President's Day Theme and Activities


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The third Monday in February is the annual observance of President's Day. It is a good day to teach children about who the president is, as well as talk about the two most popular presidents - George Washington and Abraham Lincoln.

President's Day Songs and Rhymes

Do You Know? (Tune: Mary Had a Little Lamb)
Do you know who's on the penny?
On the penny? On the penny?
Do you know who's on the penny?
Abraham Lincoln.

Do you know who's on the quarter?
On the quarter? On the quarter?
Do you know who's on the quarter?
George Washington.

It's a Very Special Day (Tune: If You're Happy and You Know It)
It's a very special day today,
Yes sir! (Clap twice)
It's a very special day today,
Yes sir! (Clap twice)
It's President's Day,
When we can shout and say,
Have a happy, happy, happy, happy, day! (Clap twice)

President's Day Crafts

 

Coin Rubbings
Do rubbings of both sides of different coins.

Silhouette Collage
Give each child a silhouette of either Washington or Lincoln on black construction paper. Provide a variety of red, white and blue craft supplies, and allowe children to create a patriotic collage.

Torn Paper Silhouette Collage
Have children tear red and blue contruction paper or tissue paper and glue onto white construction paper. When done, glue a silhouette of Washington or Lincoln, cut from black construction paper, on the torn paper collage.

Pretzel Log Cabins
Give children a large supply of pretzel sticks and have them glue to paper to create a log cabin.

President's Day Math and Science

Coin Sorting
Talk about each type of coin and how much they are worth. Let children sort coins by size, color, and type.

Lincoln Toss
Have children toss pennies onto a table or area on the floor. Graph whether they landed on heads or tails.

President Comparisons
Show pictures of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. Talk about ways that they are the same and how they are different. Graph results in a Venn Diagram. You can also compare and contrast different coins or money.

President's Day Movement Activities

Who chopped the cherry tree?
Sit in circle. One player is the Cherry Tree, who stands in center of circle with eyes covered. Adult chooses one player to touch Cherry Tree while all children chant,"Chop, chop." Cherry Tree falls down gently and "Chopper" returns to place in circle. All players then say together, "Who chopped the cherry tree?" Cherry Tree opens eyes and guesses who it was. That Chopper then becomes Cherry Tree, and the game is repeated.

More President's Day Resources