Today is Mandela Day! Today we honor one of our greatest leaders in history. Today we pause to reflect and pay tribute The Honorable Nelson Mandela. Today would have been Madiba 96th birthday. Today we commit to #TimeToServe.
Google has honored Mr. Mandela with a beautiful interactive Google Doodle.
There are so many I love but today’s Google Doodle is officially my all time favorite. I want to share a few that make for a great learning opportunity with your kids. Because today is such a special day I will share today’s doodle on it’s own. It deserves to be celebrated that way. I’ll follow up with some of my other favorites next week.
Today’s Google Doodle Lesson: Nelson Mandela
I cried when I opened up my browser and saw Madiba’s likeness on a Google Doodle. I cried! And then I noticed an arrow on the side of the doodle so I clicked it. Along with some beautiful drawings of different times in Mr. Mandela’s life, there are a few of his quotes. Here are two from the interactive doodle. Check out the rest on Google today.
This tribute to Nelson Mandela is awesome on it’s own and as a lead for a lesson with your children. Take time today to share this Google Doodle with your kids and:
- Explain who Nelson Mandela was and his importance to our history.
- What Apartheid was?
- How Nelson Mandela survived and became the President of South Africa.
- What #Mandela Day and #TimeToServe means. Check out the Educator kit from MandelaDay.com
Brainstorm things you can do as a family for #MandelaDay. If you don’t have anything already planned here are some quick things you can do:
- Check in on a shut-in neighbor. Elderly, new mom, mom to be, disabled? Doesn’t matter. Stop by or call and offer to help out. Read a book, mow their lawn or pick up a few grocery items for them.
- Make handmade cards with your children. You could make cards with nice pictures and mail them to the local children’s hospital.
- Donate to a charity. The list is endless both here and abroad.
- Volunteer. Call a local organization and sign-up to volunteer. Take the family with you.
- The lesson you taught your child above counts. It will serve as the foundation for future Mandela Day #TimeToServe acts of charity.
How will you honor Nelson Mandela today?