This Saturday November 11th
is Veteran’s Day. Every year my kids and I try to do something special to share
our gratitude for our Veterans who have served, or are currently serving in our
military. I have a lot of family members who have served in every branch of the
armed forces, so I understand how valuable it is to those who have served to be
remembered. Veteran’s Day is set aside to honor those who have served and who
are currently serving in our military. Memorial Day is reserved for honoring
our military heroes who did not make it back home. Any veteran will tell
you thank-yous are not always necessary, but are appreciated.
It can be hard for little ones to
understand all that veterans’ sacrifice for us, but encouraging kids to share a
letter or craft will help them to relate the meaning of the holiday. A simple
coloring page you find on Pinterest, or a completely free hand drawing in
crayon are perfect and easy ways for kids to show their gratitude.
This year we are making homemade
cards and sending to a million thanks to be distributed to our military veterans.
I thought I’d share some other easy craft ideas to make at home with your little
ones.
American Flag Crafts – you can
find a gazillion and one American flag crafts on Pinterest. But the easiest thing
to do is let your kids color their own. Draw lines on white construction paper
and let them color in the red strips. Mark off a square to create the blue “union”
and add some star shaped stickers to represent the states. This is also a great way to introduce the meaning of our flag to your kids.
Star crafts – stars are frequently
used in the military in the form of decorating our heroes and as award metals.
Cutting out a star and writing the words “Thank You” makes a very simple card
to send to a veteran.
Free printables – if you want to
create something a little more structured there is no shame in printing up a
coloring page, or activity page for your kids to color in. Send off to a
veteran’s association to distribute, or send a handful of colored pages to a local
nursing home and ask them to distribute to veterans who will enjoy the
recognition.
Store bought cards- if you are
looking for a mess free way to share your thanks a hand written thank you note
on a pre-made card is just as appreciated. Read here for the dos and don’ts for
sending cards to a veteran.
Sharing our thanks should be easy
and fun for our little ones. Whether you decide to share your cards and crafts
with a veteran you’ve never met, or the neighbor down the street, your act of
kindness will be very much appreciated. And it will help your child understand
that Veteran’s day isn’t just another day off from school.
The Whatever Mom is a full-time wife and twin mama living on coffee and wine. She enjoys the pure rush of cleaning the BIG potty between loads of laundry. It is her dream that moms everywhere accept and embrace the Whatever Mom philosophy which can be found here. You can also find her musings and popular shares on Facebook and Twitter. Stay up to date with her creative ideas and outings on Pinterest.
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