[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]I remember a certain Flag Day just a few years ago; it sticks in my memory as a parent. My sons and I were taking in the sights at Independence Mall in Philadelphia. This area is packed full will history – amazing buildings, incredible statues and, of course, the Liberty Bell. This day, as we looked up to see a skydiver floating down toward the Mall with a giant American Flag flowing behind him, my oldest (10 at the time) turned to me and said, “I think I’m done calling you Daddy. I’m going to call you Dad from now on.” His seven year old brother dutifully followed suit. This is what I always remember on Flag Day – that our little ones grow up, seemingly instantaneous, and in this moment, literally with a big leap all at once!
What might you do to celebrate Ol’ Glory? Check out this collection of fun and facts![/vc_column_text][vc_separator color=”custom” border_width=”3″ accent_color=”#dd3333″][vc_separator color=”blue” border_width=”3″][vc_column_text]
FLAG MAKER
Long-time education company, Scholastic, has a fun flag online flag maker. Pick colors, shapes, and various other features. When you have the flag of your dreams, print it out! Remember, Betsy Ross didn’t have an inkjet printer. She had to sew hers![/vc_column_text][vc_separator color=”custom” border_width=”3″ accent_color=”#dd3333″][vc_separator color=”blue” border_width=”3″][vc_column_text]
FLAG COLORING
Speaking of Betsy Ross, we created a template of her original 1776 flag perfect for coloring. You can download and print it here. Take some pictures and send them to Dr. Boyle. We’ll post some of our favorites on the blog![/vc_column_text][vc_separator color=”custom” border_width=”3″ accent_color=”#dd3333″][vc_separator color=”blue” border_width=”3″][vc_column_text]
MUSIC ON THE PLAY.KINDERMUSIK.COM SITE
We have two entire albums of patriotic songs for your kiddos! Check them out over at play.kindermusik.com:
America The Musical: Vol. 1
America The Musical: Vol. 2
The music is organized by time period. Volume 1 covers the founding to 1899, and Volume 2 covers 1900 to 2000. Take a listen to some samples![/vc_column_text][vc_separator color=”custom” border_width=”3″ accent_color=”#dd3333″][vc_separator color=”blue” border_width=”3″][vc_column_text]
YANKEE DOODLE HISTORY!
Speaking of music, have you ever thought about the lyrics to Yankee Doodle and what they actually mean? You could spend some time with your little ones learning about these comical words. As it turns out, they reflect a great deal more about the American spirit than you might think. The story dates back to the before Revolution and the tune was sung by the British and Colonists alike.
The British sang the song to mock the colonists and their rag-tag appearance. So what did we do? We made the song our own! In fact, it’s the official state song of Connecticut.
Yankee Doodle went to town – a “doodle” was a fool
A-ridin’ on a pony – considered lower than riding an actual horse
Stuck a feather in his hat
And called it macaroni – teasing the Yanks for a lack of style…
This last line of the verse implies that the Yanks had no sense of culture and that by simply placing a feather in his hat, he had a fancy “macaroni” style wig – which was an outrageous hair piece normally seen in 18th century England – worn by men who, according to one contemporary source, “exceeded the ordinary bounds of fashion” in dress, manner, and speech.
So what’s the lesson here? I think it’s something we often teach our children…when someone teases you, try not to let it get under your skin. That’s what the colonists did with Yankee Doodle – and now it’s one of our most precious national songs. More on Yankee Doodle from NPR…[/vc_column_text][vc_separator color=”custom” border_width=”3″ accent_color=”#dd3333″][vc_separator color=”blue” border_width=”3″][vc_column_text]
PATRIOTIC POM POMS!
Check out these simple patriotic crepe paper pom poms over at 100Directions.com. Easy to make, they’re a fun way to dress up a room for the holiday, and it’s a craft activity that you can share with the whole family!
Don’t forget to sing our National Anthem, a love song to Old Glory. Enjoy the day – and remember – like another classic song says:
Ev’ry heart beats true
‘neath the Red, White and Blue,
Where there’s never a boast or brag.
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
Keep your eye on the grand old flag![/vc_column_text][vc_separator][vc_column_text]Want to learn about the battle that inspired Francis Scott Key to pen the words to our National Anthem? The Smithsonian Channel has a couple of wonderful, short videos that tell the tale.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]