Toddlers can only delve into the spirit of 4th of July so far. It is equally important to equate the day with history as it is to the excitement of fireworks. The day before the festivities, draw up some picture flash cards with bits of U.S. history, and tell toddlers that their end prize will be flashy and exciting.
4th of July Toddler Flash Cards
Here are some ideas on what to put on the flash cards.
- Pictures of favorite presidents
- Pictures of the fifty states
- A map of the U.S.
- Pictures of the framers of the Constitution (hard to come by, but there are pictures of the most popular framers like Benjamin Franklin, George Mason, James Madison, and George Washington. Four pictures of old men should be enough for toddlers.)
- Pictures of the thirteen original colonies
- Pictures of early American flags
4th of July Activities for Older Children
Throughout the day, have children name the presidents they already know and give one fact about them. Prime them the night before with a few facts on freedom and liberty. For example, explain that Abraham Lincoln freed the slaves, and that was one of his token additions to the freedom of the U.S.
Aside from the presidents, teach children about the framers of the constitution. Make a spreadsheet with bits of information about each one. In public school, kids might learn about the presidents, but they might not know about the less popular framers like George Wythe or Hugh Williamson. Here is a complete list of the framers.
- William Pierce
- Abraham Baldwin
- Richard Bassett
- Gunning Bedford
- John Blair
- William Blount
- David Brearly
- Jacob Broom
- Pierce Butler
- Daniel Carroll
- George Clymer
- William Richardson Davey
- Jonathan Dayton
- John Dickinson
- Oliver Ellsworth
- William Few
- Thomas Fitzsimmons
- Benjamin Franklin
- Elbridge Gerry
- Nicholas Gilman
- Nathaniel Gorham
- Alexander Hamilton
- William Churchill Houston
- Jared Ingersoll
- Daniel Jenifer of St Thomas
- William Samuel Johnson
- Rufus King
- John Langdon
- John Lansing
- William Livingston
- James Madison
- Alexander Martin
- Luther Martin
- George Mason
- James McClurg
- James McHenry
- Thomas Mifflin
- Gouverneur Morris
- Robert Morris
- William Paterson
- Charles Pinckney
- Charles Cotesworth Pinckney
- Edmund Randolph
- George Read
- John Rutledge
- Roger Sherman
- Richard Dobbs Spaight
- Caleb Strong
- George Washington
- Hugh Williamson
- James Wilson
- George Wythe
- Robert Yates
William Pierce was one of the framers who spoke very little at the constitutional convention, but kept a journal about what he thought of the other framers which is amusing. Visit the site to learn about his musings to use in your activities of the day, or use demographic data and categorize the framers by state.
Another fun thing to do would be to pull out money and if the older kids guess the names right, they get to keep the money. Make them work a little harder to get this point if using bigger bills.
Remember to use this time to learn something new and create a learning tradition within the family. When started early enough, constitutional games will become pleasant memories that kids will love and learn to appreciate over time.
Carmen Sofia Grant - Carmen is a social media marketer, freelance writer, and blogger. Her favorite blogs are MomCrunch and Social Media Examiner.com
