10 Memorial Day Activities for K–8 Classrooms

1. Design a Memorial Medal

🎖 Grades K–4

Let students design a decorative medal or badge to honor fallen soldiers.

• Use templates or provide circles of cardstock.
• Encourage creative symbols: poppies, flags, stars, etc.
• Have them write a short dedication on the back.

 📌 Extension: Display the medals on a classroom “Wall of Honor.”

 ***See the Printables button below to choose and print medal templates.

2. Memorial Day Time Capsule

🕰 Grades 3–8

Have students create a small time capsule representing what Memorial Day means today.

• Include: letters, photos, newspaper clippings, mini flags.
• Each student can add an item and explain its significance.
• Seal it in a box to “reopen” next year.

📌 Teacher Tip: Make this a yearly tradition to show evolving understanding.

3. “Who Do We Remember?” Pop-Up Book

📖 Grades 2–6

Create a 3-page pop-up book that answers:

1. What is Memorial Day?
2. Who do we honor?
3. How do we remember them?

📌 Visual elements: Foldable pop-ups of flags, gravestones, or parades.

4. Write a Letter to a Fallen Hero’s Family 

✍️ Grades 4–8

Students write a heartfelt letter to the family of a service member who gave their life.

• Express empathy and gratitude.
• Tie into discussion on freedom, sacrifice, and values.

📌 Tip: Use real-life Medal of Honor citations as prompts. 

5. Memorial Day Work Acrostic

🎨 Grades K–5

Students write an acrostic poem for “MEMORIAL” or “HONOR,” using each letter to represent a word or phrase about the day.

• Add drawings or color it in red, white, and blue.

📌 Early Grades Version: Just write the letters and illustrate each word.

6. “Voices of Valor” Wax Museum

🎤 Grades 5–8

• Students research a service member (famous or local).
• Dress up and perform a short tribute or monologue.
• Invite other classes to visit the “memorial showcase.”

7. Plant a Patriotic Garden (Paper or Real!) 

🌼 Grades K–4

Let students “plant” a symbolic flower garden to honor fallen heroes.

• Paper poppies or stars with written dedications.
• If possible, plant red flowers outside the school.
• Use recycled materials for eco-conscious versions.

8. Create a “Wall of Remembrance” Mural

🖌 Grades 3–8

On butcher paper, students collaborate on a mural of Memorial Day scenes:

• Soldiers, flags, cemeteries, families, peace symbols.
• Add short captions or quotes about sacrifice and freedom.

📌 Digital Option: Use Canva or Google Slides for a virtual wall.

9. Memorial Day Virtual Field Trip

🧭 Grades 2–8

Take your students on a virtual visit to a military cemetery or war memorial (like Arlington National Cemetery).

• Use virtualfieldtrips.org or YouTube resources.
• Follow up with reflection questions or journaling.

📌 Prompt: “What does this place teach us about honoring the past?”

10. Freedom Collage: “What They Fought For”

📋 Grades 3–8

Have students create a collage showing things we enjoy because of others’ sacrifices.

• Themes: voting, education, family, safety, freedom of speech.
• Use magazine cutouts, drawings, or digital tools.

📌 Discussion Starter: “What freedoms are worth fighting for?” 

We hope you enjoy these ideas. Please share them with anyone else you think might also enjoy them.

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Happy teaching,

–The Virtual Field Trips Team

📚 Empowering educators. Enriching classrooms.