Presidents Day
Make it a Worthy Day
If it is the third Monday in February — it must be Presidents Day!
Folks with longer memories may think of it as Washington’s Birthday or maybe even Lincoln’s Birthday. But in a bid to create a three-day weekend, Congress created the Uniform Holiday Act in 1971, and now we set this special day aside to honor our presidents.
It is a time to reflect on our history and our values, especially with our children. As Thomas Jefferson said, “The qualifications for self-government are not innate. They are the result of habit and training.”
Parents can play a critical role. If you are looking for something patriotic to do this Presidents’ Day — and we don’t mean shopping to support the economy — we’ve put together some activities to do with your kids.
Volunteer
One of the most important things we can teach our children is to understand and support our communities. The Corporation for National and Community Service provides lots of ideas to help children develop good citizenship — from making cards for nursing home residents or helping with a book drive to volunteering to help the needy in your community. You can find even more ideas at 35 Service Projects for Kids.
Looking for a place to volunteer? California Volunteers links you to nonprofits and public agencies in your communities. And here is an opportunity that is really close to home: Encourage your student to become a student member of your PTSA and join the conversation on how to help your school.
(Hint: You can also put these into action AFTER the holiday weekend.)
Learn Together
Whose faces are carved on Mt. Rushmore, and why? Try to carve out some time to take a closer look at our presidents. Who was GREAT and who was, well — not so much? C-SPAN's Historians Survey on Presidential Leadership gives some insight.
For a review of the presidents in music, thank the White House Historical Society:
To find out more about a favorite president, visit CSPAN’s award-winning series American Presidents Life Portraits.
The Presidents Through the Arts
Learn more about our presidents through the arts. Here are some favorites:
- Presidential $1 Coin Program | U.S. Mint.
The United States honors our Presidents by issuing $1 coins featuring their images. Take a close look at the presidential images and read a bit of history about each president. - Presidential Campaign Songs, 1789-1996 - Smithsonian Folkways.
Which Presidents hummed these ditties? Keep Cool and Keep Coolidge… I’m Just Wild About Harry… California Here We Come… Don’t Stop Thinking About Tomorrow. Listen on this site. - A Visual History of Presidential Campaign Posters:
From the Archives of the Library of Congress, this website takes us back in time before tweets and tv commercials to look at posters from presidential campaigns. - Washington Crossing the Delaware: interactive lesson from PBS.
Here is a chance look at one of the most famous American Presidential pictures and analyze history through art.
Quizzes, Puzzles, and More
Theses quizzes and puzzles are a quick way to learn a little bit more—and are easy to do with your kids. Watch out...they may beat you.
- Presidents Day Quiz for Beginners
- Presidents Day Quiz for Experts
- Presidents Day Videos from History.com
- Lincoln Myths and Misconceptions
- Identify the President
Thanks for all you do for kids and families in your community!
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