How to Celebrate America's 250th Birthday in Your Homeschool
A simple, hands-on way to bring America's 250th anniversary to life with your kids this weekend.
History has been one of the harder subjects for my kids to really grasp. Names and dates on a page never quite stick. But I've realized that if I can make it tangible with books they can hold, games they can play, and art that let's them sit in that moment in time... history clicks.
This 4th of July hands us the perfect chance to bring the story of America to life for our kids.
So how are we celebrating the 4th of July in our homeschool?
The National Archives Livestream Celebration
For more than fifty years, the National Archives has read the Declaration of Independence aloud on the steps where the original is kept. This year, for America's 250th anniversary, they are doing it again with historical re-enactors, live music, and a full ceremony.
Even if you are nowhere near Washington, DC, your family can be part of it from your living room by joining the livestream here! They'll be broadcasting on their Facebook and Youtube pages so you're family can join in the fun.
How to make it tangible for your kids
The livestream alone is worth tuning in for. But I want this weekend to build a core memory for them, so we're taking it one step further by making it tangible.
There are posters and copies of the Declaration of Independence, but did you know you can actually print your own from home too? Our family has a reproduction document, but this weekend I'm printing them each their own copy of the Declaration of Independence so they can follow along, word for word, as it's read.
There is something about holding the words yourself. Reading "we hold these truths to be self evident" off your own copy while it is read aloud from the steps where the original sits? That turns a video into a core memory.
You can print off your own Declaration of Independence here. And bonus points for grabbing this pack of vintage copy paper for the full effect.
This weekend lands right in the middle of an American History unit study for our family, and these are some of our favorite books, games, and activities that have helped make history a little more real (and fun). All linked to a handy dandy list right here if your homeschool could use a few new ideas to dive into American History a little deeper.
Our absolute favorite way to bring history to life?
Books and games make history something your kids can hold. The right teacher makes it something they look forward to.
That is a big part of why we built WonderWell Learning. When a subject feels heavy in your house, a teacher who loves it can make it click in a way that surprises you. These are a few of our live online history classes taught by teachers who live and breathe history. They are so good at bringing the past to life, so your kids get to be curious about history instead of dragging their feet through it.
