Veterans Day, November 11 in the United States, is a time to honor veterans of United States conflicts. The following ideas offer educational, meaningful ways to honor veterans for the whole family.
Veterans Day Activities at Home
Celebrating Veteran’s Day at home is easy with some thoughtful ways to honor family members and friends who may be veterans.
- Offer a gift, such as a balloon, homemade card, or cake, to a favorite veteran in the family.
- Host a dinner party on Veterans Day to honor a veteran and invite his/her family and friends.
- Ask a family member or family friend who is a veteran to share stories of his/her time in the service, if he/she is comfortable doing so. Spend time looking at medals, cards, or other mementos the veteran may share from his/her time in service.
- Watch a documentary film about a U.S. war to learn more about what veterans may have experienced.
- Ask an older family member about other family members who have been veterans and learn how many generations have been in the family.
Veterans Day Activities in the Community
The local community offers many ways to honor veterans. The following ideas tap into local resources to celebrate Veterans Day.
- Visit a local cemetery and take a long walk, searching for graves of veterans or a memorial to a particular war. See how many different U.S. wars are represented in the cemetery.
- Attend a VFW ceremony or other community event to honor veterans. Stay afterwards and say thank you to veterans and their families in attendance.
- Volunteer at a local veteran’s hospital.
- If religious, attend a special service in honor of veterans.
- Place flowers at the base of a memorial in a cemetery, city park, or other public place. Have a picnic or coffee there, too, in a respectful way and at an appropriate location, to celebrate the men and women the memorial honors.
Virtual Veterans Day Activities
A wealth of resources and opportunities to honor and learn about Veterans Day exist online. The following ideas use online resources to honor veterans.
- Honor a veteran by submitting his/her war stories to the Library of Congress’s Veteran’s History Project.
- Take a virtual tour of Washington D.C.’s National Mall to explore the war memorials.
- Research adopt a soldier programs online and apply to offer support and encouragement as a family.
Veterans Day Activities to Honor Future Veterans
Future veterans are serving in the armed services in every community. The following activities encourage meeting and supporting these armed services professionals.
- Bake cookies or other goodies and share them with a local armed services group. Ask for a tour of the facility, and thank everyone there for his/her service.
- Write a letter to local government officials in favor of increased funding for veterans’ benefits for current soldiers, or other legislation that effects those who have served.
- Write or email thank you notes to family members or friends of the family who are serving currently.
- Adopt a soldier serviing abroad through a local military group or online.
The purpose of Veterans Day – honoring veterans – comes alive as any family celebrates with a simple activity or outing.
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