Veterans Day is a holiday that celebrates those who have fought for our freedom! It is the perfect time to show appreciation to veterans, write letters to veterans, and read a book about veterans. If you need lesson plans, a variety of activities, writing prompts, or other ideas for teaching about this holiday and the military service, check out this great list of 24 patriotic activities below! These activities span across different areas of content and can serve as excellent educational activities.
1. Build a Soldier Writing Activity
This writing activity is a great way to celebrate this national holiday. There are differentiated templates, depending on your students’ needs. They can be displayed with this cute coloring sheet template to showcase a crafty little soldier. Students can write about soldiers or the holiday.
Learn more: Teachers Pay Teachers
2. Active Duty Care Packages
Veterans Day is a great time to sponsor a soldier or create a care package for active troops. Students can all pitch in and bring a few things to include in the package. Don’t forget the handwritten cards!
Learn more: Veterans United
3. Veterans Day Virtual Scavenger Hunt
Technology is a great way to enhance teaching these days! Use this virtual scavenger hunt to let students reinforce their own learning by finding facts around the web. Students could do this independently, in small groups, or with partners.
Learn more: Education World
4. Veterans Day Flipbook
This adorable flipbook covers all the bases of Veterans Day. Students can learn about the holiday, more about veterans, and the branches of service. This flipbook is student-friendly and can be colored and shared with family afterward.
Learn more: Appletastic Learning
5. Thank You Letters
Use this simple, but cute template for having your students write thank-you notes to veterans. You can fold the notes into cards. These would also be good for mounting on construction paper and hanging in the hallways for decoration.
Learn more: Appletastic Learning
6. Bring A Veteran to School
Allow students to invite a veteran to school with them for a classroom visit. Have many veterans come into your classroom so your students can express appreciation through patriotic songs, art, and poetry. Have students give thank you letters to them as they leave.
Learn more: Kids Creative Chaos
7. Compare and Contrast Veterans Day and Memorial Day
Students can learn more about two important holidays. They can read up and learn more about Memorial Day, during your teaching unit about Veterans Day. Then, they can compare and contrast the two holidays. They can write an essay using the information they learn.
Learn more: Think, Grow, Giggle
8. All About Soldiers
All about soldiers writing is a great way to incorporate what students know about soldiers. Students can list adjectives, write poems, or just sentences that explain more about the soldiers they have been learning about.
Learn more: Sharing Scholar
9. Flag Collage Project
This art project is great for all grade levels! Let students create this beautiful version of our American flag! Have them collect and glue pieces of paper of each color to the correct places. Display this in the hall or front of the school for military veterans to see as they enter the school.
Learn more: Deep Space Sparkle
10. Branches of Service Puzzles
Part of an activity bundle, these branches of service puzzles have each picture that go together. Students will see the uniforms, objects that represent each branch, and pictures of service men and women from each branch. These are easy to print, laminate, and cut.
Learn more: Fantastic Fun & Learning
11. Veteran Day Poppy
Poppies are a popular thing to see around Memorial Day and Veterans Day. This is a simple, yet touching craft that students can easily make. You can attach a sweet poem to it and younger students can look for sight words, while older students can write their own poems.
Learn more: Mr. Wheeler’s First Grade
12. Nonfiction Veterans Day Writing
This reading and writing combo serves as a great comprehension activity for students. Pair some picture books, or possibly even a few video clips, with this writing prompt and have students produce some nonfiction writing to go along with what they have read about and learned.
Learn more: Mrs. Wheeler’s First Grade
13. Patriotic Thank You Banner
This patriotic tissue paper banner is a great display for the classroom, hallway, or other places around the school. Students can be creative in designing their hearts and how to use red, white, and blue. Display this banner with red, white, and blue cardstock!
Learn more: Landeelu
14. Heart Craft
Let students create a camo heart for displaying in the hall or serving as cards for veterans. Students can tear strips of construction paper and glue them into the heart template to form a representation of the camo that soldiers wear.
Learn more: A Classroom on Cloud Nine
15. Our Heroes Display
Creating a hero display at school is a great way to bring ties from your student’s homes into the school. Celebrate the soldiers and service men and women in your students’ lives by honoring them and their connections to the boys and girls in your class.
Learn more: Pinterest
16. Soldier Craft and Adjective Activity
Teaching parts of speech is not always easy. There are many parts and students get bored. This is a fun way to incorporate teaching adjectives into your Veterans Day unit. Have students craft a soldier and use sentence frames, or create their own, to help describe the soldiers.
Learn more: Pinterest
17. Wall of Thank You
A great way to show appreciation for veterans is to create a “thank you wall” for them. Attach photos of them in uniform, even include famous veterans, and display them with a card that has their name and military information. Make sure you include the red, white, and blue theme!
Learn more: Amy McGough’s Portfolio
18. Breakfast for Veterans or School Assembly
Invite veterans to come into the school or classroom for a special program. Have school students invite veterans to their elementary or middle school for a special breakfast or assembly to honor them. Include American veterans, but don’t forget disabled veterans and female veterans.
Learn more: Beth’s Music Classroom
19. A Soldier Is…
A great way to start this activity is whole group and by using this anchor chart. Read nonfiction books that tell more about soldiers and have a group discussion about what characteristics soldiers need. Make notes so students can reference them when they go to do their own, independent writing.
Learn more: Life in First Grade
20. Stained Glass Soldier Craft
This adorable craft will be a big hit! Students will enjoy creating this suncatcher-type craft for Veterans Day. It is bright and colorful and nice for adding some patriotic decoration to your school or classroom in preparation for a school assembly for this federal holiday.
Learn more: Clever Patch
21. Directed Drawing
Directed drawings are a big favorite for many elementary students. This one features a veteran in military gear. Students will listen to directions and use them to create a drawing. They will then color them. These serve as a wonderful bulletin board display!
Learn more: First and Kinder Blue Skies
22. Branches of Service Hat
As students learn more about the different branches of service, they will begin to notice the different uniforms. Students can create these adorable hats that showcase men and women from each branch. This is a great activity to pair with informational literature.
Learn more: Katie Roltgen Teaching
23. Patriotic Q-Tip Painting
Especially good for young students, this Q-tip painting activity is a great way to create a patriotic heart. This artwork is easy to do because students simply need a Q-tip and some paint. Print these templates and students will be busy creating their own flags.
Learn more: Sparkling in Primary
24. Veteran Themed Math Memory
Add some fun to everyday math activities! This math memory game is a great way to work on number recognition and counting. It is all made with the Veterans Day theme, so it is perfect to use at this time of year!
Learn more: Sparkling in Primary
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