Volume 5, Issue 11
May 21, 2007

Give each child a small flag to wave as you read aloud the poem that appears below. Help children learn the last line so they may say it aloud in unison.

We Love Our Flag

Let's celebrate our flag.
It waves red, white, and blue,
Fifty stars for our states,
Stripes for colonies new.

We love the U.S. flag
With hearts so pure and true.
We wish happy Flag Day
To each and all of you!

Susan LaBella
Editor, Early Childhood Education Newsletter

SEEING STARS
Provide children with star-shaped cookie cutters, white construction paper, and red and blue tempera paint. Let children dip the cookie cutters into a color and print stars onto the white paper. When the paint is dry children can spread small amounts of glue or paste inside each star and sprinkle colored glitter.

DESCRIBE IT
Let children study the U.S. flag. You may also wish to show them earlier versions of Old Glory. Then ask students to supply words that describe our flag and list them on the board. Have each child choose a word or two and help him/her use those words to create a sentence about the flag. Children can copy their sentences onto a piece of paper and draw a flag picture to go with it. Or you might provide copies of this U.S. flag coloring page for students to color.

FFFFFF…
Read to children F Is for Flag by Wendy C. Lewison. Ask children to make the /f/ sound. Next let children think of other words that begin with /f/ and create a list. Give each child a piece of writing paper. Let children copy the book title "F Is for Flag" onto their papers. Then have them copy this sentence onto their papers and complete it by choosing an /F/ word:
F Is for _____________too!

PATRIOTIC PRETZELS
After talking about our flag, help children make this yummy snack. Give each child a long pretzel rod. Melt white chocolate in a bowl. Let each child dip his/her pretzel halfway into the white chocolate and then sprinkle red, white, and blue sprinkles onto the wet chocolate. Lay pretzel rods across the top of a bowl to dry. Serve.

FLAG DAY POETRY
On a large easel pad, write the letters of the words FLAG DAY or OUR FLAG down the left-hand side. With children, create an acrostic poem that represents the U.S. flag or the Flag Day holiday. Explain to children that each word or phrase must begin with the letter on that line. When the poem is complete help children read it aloud.

Check out the following Web sites for additional background and activities.

Preschool Coloring Book
Choose any of these printable pages for children to color.
http://www.preschoolcoloringbook.com/color/cp4july.shtml

Flag Day
Raise voices in song -- all about our flag!
http://www.theholidayzone.com/flag/songs.html

Flag Day History
The story simply put is great for background information.
http://www.kidsdomain.com/holiday/flagday/history.html?trnstl=1

Kids Books for Flag Day
Choose from this nice listing of Flag Day books.
http://www.apples4theteacher.com/holidays/flag-day/kids-books/