great for quiet time or creative reflection:  Get the free coloring pages here

More Memorial Day Resources

If you’re looking for even more ideas, be sure to visit my earlier blog post: Memorial Day Learning Activities

In that post, you’ll find:

  • A fingerprint poppy craft
  • A list of recommended children’s books about Memorial Day and military families that I reviewed myself.

Memorial Day is a wonderful opportunity to help children grow in understanding and gratitude. With just a few simple activities, you can help them connect with the deeper meaning of the day in a way that’s age-appropriate, loving, and memorable.

And remember—you don’t have to teach it all at once. Little hearts grow big with small, thoughtful lessons.

Wishing you a meaningful and memorable Memorial Day,
Mama Carmody

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Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Children’s holiday activities, Coin tradition Memorial Day, educational activities, family friendly, family friendly activities, Free Memorial Day printable, free printable, Honoring veterans with children, love to laugh and learn, Mama Carmody, Memorial Day, Memorial Day activities for kids, Memorial Day learning ideas, Military family traditions, Patriotic crafts for children, Teaching kids about Memorial Day

Celebrating the 4th of July with Children

July 1, 2015 by Mama Carmody 10 Comments

Celebrating the 4th of July with Children





4th of July! A time to celebrate the birthday of the United States of America. For me, the 4th of July is the 2nd biggest holiday of the year. I love celebrating the 4th and all it represents. I believe we, too often, fail to remember what it took to become a nation.

People traveled across the ocean, in uncomfortable conditions, to get to the New World. Once here, they experienced many hardships, including sickness and death. Settlements were established but then they realized they wanted to make their own laws and govern themselves. They had to fight to become independent and begin building their own nation. The freedoms we have today are granted to us because of the people that sacrificed their lives fighting for it. We need to appreciate and celebrate their sacrifices.

Patriotism has always been taught and celebrated in our family. It is something I have tried to instill in my children and now I hope to pass it on to my grandchildren. Now that I have a son-in-law serving in the Armed Forces, it means even more to me.

Celebrating the 4th of July with Children

You might be wondering how to teach your children the deeper meanings of the 4th of July. If you have been following me for very long you know I like to start with books. You will find several that I have read and reviewed below in the Story Time section. Choose a couple books and share them with your child. You will be surprised the conversations that will come up. Maybe not at the time you are reading but sometime over your 4th of July celebration, someone will bring up something you read to them in a book.

Start teaching your children how to respect the United States flag. Did you know that during a parade you are supposed to stand for the American Flag? You don’t have to stand every time you see one because, especially during an election year, many groups or floats might have the American flag with them. The very first American flag in a parade (usually carried by an Honor Guard) should be shown our respect by standing (removing head coverings) and placing your right hand over your heart. It’s not a time for chatting and goofing around but for remembering what the flag stands for and the cost of freedom. My 23 month old grandson is all ready learning this.

Craft

4th of July Puzzle from Craft Sticks

D.I.Y. Flag Puzzle

I got the inspiration for this from Ginger Snap Crafts. I did not use the 3 ½” sized sticks to hold all the pieces together because I wanted it to be a puzzle. Instead I put magnets on the back of each of the large sticks so my grandson could put them together on the metal pan he plays with.

I also found a new product: foam craft sticks. I was going to use the large wooden craft sticks for this craft but when I found the color foam sticks I decided to give them a try.

Foam Craft Sticks
Foam Craft Sticks

Materials Needed

Foam craft sticks (tongue depressor size)
Small star stickers
Magnets
White foam sheet
Glue
Scissors

Directions

  1. Cut the rounded end of 3 blue foam craft sticks into 3 inch pieces.
  2. Get 3 red foam craft sticks.
  3. There were no white craft sticks in the set I purchased so I bought a white piece of craft foam and cut out 2 white craft sticks, using one from the package as a pattern.
4th of July Craft: White foam craft sticks for flag puzzle craft.
4th of July Craft: White foam craft sticks for flag puzzle craft.
  1. Line up the longer foam sticks starting with a red stick, then alternate white and red.
  2. Glue the 3 short blue pieces on top of the top three large craft sticks. This makes your blue field for your stars.
  3. Add stars to the blue field. I couldn’t find white stars to purchase so I use a star shaped punch and punched them out of white card stock. I was hoping to punch them out of the white foam but the foam was too thick to get inside the punch.
    4th of July: Stars for Flag craft stick puzzle.
    4th of July: Stars for Flag craft stick puzzle.
  4. Turn the sticks over and add magnets to the backside.
    4th of July Craft: Attaching magnets to back of foam pieces.
    4th of July Craft: Attaching magnets to back of foam pieces.
  5. Now you can put your flag puzzle together.
    4th of July Craft: Flag Craft Stick Puzzle
    4th of July Craft: Flag Craft Stick Puzzle

Using the foam sticks made the project go quickly but if you want to make it more of a craft for your child, then I suggest using the wooden craft sticks and letting your child paint them the colors you need.

