The Fourth of July: Three Ways to Share American History with Your Kids

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In honor of the Fourth of July, I wanted to share a few ways we teach our kids about American history, especially the era of our nation’s founding, and cultivate a sense of patriotism. (I’ll post separately about how we approach history more broadly.)

I’d love to hear how your family explores American history, too! Please jump into the comments or share your own post.

In our home, three main approaches come to mind:visiting historical sites, doing hands-on crafts and activities, and reading books that bring history to life.

Visiting Historical Sites

Living on the East Coast gives us access to many forts, battlefields, and museums, but every part of the country has its own rich history. Pioneers and settlers shaped every state, and their legacies are often hidden in plain sight, in restored homesteads, street names, monuments, and local museums.

If you’re near your state capitol, try to arrange a tour. It's a great way for kids to see government and history in action. Don’t just think in terms of day trips! Some of our most memorable family experiences have been multi-day adventures—like visiting Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia or staying overnight in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.

To build anticipation and set the mood, try listening to a relevant audio-book or podcast while you drive.

And here’s a simple tip that’s made a big impact for us: when your child has a question at a historic site, don’t just answer it yourself, ask a ranger, docent, or volunteer. In our experience, they’re usually thrilled to share what they know, and those conversations often become the highlight of the trip.

Crafts and Activities

Bring history to life by doing the things children of the past actually did! Churn butter (it’s easy!), make ice cream, dip candles, dye fabric naturally, embroider a sampler, knit, whittle, make corn husk dolls or hollow out mini-birch bark canoes. The possibilities are endless and these projects make the past feel real and relatable.

Here are some great places to start:

• Museum of the American Revolution – At-Home Crafts and Activities

• Fort Ticonderoga – At-Home Activities

• Colonial Williamsburg – Colonial Crafts

• This Family Blog – Colonial Craft Tutorials

Read Books That Make History Come Alive

There are so many fantastic books—both fiction and nonfiction—that help kids connect emotionally and intellectually with history. I’ll be sharing more about reading aloud as a family in future posts, but here’s one important point: when you read a well-written book aloud, kids of many ages can enjoy it together. Don’t worry too much about finding something that’s exactly “age-appropriate”—pick a great story somewhere in the middle age range and they’ll likely all be engaged.

Early Childhood

• Sam the Minuteman by Nathaniel Benchley

• The Fourth of July Story by Alice Dalgliesh

• George the Drummer Boy by Nathaniel Benchley

• Paul Revere’s Ride (illustrated) by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Elementary Age

• Chester Comix by Bentley Boyd – https://www.chestercomix.com

• And Then What Happened, Paul Revere? by Jean Fritz

• Shh! We’re Writing the Constitution by Jean Fritz

• Can’t You Make Them Behave, King George? by Jean Fritz

• George vs. George by Rosalyn Schanzer

• Guns for General Washington by Seymour Reit

• The Matchlock Gun by Walter Edmonds

• The Cabin Faced West by Jean Fritz

• The Courage of Sarah Noble by Alice Dalgliesh

• Phoebe the Spy by Judith Berry Griffin

• Toliver’s Secret by Esther Wood Brady

• Ben and Me by Robert Lawson

• Mr. Revere and I by Robert Lawson

  
  

Preteens and Teens

• Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes

• The Reb and the Redcoats by Constance Savery

• The Winter Hero by James Lincoln Collier

• Carry On, Mr. Bowditch by Jean Lee Latham

• Calico Captive by Elizabeth George Speare

• Amos Fortune, Free Man by Elizabeth Yates

Whether you’re diving into a book, pulling out the butter churn, or walking the cobbled streets of Williamsburg, these small choices plant big seeds. They help our children understand and appreciate the people and ideas that shaped the country we live in today.

What are your favorite ways to teach history in your home?