The colors of the American flag mean more than just what to wear on Memorial Day or the 4th of July. You may not know that every color, every stripe, and every star has a meaning. You have worn those colors because someone said to, but you never thought about what they mean.
History of the flag:
- Nobody knows for sure who made the very first American flag, but some historians think it may have been designed by Congressman Francis Hopkinson and sewn by seamstress Betsy Ross The first American flag was made in 1777.
- A very big American flag from the 1800s was nicknamed “Old Glory” by its owner, a ship captain named William Driver. During the Civil War, people tried to damage Driver’s flag but it survived. It’s now an important historic flag kept at the National Museum of American History in Washington D.C.
- Between 1777 and 1960, as our country grew by adding new states, Congress made changes to the American flag by adding more stars and stripes to represent those new states.
- The flag has 13 red and white stripes for the original 13 colonies and 50 stars for the 50 states we have now. The red stripes mean bravery, the white stripes mean innocence, and the blue field with white stars means watchfulness and fairness.
- The huge American flag that inspired our national anthem “The Star-Spangled Banner” is from 1814. It got dirty and worn out over many years. Now there is a special project to carefully clean and protect this important flag by storing it in a special room with filtered air and light so it doesn’t get more damaged.
- There are a few locations where the U.S. flag is flown 24 hours a day, by either presidential proclamation or by law:
– Fort McHenry, National Monument and Historic Shrine, Baltimore, Maryland
– Flag House Square, Baltimore, Maryland
– United States Marine Corps Memorial (Iwo Jima), Arlington, Virginia
– On the Green of the Town of Lexington, Massachusetts
– The White House, Washington, D.C.
– United States customs ports of entry
– Grounds of the National Memorial Arch in Valley Forge State Park, Valley Forge, Pennsylvania
Folding a flag
Did you know there is a right way to fold a flag? To learn how to fold watch this video.
Crafts:
One of the many things people love doing is crafts. When crafting, you can bond with your family. Also, you can turn a very hot day or rainy day into a productive one. Here are some patriotic crafts you can use for our American holidays :
Patriotic Ice Cream
Supplies
- Colored cardstock or construction paper
- Crayons or markers
- Scissors
- Glue
- Markers
- Ice cream template
Directions
Download the ice cream template and print it out. Once you have the template printed, gather the materials needed for this fun activity. Get those scissors ready, and let’s help the kids bring this project to life!
First, trace the ice cream parts on colored paper or have your child color the parts of the ice cream in patriotic colors.
Next, encourage your child to start by drawing the waffle lines along the bottom portion of the ice cream cone.
Then, guide your child to glue the blue ice cream scoop to the top of the cone.
Now, take the white ice cream scoop and glue it on top of the blue scoop.
Finally, help your child to glue the red ice cream scoop to the top of the white scoop.
- plastic pony beads in red, white, and blue
- pipe cleaner, string, or elastic
Start by stringing the pony beads in any pattern.
To finish the bracelet, I twisted the two ends of the pipe cleaner together. Then, instead of clipping off the ends which can still be pokey, I tucked them into the beads, threading them back through. This also added structure to the bracelet so that it would not lose its shape so easily.
Table Decorations:
Everyone loves to add a little color to their table. What better way than to make table decorations with your family?
What you need:
- Long grain rice
- Food coloring
- Flameless candles
- Stemless wineglasses
- Ziploc bag
To make these decorations, start by adding about 2 cups of rice to a Ziploc bag.
Then add about 20 drops of blue food coloring.
Close the bag and shake the rice until it is coated with the color. If you want the color to be darker, you can add a few more drops and shake it again.
Repeat with the red.
Then pour the rice in layers into a tall glass or mason jar.
Add a candle and you’re done! I like to use flameless candles since they’re less messy and have less possibility of starting a fire.
Family Activities 