"Presidential" Dress Up Fun!
On President's Day we honor two great leaders in our nation's history - George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. Since you're likely to be adding some exciting holiday activities to your lesson plans, we thought we'd share these adorable crafts from Kaboose that will help your students get into the spirit {and likeness!} of presidents past.
Powdered Wigs & Top Hats
In honor of George Washington, craft designer Amanda Formaro put together a fun powdered wig craft made from a white paper painter's hat and cotton balls while Abraham Lincoln is, of course, characterized by a top hat made from a paper plate and construction paper. Be sure to visit her full posts for directions, pictures, and tips on making these presidential props! Your students will have as much fun making them as they will wearing them.
Dress Up Fun
Once your students have donned their presidential gear, they'll be ready for some learning and fun! Here's a few ideas that will make for a memorable President's Day:
- Games: Play "Cut Down the Cherry Tree"! Invite your mini-presidents to sit in a circle and ask for a volunteer who will be the cherry tree, blindfolded, in the center of the circle. Once blindfolded, a student from the circle will quietly approach the volunteer and "cut down the cherry tree" (i.e. tap them on the shoulder while saying "chop, chop" in a disguised voice). After the student has returned to their seat, the entire class will say "Who chopped down the cherry tree?", signifying that it's safe for the volunteer to take their blindfold off. The "cherry tree" will then have three attempts to guess who the culprit was. We found this game at Step By Step Childcare and thought it would be a hoot!
- Science: Have your students explore how to clean dirty pennies using substances from around the house - ketchup, mustard, taco sauce, Coke, vinegar, salt, etc.
- Math: Provide your students with a penny and invite them to toss it on a safe surface, graphing whether the coin was "heads" or "tails".
- Social Studies: Discuss the duties performed and roles filled by the president, as well as the character traits desired in a leader. Have your students answer the question, "If I were President, I would _____________."
With these crafts and exercises, your students are sure to have a blast this President's Day!
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