Love to Laugh and Learn

Fun and interesting learning activities to do with the children in your life

Celebrating Flag Day

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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?

Related Posts

The American Flag and Its Hidden Message

Celebrating the 4th of July with Children

Favorite Mother’s Day Handprint and Footprint Crafts

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Favorite Mother’s Day Handprint and Footprint Crafts

Favorite Mother's Day handprint and footprint crafts.
Favorite Mother’s Day handprint and footprint crafts.




Favorite Mother’s Day Crafts

Mother’s Day has always been extra special to me—especially when my children were young. I always enjoyed receiving crafts made from their little hands and feet. They usually made them at school and brought them home for Mother’s Day. Now that I’m a grandmother, I once again love receiving those special presents.

Salt Handprint Ornaments

Our first grandchild was born in July of 2013. For Christmas that year, we received a special little handprint ornament. I was lucky enough to be there when my daughter and grandson were making them. Even at 5 months old, he enjoyed making crafts. My daughter said she got the idea from the post, “Salt Dough Handprint Ornaments” by Olive Juice Mama.

My special handprint gift from my daughter and grandson.
My special handprint gift from my daughter and grandson.

With Mother’s Day around the corner, I thought I would share some of my favorite handprint and footprint crafts (hint, hint to my daughter).

Handprint Bouquet

This handprint bouquet would be perfect for Mother’s Day. I found this craft on Happily Frazzled.

Handprint Bouquet, courtesy of Pinkie for Pink
Handprint Bouquet

Footprint Butterflies

I fell in love with these footprint butterflies the first time I laid my eyes on them. I especially like that they are created on a canvas so they can be hung on the wall. These came from Project Balancing Act.

Butterfly Footprints, courtesy of Project Balancing Act
Butterfly Footprints, courtesy of Project Balancing Act

Handprint/Footprint Apron

I love the outdoors, especially in spring. This apron reminds me of a warm spring day, and it’s decorated with handprint flowers and a footprint butterfly. I found it on Little Page Turners’ blog.

Handprint/Footprint Apron, courtesy of Little Page Turners
Handprint/Footprint Apron, courtesy of Little Page Turners

Fingerprint Hyacinths

I thought using fingerprints to create these hyacinths was genius. Aren’t they adorable? This came from Dali’s Moustache.

Fingerprint Hyacinths, courtesy of Dali's Moustache
Fingerprint Hyacinths, courtesy of Dali’s Moustache

Fingerprint Pendants

If you like jewelry, these fingerprint pendants are perfect. You can have a piece of your little one with you wherever you go. Don’t forget to put the child’s name and date on the back. I found this craft on A Girl and a Glue Gun.

Fingerprint Necklace, courtesy of A Girl and a Glue Gun
Fingerprint Necklace, courtesy of A Girl and a Glue Gun

Handprint Flower Pot

If you have a passion for working in the dirt, planting flowers, vegetables or herbs’ then I bet you would love to receive this special little flower pot. This came from Michellan.

Fingerprint Planter, courtesy of Michellan
Fingerprint Planter, courtesy of Michellan

Love Canvas Art

Here is another special canvas piece. It’s the word “love” made with your little one’s handprints and footprints. This came from Country & Victorian Times.

Love Plaque, courtesy of Country & Victorian Times
Love Plaque, courtesy of Country & Victorian Times

Plaque

What grandmother wouldn’t love this piece of art?! I just need it to say Mama instead of Grandma. I found this on I Watch Them Grow.

"I Love You Grandma" plaque, courtesy of I Watch Them Grow
“I Love You Grandma” plaque, courtesy of I Watch Them Grow

I hope you enjoyed some of these special crafts. If you are now a grandparent, share this post with your children and give them a hint as to which items you would love to receive for Mother’s Day. I would accept any of them, with great joy. Which one is your favorite?

