Runnemede, NJ (Grassroots Newswire) June 24, 2014 - With Memorial Day
having just passed, and July 4th just around the corner, many children can
easily mistake these national holidays (and others) as just another reason
to celebrate. Synonymous with backyard barbecues, parades, and bright,
colorful firework displays, the Fourth of July, also known as Independence
Day, is anything but your average holiday. While celebrating is
wonderful, we need to ensure that children understand the history that is
behind the festivities that occur on our national holidays.
Tony Serrano, Franchise Owner of Kiddie Academy of Runnemede, an
educationally focused child care provider in Runnemede, believes that it’s
important for children to learn about history – on a national, local and
family level – and to help children understand that each of them is, in
fact, a living part of that history. “Taking this view of history makes
that common childhood question - ‘Where did I come from?’- take on a whole
new meaning,” says Serrano. “When children learn that they are not only
members of a family, but also of a community and a state and a nation and
the world, it expands the horizon of their imaginations and helps them see
their own experiences, beliefs and ambitions in context.”
As summer vacations begin, Serrano offers the following suggestions for
family activities that will help children form connections to local,
family, national, and even global history – as they develop their
* Visit your local historical society to learn about your hometown. Who
are the key figures that played a role in your town’s founding? What
contributions did your town or state make to the history of the United
Explore one of the 400 parks administered by the U.S. National Park
Service. Many have historic significance to the founding and development
of our nation. You can search by state at the National Parks website:
http://www.nps.gov/index.htm. Park rangers give regular informational
tours at most sites.
Trace your family’s history. Build a family tree – there are multiple
websites and apps to make creating a family tree easier than ever before.
Local historical societies also contain many genealogy resources.
Study maps, both historical and the Google Earth varieties. How did the
state borderlines get drawn? Who decided the shape of each state?
Visit The Library of Congress website’s Places in History section to
review a wide variety of maps that document historic sites:
Discover how your state got its name. Mental Floss has a resource here:
“History should be more than just a subject that our children study in
school,” says Serrano. “Each city, town and state has its own story that
when combined with all the others helps to make our country unique.
Exploring your community’s history is a fantastic way to bring history
alive in a very personal way that can help children better understand how
the world around them works, as well as how they fit into that world.”
For more information about Kiddie Academy of Runnemede, please contact
Tony Serrano at 856-939-1717 or email@example.com or visit
About Kiddie Academy®
Since 1981, Kiddie Academy® has been a leader in education-based child
care. The company serves families and their children ages 6 weeks to 12
years old, offering full time care, before- and after-school care and
summer camp programs. Kiddie Academy’s proprietary Life Essentials®
curriculum, supporting programs, methods, activities and techniques help
prepare children for life. Kiddie Academy is using the globally
recognized AdvancED accreditation system, signifying its commitment to
quality education and the highest standards in child care. For more
information, visit www.kiddieacademy.com.
About Kiddie Academy® Franchising
Kiddie Academy International, Inc. is based in Maryland and has nearly 120
academies located in 23 states, including two company-owned locations.
Approximately 30 additional academies are in development, with 15 to 20
new locations slated to open each year. For more information, visit