 

Story Time

(affiliate links included below)

Celebrate Independence Day: With Parades, Picnics, and Fireworks by Deborah Heiligman
Reading Level: Ages 6 to 10 yrs old
This is a picture book with bright illustrations and lots of information. Your child will learn a little of our history and a lot about celebrating. It shares many different ways American’s celebrate the 4th of July. You might dress in red, white and blue or you might head to the beach. If you need some ideas, you will find plenty in this book.

Independence Day (Our Country’s Holidays) by Sheri Dean
Reading Level: Ages 4 to 8 yrs old
Although this book mainly covers Independence Day for the United States, it also talks about Canada’s special independence day, which is called Canada Day. This is a great book for the younger child. It explains Independence Day in general terms. I like that it points out that Independence Day is our country’s birthday. Even young children understand the concept of a birthday and the fact that we celebrate it.

Independence Day (Holiday Histories) by Mir Tamim Ansary
Reading Level: Ages 6 to 8 yrs old
Although this is a picture book, it is packed with loads of information. If your child is interested in learning a little more about how the United States formed this book will be a great choice. It shares a little of the history of our ancestors coming from England. It talks of the first 13 original colonies and how they were treated by England. Your child will learn why we wanted our independence from England and ways we celebrate our nation’s birthday.

Independence Day (Holidays and Festivals) by Rebecca Rissman
Reading Level: Ages 3 to 6 yrs old
This is a great book to introduce the 4th of July to younger children. The text is fairly simple. It covers a little of the history of the United States without going into too much detail. The illustrations are a mixture of bright photographs and drawings.

Independence Day (Rookie Read-About Holidays) by Trudi Strain Trueit
Reading Level: Ages 5 to 8 yrs old
This is a cute little picture book that will help your child learn about Independence Day (4th of July). Your child will learn a little about our history and breaking from England. They will learn about some of the symbols and traditions for our 4th of July celebrations. How do you like to celebrate the 4th of July?

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Filed Under: Holidays Tagged With: 4th of July, 4th of July books, flag craft, Fourth of July, holiday, holiday fun, holidays, july, July 4th, patriotic

Memorial Day Learning Activities

May 30, 2016 by Mama Carmody Leave a Comment

Memorial Day Learning Activities

with free printables



Memorial Day is a special time to teach young children about honoring the brave men and women who gave their lives for our country. With simple explanations and meaningful activities, even preschoolers can begin to understand the importance of this national holiday. Below, you’ll find easy Memorial Day activities designed especially for young children to help them learn, remember, and show respect.

Content

What is Memorial Day?
Ways to Celebrate Memorial Day
Craft
Story Time

What is Memorial Day?

Did you know that the observation of Memorial Day was actually started to remember soldiers that lost their lives in the American Civil War? More soldiers died in the Civil War than any other war from then until now. That’s hard to believe, isn’t it?

Memorial Day was originally called Decoration Day. People would put flowers and flags on the graves of soldiers, to honor the sacrifice they made.

Many years later, World War I broke out between the countries of Europe. The United States entered the war and many U.S. soldiers lost their lives. Decoration Day was then changed to honor U.S. soldiers that died in any war, not just the American Civil War. People started calling the holiday Memorial Day.

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Ways to Celebrate Memorial Day
  1. Fly a United States flag, at your home, to honor the soldiers.
  2. Purchase flags or flowers, take them to a cemetery and put them on soldiers’ graves. If you take flowers, it would be a nice touch to add a laminated thank-you note. The reason I say to laminate it is because it will be out in the weather in a cemetery.
  3. Send a sympathy or thank you card to a family that lost a soldier in a war.
  4. Go to a parade, wave a flag, stand and cheer loudly for soldiers that march by. Be sure to yell, “thank you” a few times.

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Craft

Fingerprint Poppy Flower
I found this craft idea on the Craft Morning blog.

