5 Reasons To Celebrate Columbus Day For Young Kids

5 Reasons To Celebrate Columbus Day For Young Kids

In today's digital age, where keeping the attention of young brains can be difficult, you realize the importance of creating interesting approaches to teaching history. And what better approach for capturing the interest of your kindergarten to 2nd grade pupils than by immersing them in the interesting tales of Christopher Columbus?

Christopher Columbus Day provides an excellent way to bring history to life for young students as it honors the great explorers who single-handedly impacted the course of the world's history. Every second Monday of October, Americans celebrate Christopher Columbus Day, which is more than just a celebration. A celebration of bravery and a remembrance of those who dared to face the unknown. This day celebrates the spirit of adventure that inspired Columbus to discover a new path.

I'll be your dependable travel companion on this blog as you embark on an educational journey designed with teachers and homeschooling parents in mind. But why, you might wonder, should you and your students set out on this fascinating voyage into the world of Christopher Columbus? That is, after all, when the exciting adventure really begins!

Beyond honoring Columbus, it's a day for encouraging your pupils or kids to pursue their passions and develop their own sense of adventure. You can use this blog as a compass to explore Christopher Columbus Day's exciting waters. Eventually, you can transform history into an exciting journey that will stimulate children's interest and inspire their creative thoughts.

CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS: UNLOCKING THE PAST

In addition to being the driving force behind the exploration, Christopher Columbus was a risk-taker, a dreamer, and a visionary. He was born in the thriving Italian city of Genoa in 1451, he set out to believe in a world beyond what was known when.

In 1492, Christopher Columbus set off on an epic expedition that would change the surface of the earth for the rest of time. Consider the excitement of sailing through unfamiliar waters, with the Santa Maria leading the way and the Pinta and Nia following after. They discovered land after 70 days of waiting, initiating the first communication between Europe and the Americas.

These expeditions served as a starting point for a new era of discovery as well as a means of building relationships, exchanging cultures, and making discoveries.

Christopher Columbus Day offers an abundance of learning experiences for parents and teachers alike. Explore the past by participating in storytelling activities that bring history to life, making maps that show Columbus's path, or creating artwork that embodies the spirit of his explorations.

PURPOSE OF CELEBRATING COLUMBUS DAY

Columbus Day is celebrated in the United States with enthusiasm and patriotism, and it possesses a role that goes beyond its place in history. The annual celebration has a number of essential purposes that extend far beyond honoring the explorer’s expeditions. In this part, we'll go over the five key reasons for Columbus Day, showing the many factors that keep this holiday relevant in today's society.

1. Commemorating Historical Discovery

Columbus' expeditions were a turning point in history because they brought Europe and the Americas into continuous communication for the first time. The "Columbian Exchange," as this encounter is known, marked the beginning of the transfer of goods, ideas, and cultures between the Old and New Worlds. Columbus Day gives us a chance to remember the voyage of Columbus while thinking about how it impacted today's world.

2. Honoring Exploration and Courage

Columbus Day honors the spirit of discovery and courageous pursuit. By setting out on an expedition into the unknown, Christopher Columbus pushed the bounds of what was supposed to be possible and challenged the ideologies of his time. By celebrating Columbus, you pay tribute to the bravery needed for traveling into uncharted territories, both physically and figuratively.

3. Celebrating Cultural Diversity

Along with the exchange of goods, individuals from all cultures and countries came together during the Columbian Exchange. Columbus Day inspires us to recognize and honor the variety of cultures that have contributed to the world we live in today.

4. Encouraging Investigation and Learning

Columbus Day offers educators with an ideal opportunity to spark kids' curiosity about history and adventure. It can serve as the basis for teaching history, geography, and the period of discovery. Students can develop a deeper awareness of the integration of the world and the value of knowledge and discovery by looking at the explorer's journeys.

5. Fostering Reflection and Dialogue

An increasing awareness of the complicated issues surrounding Columbus's explorations, especially their effects on Indigenous peoples, has come to light in recent years. Columbus Day may be a discussion area for enlightening conversations about past injustices, indigenous perspectives, and the necessity of cultural understanding and peacemaking. It inspires us to consider the past and work for a future that is more welcoming.

COLUMBUS DAY THEMED ACTIVITIES FOR KIDS

1. Columbus Day Songs and Fingerplays

Songs and fingerplays can be used to teach kids about Christopher Columbus and his historical expeditions while entertaining them with widely recognized nursery rhyme tunes. 

"Sailing, Sailing" (Tune: "Row, Row, Row Your Boat")

Sailing, sailing across the sea,

In fourteen ninety-two,

Columbus sailed the ocean blue.

With three ships, he led the way,

To find a new land, far away.

"Three Ships Sailed" (Tune: "Three Blind Mice")

Three ships sailed, three ships sailed,

Columbus led the way,

The Santa Maria, the Pinta, the Niña,

To new lands they sailed that day.

"Columbus Sailed the Ocean Blue" (Tune: "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star")

Columbus sailed the ocean blue,

In fourteen ninety-two,

He was seeking lands so new,

For Spain and its royal crew,

Columbus, we salute you!

"Columbus' Voyage Fingerplay"

(For this fingerplay, have children hold up one finger at a time as you recite each line.)

One little ship set sail one day,

(Point to one finger.)

Columbus was its captain, they say.

(Point to yourself.)

Across the ocean, brave and true,

(Place hand across chest.)

Discovering lands that were entirely new.

(Point to the horizon.)

With courage and hope, they sailed with pride,

(Salute with hand to forehead.)

Columbus and his crew on that great ride.

(Wave fingers like sailing.)

2. Columbus Day Art Activities

Celebrate Columbus Day with a burst of creativity through fun art activities that will captivate young minds and try to use their imagination.

Columbus Ship Art

Encourage students to use bright markers, crayons, or even craft supplies like construction paper and popsicle sticks to design and decorate their own versions of Columbus' ships, the Santa Maria, the Pinta, and the Niña.

Ocean Wave Painting

Allow children to paint swirling blue waves to represent the wide ocean that Columbus traveled across. They can depict the motion of the sea by using a variety of blue and white hues.

Columbus Day Flags

Study the flags that Christopher Columbus and his crew might have flown at sea. Children can create their own flags using images that symbolize the sense of exploration.

2. Columbus Day Worksheets

Students can gain a lot from Columbus Day worksheets since they offer an engaging and instructive way to learn about Christopher Columbus and the Age of Exploration. These worksheets assist students in building historical awareness, critical thinking abilities, and cultural understanding.

Here is my go-to Columbus Day resource:

Do you need activities for Christopher Columbus and Columbus Day that are diversified, age-appropriate, and engaging?  For this October holiday worksheet, you will get writing exercises, the Christopher Columbus explorer craft, the song, the 18 illustrated vocabulary words, the Columbus Day emergent readers, and so much more.

Pam H. mentioned, “My students loved using this to learn about Columbus. It is the third year in using it and every year they enjoy it.”

Tina H. said, “This was a great resource to use for my special needs classroom. The students were able to understand the lesson and have activities to go along with the lesson. Will definitely use again!”

Remember that teaching kids about Columbus Day can be both an insightful and encouraging experience. By honoring historical discovery, promoting learning, embracing cultural diversity, and many other things, you teach children through the celebration of this day.

Therefore, let's embrace Columbus Day as a learning opportunity that encourages young pupils to participate in a reflective and enriching honor of the legacy of Christopher Columbus. I hope everyone has a PIGARRIFIC celebration! 🐷

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