Flag Day is celebrated in America every year on June 14th. On June 14th, 1777 the Continental Congress passed a resolution stating that the flag of the United States would be thirteen stripes, alternating red and white, and that the Union would be thirteen white stars, placed in a blue field on the flag. General Washington sought out Betsy Ross to make the first flag. Betsy was known for her intricate needlework, and she was already working in the flag-making business. Using a drawing from General Washington as a guide, Betsy created the first flag for the U.S.A.
Here are some ideas for honoring this patriotic holiday with your preschooler:
1. Create a red, white and blue collage. This is a craft that is very casual, but lots of fun. Gather all of the red, white and blue crafty items in your home. Think about scraps of material, old magazine pictures (your kids can find and cut these out), beads, straws, stickers, wrapping paper pieces and cotton balls. Be sure to use heavy cardboard at the base of the collage to allow for glue and craft items. Perhaps your preschooler would like to make a collage of The Statue of Liberty in America's colors. The sky is the limit with these fun and creative collages, so encourage your child's imagination!
Add glitter in the patriotic colors to create a sparkle, too.
2. Make a Flag Day cake with your preschool chef. Using a plain vanilla sheet cake as a base, cover the top with vanilla frosting or Cool Whip. Use fresh strawberries, blueberries and raspberries to create the flag design on top of the cake. Many children love doing this part of the recipe! If you choose a whip topping, be sure to refrigerate the leftovers.
3. Read together about this holiday, as well as about Betsy Ross. Her courage and patriotism left a lasting mark on American history. A great book for younger readers is Easy Reader Biographies: Betsy Ross: The Story of Our Flag by Pamela Chanko. Below you will find a selection of wonderful books, for preschoolers, about Flag Day, Betsy Ross, and U.S. History.
5. Listen to patriotic music, and sing along, too. "Your a Grand Old Flag" was a favorite of mine as a child. Check out the patriotic song cd's below, or visit your library to check some out. I tunes and other downloadable music sites also carry these time honored and festive songs.