Earth Day: Gardening with Children

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Earth Day: Gardening with Children

As Earth Day approaches, I want to share, with you, the joys of gardening with children. My love of gardening came from my father. He was raised on a farm in West Virginia, and although he married and became an electrical engineer, his love of the land never faded. As I was growing up, Dad and Mom always planted a garden. Sometimes it was small and other times it was huge. Digging in the dirt, playing with worms and watching the plants, start as small seedlings and grow large enough to produce the food for our table, was a treat. I will admit that the weeding and breaking bushel after bushel of green beans got a bit tedious at times; but the vegetables we grew in our garden were better than anything we bought at the store.

I don’t have the green thumb that my Dad and Mom have but I continue to try. A few years ago, because of several health issues my husband has, we decided to try our hand at organic gardening. We chose the Square Foot Gardening method, as taught by Mel Bartholomew. It can be a little expensive in the beginning but I love it because I don’t need a rototiller to break up the ground. It is always soft, loose and easy to work in. And since it’s so easy to work with, it makes gardening with children a breeze.

One of the areas I fail miserably at is having the time to take care of my garden the way it needs to be. I work full time and I live far enough from my workplace that I don’t have a lot of time to dedicate to gardening. It’s mid-April and this is what my garden currently looks like:

Gardening with Children: Garden Needs Work
Gardening with Children: Garden Needs Work

I know, I was taught better than that. I should all ready have my onions and radishes in the ground. I was hoping to have my little helper (my great-nephew) last weekend but he and his mom were busy. Even though he wasn’t able to help me this past weekend, I can share the fun we had getting the garden ready two years ago.

Jeremiah was 21 months old, so as you can see, you can start gardening with your children when they are quite young. Here is one of the reasons that the Square Foot Gardening method works well when gardening with children; the dirt was so soft and loose that he was easily able to help me pull out weeds and old plants. He also helped me loosen the dirt by digging and raking. At first, he wasn’t too sure about getting dirt on his hands but the longer we worked the more he got into it. And I really mean he got INTO it! LOL!

Gardening with Children: Digging in the Garden
Gardening with Children: Digging in the Garden

There is so much learning that can happen while gardening. Realizing that vegetables grow on plants before they get to the store can be a lesson in itself. You can discuss how worms and certain bugs help the garden while other bugs hurt it. Learning about weather, and how the garden needs rain and sunshine to grow, are other lessons. You might find that your child is willing to try different vegetables when they have had a hand in growing and caring for them. One unexpected thing you might find growing, while working in the garden with your child, is the bond between the two of you. So put on some old clothes, grab some rakes and shovels and start growing your own memories.

Gardening with Children: Lessons to learn and memories to make.

Tissue Covered Shamrock Craft

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Tissue Covered Shamrock Craft
with free printable




This shamrock is adapted from my Shimmery Shamrock craft on my post, Learning Activities for the Color Green. Since the legend is that Saint Patrick used the 3-leaved shamrock to demonstrate how God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit exist and work as One, I thought this craft should be changed to a 3-leaved shamrock.

Materials Needed

Materials needed for tissue covered shamrock craft.
Materials needed for tissue covered shamrock.

White cardstock
3-leaved shamrock printable
White liquid glue
Foam applicator or paintbrush
Green tissue paper or napkins of different shades
Scissors

Directions

1. Print a copy of the 3-leaved shamrock onto the white cardstock.

3-leaved shamrock craft printable
3-leaved shamrock craft printable

2. Cut the tissue paper/napkins into, approximately, one inch squares. (I purchased tissue paper at the Dollar Tree. I received several colors for $1)

3. Pour some glue onto a disposable plate.

4. Use the foam applicator or paintbrush to spread the glue on the pieces of the
shamrock. Attach the pieces of green tissue paper or napkins. Be sure to overlap them so you cover up all the white.

Tissue covered shamrock craft.
Tissue covered shamrock craft.

5. After it has dried cut the pieces apart.

6. Now you can glue your shamrock together for a beautiful creation.

Enjoy Saint Patrick’s Day with this fun tissue covered shamrock.

