National Holidays!
Fast facts about Independence Day to share with kids a great holiday activity —
[Jun. 4]
With Memorial Day weekend past and the 4th of July holidays coming up, friends and family who will be spending time together and bringing young children with then on vacation are beginning to plan their holiday activities and are looking for holiday ideas. Sharing history and trivia with American youth and taking the time for adults to chat and make small talk about American history is a great way to infuse recreational down time with learning activities for children. Besides setting a date and time to watch the sci-fi movie Independence Day (that stars Will Smith and Jeff Goldblum), set aside some time in your busy holiday travel and party planning to reminisce about why American declared the 4th of July a national holiday to begin with and its history.
FAST FACTS ABOUT INDEPENDENCE DAY
Independence Day is arguably one of the most anticipated of all national holidays celebrated in the U.S.A. (and with good reason). Independence Day, commonly known as the 4th of July, celebrates the Independence of the United States from Great Britain in 1776. The Declaration of Independence is one of the most famous and important documents in U.S. history.
Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and Benjamin Franklin, though extremely famous for their contribution to the document, are but a few of the 56 members fo the continental congress to have signed it. Early American history teaches this and other common facts about this holiday, but here are some things you may not know. If you’ve attended any American school of education, your sure to know that Independence Day is celebrated of July 4th of every year. However, the very first celebration of the holiday was actually held on July 8th of 1776, in Philadelphia, PA!
Here is another bit of American history trivia for you. Did you know that both Thomas Jefferson and John Adams, known to be longtime best friends and contributors to the document, died on the same day, July 4th of 1826? That’s an incredible coincidence! It would be exactly 50 years to the date after the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
One more little known fact about Independence Day in the United States: we all know that the American bald-eagle is the symbol of our state bird, which represents freedom. However, Benjamin Franklin opposed this outright and instead nominated the turkey for its bravery. Want a chance to test your knowledge of Independence Day history trivia? Take a look at these and more amazing facts about this historical holiday here.
THINGS TO DO FOR INDEPENDENCE DAY
Family holiday recipes, barbeque grills flaring in the backyard, U.S. flags proudly displayed everywhere we turn, parades lining the streets and fireworks lighting the night’s sky are sure indications that Independence Day is here at last! More that 74 million other Americans will join in the festivities along with yours.
There’s always plenty of planning, cooking, holiday decorating, and family gatherings to keep most adults on their toes. Let’s not forget to include our children as they are always eager to “help” as well. To be sure their helpfulness does not get in the way, arm your little ones with an activity that’s sure to bring out their creativity and the chance to display their skills as little artists. Grab a few crayons and coloring pages and you’re in business!
If you are looking for things to do with kids to help them learn about the 4th of July holiday, visit these site for Independence Day printable coloring pages for children:
- http://www.supercoloring.com/pages/category/holidays/independence-day/ – Super Coloring offers coloring pages, coloring worksheets and other holiday theme coloring activities for elementary age children
- http://www.myactivitymaker.com/ColoringBook/Independence-Day.jpg – Coloring Book is an online activities website offering things to do and coloring pages for Pre-K, Kindergarten, and Elementary age students primarily.
- http://www.calvarywilliamsport.com/Independence-day-coloring.html – Calvary William Sport offers independence day coloring pages and worksheet activities that often appeal to home school families.
- http://www.sherriallen.com/coloring/holidays.html – Sherri Allen has created an archive of coloring pages based on theme units for the holidays, including but not limited to Independence Day and 4th of July themes.
- http://www.crayola.com/free-coloring-pages/print/international-independence-day-coloring-page/ – Crayola Crayons is always a great place to find a huge list of coloring pages, coloring sheets, and things to do for kids.
All the links above will provide parents and grandparents an opportunity to select coloring pages and worksheets that will help them remember the stories they learned about our nation’s founding fathers so they can tell the stories and talk about their meaning with young children growing up in 21st century America.