Every year, Remembrance Day is commemorated in the UK. Special parades and ceremonies are held to remember the people and animals who put their lives on the line for their country and a two-minutes silence is held. Remembrance Day is the 11th November and Remembrance Sunday is the Sunday closest to this date.
Being a mum of little ones, I’ve found it’s tricky to speak of heavy subjects such as Remembrance Day to them, so I found age-appropriate activities where I can speak to them about kindness, gratitude and bravery alongside.
We choose to teach our children about this day to show that we are thankful to those people and animals who have helped our country in the past and in the present day.
Toddlers are not going to understand the full concept of Remembrance Day but we can talk to them about it in an age-appropriate manner and we can focus on the symbol of the poppy and have craft activities set up around that theme.
You could say something like, “It’s a day when we remember the brave people who helped to keep us safe in the past, and we think about peace and kindness today.”
Why is the Red Poppy a Sign of Remembrance?
The red poppy is a sign of remembrance because once the First World War was over, the soldiers from the trenches headed back to their respective homes and countries. They left behind acres upon acres of muddy war-torn land with miles upon miles of trenches meandering their way through. The landscape was desolate and yet red poppies started to grow and they created these swathes of red across the ex-battlefields of Belgium.
People wear poppies nowadays to show their gratitude and respect and money goes to the Royal British Legion to help army veterans.
Poppies at West Pentire in Cornwall.
What Else Can I Do to Show My Support?
If you do make one of these crafts, please also consider making a donation to the Royal British Legion who work with and support serving personnel and veterans from the armed forces along with their families.
Easy Poppy Activities with Toddlers
- Handprint Poppies – create a red handprint and then use fingers to dab black spots in the middle of it. Cut around it and back it on some red card. Add a green paper straw for a stem and you have a handprint poppy.
- CBeebies have a lovely 2 minute video which shows a bunny
I hope you find some inspiration here for your own Remembrance Day activities with your toddler.
For more seasonal activities have a look here:
- Autumn Adventures: Fun and Educational Activities for Toddlers and Young Children – Fun Family Home
- Best Autumn Books for Toddlers and Young Children – Fun Family Home
- Christmas Activities with a Toddler – Fun Family Home
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