Arts & Entertainment
Let's Celebrate - Showing Your Patriotism
As we honor the memory of the men and women who died during the terrorist attack of 911, let us also take this as an opportunity to teach our chlidren the importance and impact of that date. Here's a simple project to open up the conversation in your home
Patriot Day commemorates the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attack on the United States. It is meant to encourage us to reflect on the courage, honor and bravery of those 2974 men, women and first responders who lost their lives on that fateful day.
This year, on the 10th anniversary, it’s a particularly good opportunity to teach our children.
To get the conversation started in your household, Thatcreativemom.com has put together a simple project that your whole family can participate in.
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Patriot Candles
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Materials Needed:
1 glass devotional candle for each child
or one tall glass jar or soup can plus 1 small votive candle or battery-operated tea light
Pens and markers
Glue stick/transparent tape, or double-backed adhesive
Scissors
Printer paper
Directions:
Assemble the above items before you start this project with your child. You can pick up one of those devotional candles at a dollar store or or make your own by dropping a small votive candle into a cylindrical vase, jar or empty soup can.
Go to the home page of Thatcreativemom.com to get the artwork to download. Choose horizontal or vertical. Tall, thin jars will work best with the vertical format. Print one sheet for each family member. Make extra prints in case of mistakes.
Cut the paper so it’s the same height as the candle. Tape one end of the paper to the candle, wrap it around and cut the paper so there’s some overlap so you can tape it down later. Trim then untape it temporarily.
Next, ask your child think about what 9/11 means to them. Talk with them about it and listen to what they say. For small children, have them focus on the heroes - the police officers, firemen and other first responders on the scene. For older children, talk about what terrorism means as a concept and about the resiliency of Americans to keep moving forward.
Using the pens and markers, have them write down their thoughts on the artwork. Have the older kids help the younger ones if needed. Try to have them stick to a word or a short sentence about their thoughts, or encourage them to write a thank you note to the people who work hard to keep us safe.
Wrap the artwork around the glass jar or container again. Attach with your choice of tape or adhesive along the seam.
Add a votive candle or tea light to the bottom of the jar and your patriot candle is now ready to proudly display.