Fingerprint Poppy Craft with free printable
Fingerprint Poppy Craft with free printable
Materials Needed

Memorial Day template (This one was designed for my preschool class. Cut the 8 ½” x
11” piece of paper in half to create two pictures.)
Blue construction paper, cut in half to make two 4 ½” by 6” pieces
Red paint
Black paint
Green paint
Glue stick
Paint brush, small point brush
Paint brush, wide brush

Instructions
  • Glue ½ of the white template to the cut blue piece of construction paper.
  • Either have the child put his/her thumb in the red paint or use a paintbrush to cover the thumb with paint.
  • Make 4 or 5 thumbprints to create the petals.
Petals for Fingerprint Poppy craft
Petals for Fingerprint Poppy craft
  • Cover the tip of the index finger with black paint and place in the middle of the flower.
  • With small point paintbrush, make the flower stem.
Memorial Day: Fingerprint Poppy craft
Memorial Day: Fingerprint Poppy craft
  • With wide paintbrush, make overlapping X’s to create the grass at the bottom of the picture.
Memorial Day: Fingerprint Poppy Craft with free printable
Memorial Day: Fingerprint Poppy Craft with free printable
Fingerprint Poppy Craft by Crafty Morning
Fingerprint Poppy Craft by Crafty Morning

*Because I was using this craft in a 3 year old classroom, we only made one flower per paper. If I were doing this craft at home with just one or two children I would make several flowers on a 8 ½” X 11” piece of paper like the original craft from the Craft Morning blog. Here is a template for the larger size picture: Template for 8 ½” X 11”

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Story Time

Below are books that I have read and reviewed for your convenience. (affiliate links included)

Memorial Day (Holidays and Festivals) by Rebecca Rissman

Reading Level: Ages 4 to 6 yrs old
This is a great introduction to Memorial Day, for the young child. The text is simple and the information is basic. It does not go into a lot of depth about the wars and people dying although it does mention it. I would use this book in a preschool class.

Memorial Day (Let’s Celebrate) by Clara Cella

Reading Level: Ages 3 to 8 yrs old
This is probably my favorite book for the younger child. It gives very basic information as to what Memorial Day is and how we celebrate it. The illustrations are big beautiful photographs. The book suggests ways to thank soldiers that are currently serving. There is even a section in the back of the book with a craft and other activities to carry on the learning.

Memorial Day (Our Country’s Holidays) by Sheri Dean

Reading Level: Ages 4 to 8 yrs old
This little book is a great introduction to Memorial Day. There aren’t a lot of details on the history of Memorial Day but your child will get the general idea of why we are celebrating. I would use this book with a younger child that is just beginning to learn about Memorial Day.

Memorial Day (Our Nation’s Pride Set 2) by Karen Latchana Kenney

Reading Level: Ages 5 to 8 yrs old
If you are wanting to share some basic information about Memorial Day with your children, this is a nice book. It shares about the reason we celebrate this holiday as well as some of the things we do to observe it. Your child will hear about wearing poppies and how to fly a flag on this special day. There is even a section at the back of the book with some additional fun facts.

Memorial Day (True Books: Holidays) by Christin Ditchfield

Reading Level: Ages 6 yrs old and up
You will find some very interesting facts about Memorial Day in this book. Did you know that Memorial Day was first started to honor the soldiers that lost their lives in the Civil War? I didn’t realize that myself. We now recognize and honor the soldiers that have died in any American fought war. This book shares the reason that poppies are associated with Memorial Day.

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Related Posts

Celebrating Flag Day

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Filed Under: Holidays, Learning Activities Tagged With: books about Memorial Day, craft for Memorial Day, crafts, flowers, Memorial Day, Memorial Day preschool, military, poppy, preschool lessions

Celebrating Flag Day

June 11, 2015 by Mama Carmody 23 Comments

Celebrating Flag Day




Did you know that not only do we celebrate Flag Day but there is a whole week dedicated to it? Flag Day is observed on June 14th, which is the beginning of Flag Week, that lasts until June 20th.

Celebrating Flag Day
Celebrating Flag Day

Your child might ask why we are celebrating a big striped cloth. Well, it’s not so much the flag that we are celebrating but what it stands for. It represents our freedom and all the people that have been injured or died to give us our freedoms. Not all countries get to go to church and worship God the way they want to. In some countries, people would be put in jail for speaking out against their government. We are a blessed nation and we need to remember and teach our children about the sacrifices made to get us here.

Pledge of Allegiance

A great way to celebrate Flag Day and Week would be to learn the Pledge of Allegiance. The pledge is not recited in schools like it was when I was young. We started each day with the Pledge of Allegiance. There is a good chance that your child is not learning this in school so this is something you can work on together.

If you don’t remember how it goes, here it is:

(Place your right hand over your heart)
“I pledge allegiance to the flag,
Of the United State of America,
And to the Republic for which it stands,
One nation, under God, indivisible,
with liberty and justice for all.”

