Columbus Day is celebrated every year to honor Italian explorer Christopher Columbus’ arrival in the Americas on October 12, 1492. Hence, on this day, kids must learn about the explorer and his journey to the New World. While you will be celebrating the day with good food, it is essential to mark the day with some kid-friendly activities to enhance the knowledge of your little ones and to keep them entertained throughout the day. So, if you are up for it, include these activities for your kids on Columbus Day to educate them about the occasion in a fun way.
Make Columbus Day-themed cookies with your children
Start your holiday on a sweet note with Columbus Day-themed cookies. Make the dough and ask your kids to help with cutting them into boat shapes before baking them in the oven together. You can then let your children color the ships with sugar frosting of various shades. Even writing celebratory phrases that are on theme, like “Let’s sail!”, “Happy Columbus Day!,” “All aboard!” and so on is also an excellent idea. Your kids will love to get creative for this activity on Columbus Day.
Dress up your little ones to get them in the spirit of Columbus Day
Make your kiddos part of the Columbus Day celebration by making them dress in a dark tunic with a white long-sleeved shirt, cape, black tights, and brown boots. Don’t forget the dramatic brown wig and hat with a feather to complete the look. Your little ones will love to dress up as Christopher Columbus for a day (and may have fun acting the part too).
You can also plan a musical with the kids (showcasing his tumultuous journey to the land) for your friends and family. End the play on a high note by making everyone sing songs like “Columbus Sailed the Ocean Blue,” “When You Sailed Our Way,” “Oh, Columbus,” etc.
This is a fun Columbus Day activity to teach your kids about the history and geography of the New World. Also, if planning the play isn’t possible, dress them up and let them explore their backyard, house, and neighborhood for a fun day. You can either rent the outfits or buy and reuse them on Halloween, whatever suits your budget.
Watch a movie or documentary as an activity with kids for Columbus Day
Kids love watching movies, and it gives you the perfect opportunity to turn their screentime into a learning moment. So, depending on their age, choose some movies or documentaries that discuss Columbus Day (history, celebrations, etc.) or the explorer himself. For added fun, everyone can dress up as the explorer and dance and sing along to the songs, if any.
Also, don’t forget to enjoy Columbus Day snacks like apple boats, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches shaped into a star, etc., while watching the show. You can even visit museums and historic sites that showcase artifacts related to the New World or Christopher Columbus. This experience will also help the kids understand the importance of various discoveries and how they shaped the world.
Plan a Columbus Day scavenger hunt for your children
Children will almost never say no to this game. A scavenger hunt is an essential activity on Columbus Day. You can play this game in many different ways. For example, you can hide various supplies needed for a long ship journey around the house and ask your kids to find them by following the list. You can even draw a map highlighting the places where Christopher Columbus sailed and landed and then ask the little ones to explore similar hidden name tags at home or around your backyard.
Make Columbus Day crafts with your kids
This is a fun activity that kids of all age groups can enjoy. Make ships and telescopes from cardboard or egg cartons. You can also hold a friendly drawing competition where the children have to draw and paint Christopher Columbus with or on a ship.
Other than these activities, you can read books, cook traditional Italian meals together, play trivia, etc., on Columbus Day with your friends and family. Little ones will not only have a gala time but will also learn a lot about the historic day. So, plan well and enjoy your holiday with your loved ones with these ideas.
