In honor of Presidents’ Day, we put together some learning activities that you can do at home to explore American history. These activities are designed to engage your child in a hands-on and interactive way. Our children will remember what they've learned much longer when it is followed with active play.
These Presidents’ Day activities are perfect to use along with The Playful Pioneers curriculum or the Mid-Atlantic Guide.
1. Create a Presidential timeline- Start a timeline from George Washington to the current president. Include key events or accomplishments for each president. Visualizing the timeline of the presidents can help understand the historical context in which they served. Click here to purchase our American history timeline cards.
2. Presidential family trivia- Find fun facts about each president and create flashcards to play a family trivia game.
3. Presidents' Day art study- Have your child research and recreate the portraits of different presidents.
4. Presidential speeches and quotes- Select a few famous presidential speeches and discuss them. Read The Gettysburg Address here. For copywork, have your child write their favorite quote.
5. President inspired crafts- Paint a cherry tree using this tutorial or create your own presidential seal with markers and foil.
6. Bake a Washington pie- Cooking and baking always make holidays come to life, and we especially love this recipe, adapted from the Tasha Tudor Cookbook.
7. Write a letter- Practice letter writing skills by writing a letter to our current president.
8. Read books about Presidents- Here are some of our favorites:
Explore the Mid-Atlantic Guide booklist here.
The Buck Stops Here by Alice Provenson
George Washington:The First President by Sarah Albee
The Great Little Madison by Jean Fritz
George Washington by Ingri and Edgar d'Aulaire
Abe Lincoln: The Boy Who Loved Books by Kay Winters
Thomas Jefferson Builds a Library by Barb Rosenstock
Abraham Lincoln by Ingri and Edgar d'Aulaire
Mr. Lincoln’s Whiskers by Karen B. Winnick
Why Don't You Get a Horse, Sam Adams? by Jean Fritz
Thomas Jefferson by Cheryl Harnes
Bully For You, Teddy Roosevelt by Jean Fritz
When Washington Crossed the Delaware by Lynne Cheney
We hope your celebrations are full of joy. These special days in February can help bring fun into a winter season that often feels long.
Don't hesitate to ditch a program that is dragging your family down and start our life giving homeschool resources at any time of year.