WHAT TO SAY
George Washington was born on February 22, 1732 into a Virginia planter family. When he was sixteen, he went on a wilderness trip, where he learned to survey land and survive in the wild—skills that would later serve him well as a soldier. His experience in the French and Indian Wars led to him being chosen as the leader of the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War.
Washington became a national hero with his defeat of the British forces, and he was unanimously chosen as the first American President. Because of his leadership and vision in helping to form a united nation from the thirteen separate colonies, he is honored as "the father of our country."
Abraham Lincoln, our 16th President, is remembered with great affection because of his humble beginnings and great accomplishments. Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809, the son of a Kentucky frontiersman. Despite a hard frontier childhood, young Abe had a great hunger for knowledge and he read enthusiastically. As he grew up, he liked to tell tall tales in the local general store, and his love of words and learning led him into politics and the law.
Lincoln's integrity and honesty earned him the nickname "Honest Abe" during his presidency. His biggest accomplishments were preserving the Union during the American Civil war and abolishing slavery. On April 14, 1865, an actor who was sympathetic to the confederacy assassinated Lincoln while attending a play at Ford's Theater in Washington, D.C. Lincoln is also remembered as one of our greatest speakers, and his Gettysburg Address is one of the most famous and important speeches about freedom ever written.
Click here to read Lincoln's Gettysburg Address
Presidential Pins
WHAT YOU NEED
- NESTLÉ JUICY JUICE caps from 46 oz plastic bottles (one cap for each pin)
- 1 - 8 1/2 inch by 11 inch sheet of black and gray felt
- 1 – 8 1/2 inch by 11 inch sheet each of black, gray, peach and white craft foam
- 1 – 1 inch wide pin back (available at craft of hobby stores)
- Craft glue gun
- Permanent marker (black)
- Safety scissors
HOW TO DO IT
- Print out template.
- Cut out Abraham Lincoln's hat and hair and George Washington's hat, hair and collar out of felt and craft foam, using the template.
- Glue Lincoln's hair and beard to the outside of a JUICY JUICE cap. Then, glue on his hat.
- Glue Washington's hair to either side of a JUICY JUICE cap. Then glue on his hat and collar.
- Glue a 2 inch long by 1/2 inch wide craft foam strip across back of each juice cap.
- Hot glue the pin backing to the middle of the craft foam strip.
- With permanent marker, draw a simple face: eyes, nose and mouth for each President.
- Pin on your shirt or jacket and wear proudly to honor our Presidents!
Abe Lincoln's Stove Pipe Hat
WHAT YOU NEED
- 1 - 24 inch by 35 inch sheet each of black poster board
- Craft glue gun
- Cellophane tape
- Pencil
- Ruler
- Safety scissors
HOW TO DO IT
- Print out the hat template.
- Cut a circle 16 inches in diameter from the black poster board. This forms the brim of the hat.
- To custom fit the hat, measure the circumference of your child's head and add 1 inch to this measurement. Cut the piece of black poster board to this
measurement wide by 12 inches tall.
- At one end of the black poster board, use a ruler and pencil to mark a line 2 inches down from the edge.
- Now cut vertical slits 2 inches apart from the edge down to the pencil line. (See the template diagram)
- Roll up the black poster board so that you have a vertical cylinder.
- Overlap the cylinder 1 inch and secure with a craft glue gun.
- Fold down the flaps towards the center of the cylinder and tape them so that they create a flat surface at the top.
- Place the cylinder onto the center of the brim and use a pencil to trace its outline on the brim.
- Make a pencil mark in the center of the circle that you made on the brim.
- Then, make pencil marks every 2 inches around the circle on the brim.
- Use the ruler and pencil to connect each of these marks to the center point.
- Cut along each of these lines from the center point to the 2-inch marks on the circle.
- Place the cylinder over the circle on the hat brim.
- Fold the cut triangles from the brim up into the black cylinder and tape or glue in place.
- Cut out a 6 1/2 inch circle from the black poster board and glue it to the top of the cylinder. This will enclose the top of the hat.
- To create the hat band, cut a 3 inch by 12 inch strip from black poster board, wrap it around the base of the black cylinder and glue to secure.
FOLLOW UP FUN
- Check your local newspaper to find President's Day activities and parades in your area.
- Have each child in your family choose one of our Presidents to research and discuss at the dinner table.
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