Veterans Day is an important holiday that honors and recognizes all military veterans who have served in the United States Armed Forces. Teaching young students in preschool, kindergarten, or first grade about Veterans Day helps them begin to understand the concepts of service, gratitude, and respect for those who have worked to keep them safe.
The activities in this post will help your students learn about and honor the contributions of veterans. They will learn more about the importance of the holiday through age-appropriate books and videos and then create memorable, heartfelt tributes to veterans. The ready-made patterns and step-by-step instructions can be downloaded here.
Veterans Day Medals Craft
This craft gives students the chance to recognize veterans with their own handmade medals.
These two books are great to read prior to the craft. They introduce young students to Veterans Day.
Veterans Day by Rebecca Pettiford
An age-appropriate introduction to Veterans Day for young students. This book explains the significance of the holiday, honoring the service of veterans, and helps children understand why we celebrate and thank those who have served in the military.
Veterans Day by Jacqueline S. Cotton
This book provides preschool, kindergarten, first grade students with a clear explanation of Veterans Day, detailing how and why we honor those who have served in the military. Through straightforward language and vivid illustrations, this book helps children understand the significance of the holiday and the value of showing appreciation to veterans.
Explain to students that veterans received medals to recognize and honor their service and special accomplishments. Now, they are going to make special medals to give to veterans to thank them for their service.
There are several options for this craft. You can use a premade picture for the medal OR use students’ pictures.
Option 1: Premade Picture on the Medal
This medal has a very cute handprint picture that shows veterans they are #1 in our hearts along with the saying, “Thank you for all that you’ve done! In our hearts you are #1!”.
Students color the medal and then write or draw a special picture or message in the blank space on the page beside the medal (under the saying “This special medal was made by me, To thank you for keeping me free.”).
Option 2: Students Photos in the Medal
For a more personalized Veterans Day craft, students can draw their pictures in the medal OR you can easily insert student photos in the medal using Google Slides.
Veterans Day Poppy Craft & Card
Teach students the significance of the poppy flower in honoring veterans with this easy-to-make craft and card.
Prior to creating this craft, read this book with students and/or share these videos.
A Poppy is to Remember by Heather Patterson
This book beautifully introduces young readers to the history and symbolism of the red poppy as a tribute to veterans. Through poetic text and touching illustrations, this book helps children understand the importance of honoring those who have served and sacrificed in times of war.
These very simple poppy flower patterns with heart-shaped petals can be easily printed on red construction paper for students to create.
Students cut out the 2 different-sized poppy flowers. They place glue in the circle in the center of the larger flower and then place the smaller one on top.
Students can curl up the poppy petals by rolling them with a pencil if desired.
Students tear small pieces of black construction paper and glue them in the circle in the center of the smaller poppy flower (great fine motor skills practice!).
Students glue their poppy flowers onto the poem card. Then sign their names. They can also draw a picture if desired.
Veterans Day Bulletin Board
This is a powerful classroom display honoring the veterans in your community and students’ families.
Read this special book with students before creating this classroom display.
Veterans: Heroes in Our Neighborhood by Valerie Pfundstein
A rhyming book that introduces students to the veterans living in their community and how to show them appreciation.
There are several options for completing this Veterans Day bulletin board with your students. You can ask students or their parents if they know a veteran to honor or have a veteran in their family and only have those students complete the cards for the display OR you can gather a list of local veterans and assign one to students who do not know of one so all students complete a card.
If students have a photograph of the veteran, they can attach it to the card or you can insert a digital photo using Google Slides.
Students complete the questions on the cards and color the stars and stripes. They can cut out the card for the bulletin board if desired.
Display the cards on your bulletin board with the title “Our Hometown Heroes” or “Honoring our Veterans”.
This bulletin board will be a meaningful visual display of gratitude and respect for Veterans Day, showcasing your students’ appreciation for the veterans in their lives or community.
If you would like the time-saving printable patterns, step-by-step directions with photos, and links to the suggested books and videos, CLICK HERE to download my Veterans Day Crafts resource.
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