To learn more about Saint Patrick, please check out my post, Saint Patrick’s Day Storyboard. There are several book suggestions as well as a free printable activity.

Related Posts

Saint Patrick’s Day Storyboard
Learning Activities for the Color Green

Saint Patrick’s Day Storyboard

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Saint Patrick’s Day Storyboard
with free downloadable activities




I’ve always enjoyed holidays (decorating, dressing in festive outfits or colors) so I have always enjoyed celebrating Saint Patrick’s Day. As I was deciding what I wanted to put into my Saint Patrick’s Day post I realized I didn’t really know why we celebrate it. Oh, you will see me dressed in green, possibly with a shamrock somewhere on my outfit, but I wasn’t sure why. I thought some of you might be in the same predicament, so my post is going to cover some of the history of Saint Patrick’s Day.

Contents

Introducing Saint Patrick’s Day
Storyboard
Story Time
Related Posts
Acknowledgements

Introducing Saint Patrick’s Day

You might think that your child is too young to be learning history but, in reality, the earlier you introduce it and the more fun you have with it, the more likely they will enjoy it. As I state in every learning activity, I like to start with a book. Books are fun. The excitement in a child’s eyes, when they get to see or experience something they read in a book, is priceless.

I’ve listed and reviewed several picture books below in the story time section. Each of them covers some aspect of the history and meanings behind Saint Patrick’s Day. You should be able to pick most of them up at your local library. Here are 3 of my favorites, I would recommend, for beginning this learning activity:

Story Time

For 4 to 8 yrs old: St. Patrick’s Day (Holiday Histories) by Jennifer Blizin Gillis

For 6 to 8 yrs old: Saint Patrick’s Day (Holidays and Celebrations) by Ann Heinrichs Includes Irish poems, songs, a recipe and a craft.

For 8 yrs old and up: St. Patrick’s Day (Best Holiday Books) by Dorothy Rhodes Freeman

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Storyboard

Getting to tell or “read” a story by yourself seems to be one of the many joys of childhood. At least my 3 year old great-nephew really likes to take books, look at the pictures and make up his own story. In light of that, I thought making up a storyboard, about Saint Patrick, might be a fun way to celebrate this special holiday.

This activity will work best after reading at least one of the suggested books. I have created 2 versions of the storyboard. One version is for the younger child. It has all the pictures on it. The other version has several pictures missing from the storyboard. This is to encourage the child to work on sequence of events as well as retelling the story. I recommend laminating the storyboard and cards so they last longer.

After reading a book or two about Saint Patrick, take out the storyboard and cards. Have the child look over the storyboard. See if they can match or put the pictures in order (depending on the age of the child) and explain what happened in the story.

Click on the pictures below to download your free storyboards and cards.
F.Y.I. – The first page is the set of cards that will need to be cut apart.
The second page is the storyboard. The third page gives short storylines for each piece of the story; so you can help direct the storytelling.

Storyboard for Younger Child

Enjoy learning about Saint Patrick and this special holiday with this fun Saint Patrick's Day Storyboard for the Younger Child
Enjoy learning about Saint Patrick and this special holiday with this fun Saint Patrick’s Day Storyboard for the Younger Child

Storyboard for Older Child (yes there is a difference, open them and see)

Enjoy learning about Saint Patrick and this special holiday with this fun Saint Patrick's Day Storyboard for the Older Child
Enjoy learning about Saint Patrick and this special holiday with this fun Saint Patrick’s Day Storyboard for the Older Child

Alternative ways to Play:

  1. After the child has gone through the storyboard a few times try this different way of playing. Give the child the storyboard and then turn all the cards facedown. Have the child pick out one card and see if he/she can find where it should go on the storyboard.
  2. For multiple children: Print off a storyboard and set of cards for each child playing. Give each child a storyboard. Take the cards, shuffle them and place them upside down in a pile in the middle of the table. Take turns picking a card off the top of the pile. Place it on your board and tell the part of the story it represents. If you all ready have that card, place it face up in a discard pile. The turn goes to the next child. The first child to fill his/her board and tells the story wins. If you get to the end of the stack and no one has filled their storyboard then shuffle the discard deck and put it upside down in the center of the table again. Keep going until someone fills their board.

