August 15th, Independence Day, is a landmark day for our country, and no one can contest that it’s important for our kids to understand the significance of the day. Yes, you could go about it by informing them about the history of the day, but is that enough?
Here are some fun classroom activities to help kids understand the relevance of the day and learn more about their country.
- Show the kids images and photographs of the various freedom fighters. Let each child come dressed as a particular freedom fighter and have them say a short note about the person they are dressed as. The kids could discuss and learn more about these iconic Indians.
- Watch a patriotic movie together (that is age-appropriate, obviously), and learn a little bit about our country’s history together. You could talk about the movie after and see what the kids felt and learned from the film.
- We are a country that’s rich in culture. There are particular languages, dance forms, arts, textiles and foods that are special to each region. Why not have each child represent a state or region and have them come dressed in that area’s attire, and perform a dance or art form that is synonymous to that area? Are there well-known authors or poets who are from that state? Have the children read out excerpts by them.
- Let the kids get creative making Indian flags – they could use bits of paper to make a collage flag or even create the flag using coloured grains. Why stop with flags, you could have the kids draw, design or craft the national animal, national bird, and even the national flower, using interesting materials.
- Ask parents and people in the community to share more about their culture, the food they eat and the language they speak with the kids. Set up an Independence Day buffet or picnic. Have the kids bring in a food that the state or region their family is known for. This way the kids will get to taste and explore a range of flavours and learn more about each other.
- Plan a cleanup drive or a plant-a-tree drive for Independence Day and teach your kids the concept of giving back to society. Let them learn the importance of keeping their country green and clean by planting trees and cleaning up their surroundings.
May we teach our children to value the freedom they have, appreciate the diversity of our country and learn from our history.