Veterans Day is November 11th. Make sure your children understand the importance of honoring our veterans. I pulled this article out of the archives for you. Hope you enjoy and more importantly, I hope you help a needy veteran this year.
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Veterans Day is a day to remember and be thankful for those who served our country and for those who gave their lives for us. As so many veterans are living in extreme poverty, unable to share in the Veterans Day celebrations themselves, shouldn’t it also be a day to bless a veteran with a kind act or a token of appreciation. We don’t think children are ever too young to know there are people who need them.
Veterans Day Activities
There are many activities you can do with children to teach them to honor our veterans. One of the best sites I have found on the topic is The VA Kids Teacher’s page. This site is filled with activities and teaching tools. Our focus for the little ones this year, however, is to teach them to give a helping hand to someone in need, especially a veteran.
Help Someone in Need on Veterans Day
Children can, with the help of their teachers and youth ministers, form a team or club and collect some very basic items to share with Veterans in need.
I suggest simple items such as hand towels, bar soap, razors and chap stick, but you can find out exactly what the needs are by contacting a homeless shelter for veterans near you.
- Once you know what the needs are, make a small poster or handout and pass it out at school and church.
- Ask for the specific items to be purchased and donated a few days before Veterans Day. Be specific.
- Set up a clearly marked box to collect the donations.
- Deliver the box decorated with cards and drawings, to a shelter near you on Veterans Day.
This is a difficult topic for young children, but important for them to learn.
Our goal is to teach children to get patriotic and become good citizens. The most important aspect of good citizenship is prayer. Have your children pray for our veterans and soldiers in active duty. This will set a foundation of prayer for their future and allow them to give their own sadness, cares and burdens for our soldiers and veterans to God.
We pray blessings on you and your children as you set out on your task to help someone in need on Veterans Day 2012.
Visit the United States Department of Veterans Affairs for more information on Veterans Day.
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Denise Mistich
Denise is an author as well as spiritual mentor to many people. She writes from her heart to help little ones find their way in life.
