5 Ways to Celebrate Memorial Day with Your Kiddos

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Memorial Day is almost here!

This national holiday — celebrated each year on the last Monday of May and falling on May 30 this year — is a day dedicated to remembering and honoring the many men and women who valiantly gave their lives for our country. It’s also a day to remember our ancestors and loved ones who paved the way for our individual families to be where they are today.

It’s a great national holiday to spend with your family and kiddos! With most of America taking the day off work to celebrate the holiday, we’ve curated a list of top activities to do with your family this year. From celebrating individual ancestors via flash cards to making tasty American-themed desserts, our list of 6 Ways to Celebrate Memorial Day with Your Kiddos will help you jumpstart your holiday weekend!

Check out the fun Memorial Day events below!

Family History or Veteran Flash Cards

Memorial Day is a great opportunity to teach your kids about their ancestors and family history. This year help honor your family lineage and get your kids involved by making family history flash cards. Or, if you’d prefer to focus on remembering notable veterans (or even local veteran heroes!) by making veteran flash cards. Start by making a list of the people you want to remember. Next, create a flash card telling that particular person’s story; whether it be a relative or a veteran’s story. Include things like his or her favorite activities, notable achievements, and interesting facts.

Image: Buzzle

Buy a Poppy and Support Veterans

It’s poppy season! This time of year many veteran and Memorial Day organizations host fundraising drives selling poppies to generate revenue for disabled or wounded veterans. These poppies, worn on both Memorial Day and Veterans Day, symbolizes the many honorable soldiers who gave their lives for our country. The popularity of the poppy came about in 1922 after the famous WWI poem “In Flander’s Field.”

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Attend a Local Parade

If you’re looking for a fun and inexpensive way to celebrate Memorial Day, we suggest attending a local parade! Many towns, cities, and states host free local Memorial Day parades to celebrate the holiday. Often times there are free entertainment and games at the parades; from dancers to singers to other performing acts make sure to check out all the events available at your local festivities. Many times local businesses and restaurants are involved too! Score even more points by shopping local - it’s a win-win!

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Get Outside

Although the official first day of summer isn’t until June 21, Memorial Day is often recognized as the unofficial start of summer; many schools are out for summer break, the weather is warming up, days are getting longer. With this unofficial kick-off, it’s time for you and the kiddos to get outside! Put down your phones and say a triumphant NO to video games, and instead go outside and play! Go for a run, a hike, a walk, play hide-and-seek, play kick-the-can in the street, do some long overdue gardening … or do whatever you and your kids enjoy doing outside. Now is the time to do it!

Image: Huffington Post 

Make an American-Themed Dessert

Last but not least, make an American-themed Dessert for Memorial Day! With so many options for red, white, and blue treats, it’ll be hard to pick which one to make. Our favorites include this drool-worthy Bacon Flag Pizza and the American Flag Cake shown below. Get the kiddos involved in the Memorial Day cooking activities. If you have smaller kids, let them help prep the ingredients. For bigger kids (like my teenage son!) I’m assigning an entire dish to prepare for the festivities! And, my husband? He’s on dish duty!

Image: Punchbowl

We wish you all a safe, wonderful, and happy Memorial Day with your loved ones. Please take a moment to honor the many brave women and men who gave their lives for us to live in freedom. Happy Memorial Day from HAPARI!

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