President's Day Craft Activities for Young Children

Young children are excited to learn about many different subjects so use the President's Day holiday this year as an opportunity to teach them a little about history. In this article, I will give you 3 President's Day craft activities designed for children ages 3 to 6. These fun craft activities have been "kid tested and approved" by my own preschooler.

Tip: You can use construction paper for several of these activities as it is cheaper and many parents have it on hand. However, if you want your child's artwork to last longer, then I recommended using acid-free paper and cardstock available from craft and scrapbooking stores.

President's Day Craft Activity: Create Silhouette Placements

This is a fun project that I remember doing as a young child. The idea is to get your children familiar with various presidents by using their silhouettes. See the photo with this article for a sample using President Lincoln and embellished by a 3 year old using crayon.

Supplies:

Black construction paper or cardstock

White construction paper or cardstock

President-themed or American-themed stickers

Glitter (if desired)

Coloring crayons, pens, or pencils

Scissors

Glue

1. Decide which president or presidents you want to use in this project.

2. Find the president's silhouette by tracing a profile from a book or by searching for one online. For example, use President Lincoln's silhouette.

3. Trace onto black paper using a white colored pencil.

4. Cut the silhouette out carefully.

5. Use glue to adhere the silhouette to the white cardstock.

6. Write the president's name and years served on the white cardstock.

7. Add accents using stickers, crayons, pens, or the glitter.

8. Allow to dry completely.

9. If desired, take the finished president silhouette placement to a local copy shop and ask them to laminate it for you.

10. Be sure to add your child's name and date to the finished product.

President's Day Craft Activity: Stick Puppets

This is a fun project for multiple children. Create the puppets and then help your child learn about American history by re-enacting famous events.

Supplies:

Round wooden clothespins or wooden dowels cut into small pieces

Felt in various colors (depending on president)

Colored pens

Glue

Scissors

1. Decide which presidents you want to use for your puppets. I'd suggest starting with Washington and Lincoln.

2. Add a face to the clothespin or dowel using the markers.

3. Add a hat using felt. For Lincoln, add a black top hat. For Washington, add a blue general's hat.

4. Glue the hat to the top of the clothespin or dowel.

5. Use felt or markers to create clothes for the presidential puppets. If you use glue, allow plenty of time to dry.

6. Add the child's initials and date to the bottom of each puppet.

7. Help your child learn about history by creating a play using the puppets, practicing it, and then perform it before dad, grandma, or a teacher.

President's Day Craft Activity: Mini-Scrapbooks

This is a longer craft project that may span several days. The idea is to create a very small book from paper describing a certain president. In our example, we'll use President Teddy Roosevelt and his work to help preserve and protect national parks and monuments. This activity will definitely be added to your stack of "keeper" artwork.

This is also a great President's Day activity for multiple children to create together at school.

Supplies:

Colored cardstock for book cover

White paper for book pages

Crayons, markers, or colored pens

President-themed or American-themed stickers

Stapler

1. Decide what size you'd like your presidential book to be. For example, choose standard 8.5 x 11 inch paper and fold in half lengthwise for your book dimensions.

2. Make a 4 page book by using just 1 sheet of paper. Or make an 8 page book by using 2 sheets of paper and placing the folded sheets together.

3. Create the cover from cardstock the same size.

4. Make a story using your knowledge of history and your child's creativity about the president that you selected. For example, if you used President Teddy Roosevelt you can talk to you child about how he helped preserve places like Yellowstone so everyone could appreciate it. If your child has visited a national park, ask him or her what they liked about it. Use your child's words to help write the story. If you child is old enough to write, have them write the story with your help.

5. Add stickers or drawings to embellish the text.

6. Add artwork to the book cover. Give it a title. Be sure to credit your child as the author and add the date.

7. Use the stapler to attach the cover to the pages.