Let’s Celebrate Presidents’ Day

What is Presidents’ Day?

Presidents’ Day is a federal holiday celebrated on the third Monday in February every year. Instead of celebrating some of our most influential president’s birthdays separately, as we once did, it was combined into one day to celebrate them all, past and present. It was the first holiday to celebrate an individual American, and only the fifth federal holiday after Christmas Day, Thanksgiving Day, New Year’s Day, and Independence Day.

Reading materials

• Presidents’ Day Book List: This website has several books for all ages about Presidents’ Day.
• 18 Books About Elections for Kids of Every Age: This website has books for all ages to learn about Presidents’, elections, and more!

Videos

Watch these informational videos with your child(ren) and have them answer the trivia questions below!

• President’s Day History and Facts Explained: A video explaining how Presidents’ Day came to be, through the holiday of George Washington’s Birthday.
• Presidents’ Day Information for Kids: This video is better for younger kids, as it describes words in depth but is still very informational for young learners!

• Do You Understand the Electoral College?: This video explains the electoral college and is better suited for older students.
• The Presidents Song: Who doesn’t love to sing in class? Learn the names of all 46 presidents with this fun song.

Activities

• Write letters to President Biden. Encourage your children to ask questions and share their ideas about what makes a good president. Letters can be sent to:

The President of the USA (or write the president’s name)

The White House

1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW

Washington, DC 20500

• President matching game. Print out pictures of all 46 presidents and match them with the state they were born in. For an extra twist print out multiple pictures of each president and pair them with both the state they were born in and the state they’re most often associated with. (For instance Andrew Jackson would be placed in both South Carolina and Tennessee.)
• Research Mount Rushmore. When was it made? Why were those specific presidents added? Name five of the most influential things those four presidents did.
• Research and examine the art of speechmaking. What makes a good speech? What are the goals of a speech? Who writes the president’s speeches?

Trivia Questions

Video One Questions

1. What date is George Washington’s birthday?
2. What president signed a law making Washington’s Birthday a federal holiday?
3. What was the purpose of the Uniform Holiday Act?
4. When was Abraham Lincoln’s birthday?
5. Do you believe all Presidents should be celebrated on the holiday, or only Washington and Lincoln? Why?

Video Two Questions

1. What does unanimous mean?
2. How many colonies were there when George Washington became president?
3. What is the opposite of agreement?
4. When did Presidents’ Day become a national holiday?
5. What are the different spellings for Presidents’ day? Do they mean the same thing?

Video Three Questions

1. How many electors determine the president and vice president?
2. Why don’t we use a popular vote?
3. How many phases are there in a presidential vote?
4. Why is the electoral college so important?
5. When was the last time California voted Republican?

Video Four Questions

1. Who was the first president?
2. Who was the twentieth president?
3. Who was the thirtieth president? 
4. Who was the fortieth president?

Trivia Question Answers

Video One Answers

1. February 22, 1732
2. Rutherford B. Hayes
3. Three-day weekends
4. February 12, 1809
5. Answers will vary

Video Two Answers

1. Everyone is in agreement
2. 13
3. Disagreement
4. 1879
5. President’s day and Presidents’ Day. No.

Video Three Answers

1. 538
2. Because, like the parable, the vote will always be unfair and unequal.
3. 2
4. It encourages coalition-building and national campaigning.
5. 1988

Video Four Answers

1. George Washington
2. James Garfield
3. Calvin Coolidge
4. Ronald Reagan

Ellen Blackledge is an IAHE intern. She is a homeschooled junior who has been homeschooled for seven years. Ellen enjoys reading, writing, theater, archery, playing piano, and singing. In the future, she hopes to pursue a career in creative writing.