Craft

I usually like to create my own crafts but I found this cute American flag dot craft on the Meaningful Mama blog.When I taught preschool, the kids loved Do-A-Dot paints. I can’t wait to try this one with my 2 year old grandson. There is a free printable included. Click on the picture and it will take you to her website, where you will find the printable.

Flag Day: American Flag Craft
Flag Day: American Flag Craft

Snack

I found this great appetizer plate, on The Better Mom. It would be great for celebrating Flag Day.

Flag Day: Fruit and Cheese Plate
Flag Day: Fruit and Cheese Plate

I recreated it, on a smaller scale, with different fruits, for my grandson. Berries upset his stomach so I used purple grapes, apples and cheese. You could also use watermelon and banana.

Flag Day Snack using grapes, apples and cheese.
Flag Day Snack using grapes, apples and cheese.

Story Time (affiliate links included)

I read and reviewed these books myself.

   A Flag for All by Larry Dane Brimner
Reading Level: Ages 4 to 8 yrs old
This is a simple little book that would be great to introduce your young child to Flag Day. It shares what the stars and stripes, on the flag, represent. Your child will also learn a little about what the flag means to different people. I love the way the kids bring the community together to form a big flag made of people.

Flag Day (Our Country’s Holidays) by Sheri Dean
Reading Level: Ages 3 to 8 yrs old
Although this is a good book to introduce young children to Flag Day, I wish it had a few more details. This book doesn’t cover what the stars and stripes represent but it does talk about proper handling of a flag. Even though it doesn’t have a lot of detail, I would still use it with a younger child.

Flag Day (Celebrations in My World) by Robert Walker
Reading Level: Ages 5 to 10 yrs old
This book is for a little older child and is crammed full of information about Flag Day. Your child will learn some of the history of our flag and the first Flag Day. They will learn about the different designs of the flag, over the years. The Pledge of Allegiance and other ways to celebrate Flag Day are included.

Flag Day (Holiday Histories) by Mir Tamim Ansary
Reading Level: Ages 5 to 8 yrs old
There is a lot to learn in this little book but it is written in a fun, picture-book style. Your child will learn some of the history of the flag and why flags were invented. I learned that, in the beginning, a star AND a stripe were added with each new state. The flag started looking too crowded so they went back to having thirteen stripes and just adding a star with each new state. Your child will also learn about some of those early celebrations. How will you celebrate Flag Day?

Filed Under: Holidays Tagged With: 4th of July, flag, Flag Day, Fourth of July, holiday, patriotic

“Someone I Love Has Gone to Heaven”

March 6, 2021 by Mama Carmody Leave a Comment

.

A story to help your child understand the relationship of body and spirit, of death and heaven.
“Someone I Love Has Gone to Heaven” -A story to help your child understand the relationship of body and spirit, of death and heaven.

“Someone I Love Has Gone to Heaven” is my first published children’s book. I am so excited to share this with you. It is now available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble website, and the Walmart website . 

Back Story

I would like to give you a little insight as to how this book came about.

When my two girls were young, we had a very close friend named Brandon. He was a strong, active, young man, in his early 20’s. Within three weeks time, he developed a bad cough that he couldn’t get rid of. After a few doctor’s appointments, they decided to take him in for exploratory surgery. Once they opened him up they realized his body was full of cancer. As they were trying to finish up the surgery a piece of the cancer broke loose and went into his bloodstream. He died instantly.

My Dilemma 

How do you explain death to small children? Brandon had been such a big part of our life and now he was gone. Well, God revealed to me how to use a small object, that the girls were quite fond of, to explain the relationship of the body and spirit. 

Years Later

Several years later, my girls are grown and now I have two young grandchildren. Their Papa dies (my husband) and God reminds me of the object lesson. I use it with my grandchildren to help them understand the death of their grandfather. 

The Result

While creating special books for my grandchildren, God prompted me to create a story for all families to use. The story is written from the little boy’s perspective, after his grandfather’s death. It is my prayer that this book helps you and your child in the explanation and understanding of life and death.

May God bless you with peace and understanding during your times of loss and sorrow. ~ Mama Carmody

“Someone I Love Has Gone to Heaven” – Papa and Grandson

Book Trailer

“Someone I Love Has Gone to Heaven: A Sweet Object Lesson” by Karen Carmody

Filed Under: Children's Books Tagged With: body, death, died, God, grandparent, heaven, Jesus, sick, Someone I Love Died, Someone I Love Went to Heaven, spirit

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