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Story Time

St. Patrick’s Day by Gail Gibbons
Reading Level: Ages 4 to 8yrs old
I like this book for introducing the younger child to Saint Patrick and the meanings behind the holiday. It gives quite a bit of history but, with only a few sentences per page and lots of pictures, it should hold a younger child’s interest. The story covers the fact that Saint Patrick was kidnapped and forced to be a slave, in Ireland, but then escaped. It tells of his devotion to God and how he felt he should return to Ireland and tell the people about God. You child will learn the meanings behind some of the symbols we use when celebrating Saint Patrick’s Day. Sit down with your little one and enjoy learning about Saint Patrick.

St. Patrick’s Day (Best Holiday Books) by Dorothy Rhodes Freeman
Reading Level: Ages 8 and up
This picture book is for a little older child. I am very impressed with the details it gives, about Saint Patrick, while keeping it enjoyable. Your child will learn, in a little more detail, of the struggles of Saint Patrick and how he felt God’s hand on him. There is information on several of the legends surrounding Saint Patrick. Your child is encouraged to decide which ones might be true. There is information on the celebration of Saint Patrick’s Day and some of the symbols associated with it. If your child is interested in learning a few more details about Saint Patrick, this is a good book to pick up.

St. Patrick’s Day (Holiday Histories) by Jennifer Blizin Gillis
Reading Level: Ages 4 to 8 yrs old
This is my favorite St. Patrick’s Day book for younger children. It has a wonderful mixture of photos and illustrations, to keep little eyes interested, as you are reading. This simple little book does a great job of covering the major points on the history of Saint Patrick. The information is clear and concise so your little one will get an idea of what St. Patrick’s Day is all about. One of the facts this story brought out (and I hadn’t thought about) is that there are now more people of Irish descent in the United States than there are in Ireland. I highly recommend sharing this book with the little ones in your life. You will be surprised how much they learn about Saint Patrick.

St. Patrick’s Day (Celebrations in My World) by Molly Aloian
Reading Level: Ages 5 and up
I like books that actually teach history an interesting way. Your children will enjoy a lot of great photographs while learning about Saint Patrick. This book covers Saint Patrick’s kidnapping as a young teenager and his calling to return to Ireland. Your children will learn of some of the ways we still celebrate the holiday today. I enjoyed this book because not only does it cover the history but also some of the music and food of Ireland.

Saint Patrick’s Day (Holidays and Celebrations) by Ann Heinrichs
Reading Level: Ages 6 to 8 yrs old
If you are interested in teaching your child about Saint Patrick’s Day, this is a great little book. It is broken up into one or two page chapters with just a few sentences on each page. There are lots of illustrations to enjoy. Your child will learn about who Saint Patrick was and the love he had for the Irish people. You will learn a couple of the legends surrounding Saint Patrick. Enjoy Irish poems and a recipe for Irish Soda Bread.

St. Patrick’s Day (Library of Holidays) by Amy Margaret
Reading Level: Ages 5 to 8 yrs old
If you are wanting your children to learn about some of the history behind Saint Patrick’s Day, this is a great book to share with them. The book covers the story of Saint Patrick being kidnapped and taken to Ireland. Your children will learn of his concern for the Irish people. They will also learn about some of the symbols surrounding Saint Patrick’s Day. This is a great book for your 5 to 8 year old to learn more about the reasons for the holiday.

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Related Posts

Learning Activities for the Color Green

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Acknowledgements

Dancing Crayon Designs

Some of the images for the Saint Patrick’s Day Storyboard were created by Dancing Crayon Designs

Artistic-Educational-Clip-Art-Purple-dragon2x2 copy

Some of the images for the Saint Patrick’s Day Storyboard were created by Artistic Educational Clip Art

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