Presidents Day for Kids

Presidents Day is an American holiday to honor and remember the leaders of the nation. It’s a combination of the celebrations for the birthdays of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, both of whom were born in February. While they are the emphasis, it’s a time to celebrate other people who have been president as well.

123 Homeschool 4 Me has a mini unit on Presidents Day that includes a worksheet for kids to design a new coin, write about what they would do as president and explore who they would add to Mount Rushmore.

Kindergarten Creations has a writing activity for kids to write what they would do if they were president, complete with a cute photo of the kid decorated in the style of Washington or Lincoln. Older kids can write more than younger ones but this is a fun activity for a range of ages.

Get free printable worksheets about Abraham Lincoln from The Purposeful Nest.

Do a little Presidents Day STEM by cleaning some coins with guidance from the US Mint. Speaking of coins, you can also do coin rubbings or make patterns with coins (or do math with coins, for that matter!). These and other ideas are on the list from The Educator’s Spin on It.

Learn a bit about some of the favorite foods of the presidents from Make and Takes, and maybe make a presidential inspired snack. (Fun fact: Joe Biden loves peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.)

You can also read books about the presidents or do presidential Mad Libs. A few good books with general information about the presidents include A Kid’s Guide to U.S. Presidents, Facts and Stories about the Presidents of the United States of America for Curious Kids and Our Country’s Presidents, which is a National Geographic book.

Older kids can learn about the qualifications to be president and host a mock election campaign (also great for 2024 as I write this because it’s an election year).

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Resources for Learning about George Washington Carver

The celebration of Our Lady of Guadalupe is important throughout Mexico and other parts of the world. Her feast day is Dec. 12, and the celebrations honoring her appearance to Juan Diego in 1531 begin a few days before that.

Whether you celebrate yourself or just want to share about the celebration at home or in your classroom, Las Mañanitas: The Beautiful Celebration of Our Lady of Guadalupe is a good place to start. The book, by Ernesto Joel Vega Rosales and Jeanette Gonzalez Seneviratne, with illustrations by Dana Sanmar, tells the story of a family’s celebration of the feast day in both English and Spanish.

They prepare with a novena, which is nine days of prayers and preparations. The children, Lucia and Pablo, are given special outfits made by their grandmother that look like what Juan Diego might have worn when he saw Our Lady. The book describes the prayers that are made each day, such as a prayer for respect for life, for families and for the indigenous people of the Americas, to name a few.

As told in the book, Juan Diego was a native Mexican born near modern day Mexico City. His given name was Cuaauhtlatoatzin, which means “He who speaks like an eagle.” When he converted to Christianity his name was changed to Juan Diego, and as he walked to church he passed a hill called Tepeyac. One day he heard the birds singing especially beautifully and a voice called him to go to the top of the hill.

There he saw Our Lady of Guadalupe, who asked him to tell the bishop she wanted a chapel built in her name at the foot of the hill. The bishop asked for a sign that Juan Diego really saw her, and later she had him collect flowers that she blessed and take them to the bishop. When Juan Diego dropped the flowers, an image of Our Lady could be seen on his cloak, which is still on display in her basilica to this day.

The feast day is celebrated as mañanitas, which includes singing, indigenous music and dancing, and children presenting flowers to Our Lady. Juan Diego is remembered today as being humble, brave and faithful, and was the first indigenous American made a saint.

The book is colorful and tells the story in a clear way, and it’s fun to have it both in English and Spanish if you teach Spanish or speak Spanish at home or in the classroom. It’s a great way to learn the basics of the celebration and the story of Juan Diego and why he is still remembered today.

About the book: 40 pages, paperback, published 2024 by Loyola Press. Suggested retail price $14.99.

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