For a lot of kids, the Memorial Day Holiday is a day of fun. School is closed and summer is coming; it’s a great opportunity to be outside and spend time with family. But it is also an important holiday in our country and can be a chance to teach children about the history and customs of the day.

• Memorial Day is a day to remember and honor the people who have died in wars.
• Memorial Day goes back to the Civil War, which was fought between 1861 and 1865. A group of women went to a cemetery and put flowers on the graves of all soldiers, from the North and the South, honoring their sacrifice, no matter which side for which they fought.
• Memorial Day is always the last Monday in May.
• The word memorial means a recognition or structure in honor of something a person or multiple people did. It is a lot like the word memory.
• Many people visit the graves of people who have died in a war and place flowers or flags at the site. Some people take this day to visit the graves of other loved ones who have died, whether or not they have fought in a war.
• After World War I, the red Poppy flower has been distributed in honor of veterans (people who have served in the military).

Although this holiday is celebrated with barbeques, trips to the beach, and other recreation, it is important to remember the history of the day and the men and women who have given their lives for our great country. A great place for kids to learn about the holiday and the history of our country is our World Book Database. And, of course, books!

 SPACE

Kids can celebrate by creating their own Memorial Day Poppy:

What you need:

Red tissue paper

Scissors

Green pipe cleaner

What to do:

Cut 4 circles (about 3” in diameter) from the tissue paper.

Lay the circles on top of each other.

Push about 1” of the pipe cleaner up through the center and then down through the paper nearby the first hole. Twist the end around the stem.

Crumple the tissue a bit to give the flower some body.

This can be stuck through a button hole or given away.