To many Americans, the last Monday in May — Memorial Day — marks the beginning of summer and is an excuse to get out and barbecue, but to military families the meaning runs much deeper than a casual barbecue. However, we want our children to understand why Memorial Day is a holiday and what it means to our country’s history and our warriors’ families.
The folks at Military.com have provided ways for us to pay respect to the men and women who have died in wars or in the service of their country.
The simplest thing you can do to explain and honor this holiday with your children is to spend time talking to them about what Memorial Day means to you. Take the day to talk and reflect on the subject of those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice.
Honor and Respect
Visit a local veteran’s cemetery or a war memorial. A few to choose from in the Northeast Ohio area are:
• Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument, Public Square, Cleveland, soldiersandsailors.com
• Johnson Island Cemetery, johnsonsisland.org
• Grays Armory Museum in Cleveland, graysarmory.com
• The Civil War Memorial Chapel located in Glendale Cemetery in Akron, glendaleakron.com
• The Ohio Veterans’ Memorial Park in Clinton, ovmp.org
• Ohio Western Reserve National Cemetery in Rittman, cem.va.gov
Visit and Pay Tribute
Take cookies, books or movies to a nearby veteran’s hospital.
Celebrate with a Parade
Go to a Memorial Day parade or watch the National Memorial Day Parade on television.
Recognize our Heroes
Teach your children about Medals of Honor. You can print a Medal of Honor coloring book and learn the history behind our brave soldiers.
Create with Crafts
Visit enchantedlearning.com and find Memorial Day coloring pages, craft projects, word searches, quizzes and more.
Make a Soldier’s Day
Have your children create a card or picture to be sent overseas to a soldier currently at war.
And, of course, display your American flag. For guidelines on properly display an Amercian flag, click here.
For more Memorial Day information and events, see these resources:
http://www.military.com/memorial-day
https://www.vfw.org/oms/findpost.aspx
http://www.education.com/magazine/article/Teach_Kids_the_Meaning_Memorial/
http://www.co.portage.oh.us/vetsmemorial/index.htmL
And the Northeast Ohio Parent Pinterest board for crafts, recipes, quotes and more.
