On Veterans Day, America reflects the sacrifice and courage of the brave men and women who have served in our military. This holiday is the perfect reminder of how much our veterans matter, and what they’ve given for our freedom.

While you prepare to celebrate Veterans Day this year, you might be thinking about how to involve the entire family. This guide will give you all of the ideas you need to get your family involved in the day’s celebrations, brought to you by NSA Storage.

What Makes Veterans Day Important to Celebrate with Family?

Veterans Day is one of the best days to celebrate with every generation of your family, especially if you have a veteran in your family. It’s truly a day when parents, their kids, and their grandparents can all reflect together. For example:

• You can teach kids about history in a way that has true meaning for them.
• Your family memories can, in time, become family traditions.
• You can connect with your community through a shared respect for veterans.

When you intertwine family traditions with Veterans Day, your children will learn values like respect and gratitude.

How To Teach Kids about Veterans Day

Every parent knows that the hardest part of teaching children anything is keeping them engaged in the process of learning. Short attention spans can be difficult to combat, but here are a few ways to get them involved and hopefully keep their focus on the holiday:

• Watch videos about the meaning of the day. You can find age-appropriate videos online that explain the holiday and make it fun!
• Visit local memorials in your town. These bring history to life in a way most other things can’t.
• Share stories with your children about family members who served. This makes it much more personal for them.
• Crafting and art projects can be a great hands-on way to celebrate.

Honoring the Veterans in Your Life

Many families have someone who has served. On Veterans Day, honoring these folks is beautiful and kind, even if it’s just a small gesture. Here are a few ways to do exactly that:

• Create a scrapbook– Scrapbooks filled with pictures, letters, medals, and more, are a wonderful way to honor a veteran.
• Give a vet a call– Getting a phone call from someone saying “thank you for your service” is always a treat for any veteran.
• Invite a veteran to dinner– Cook a nice meal and share it with a local veteran.
• Have a Veterans Day party– Getting together with family, friends, and veterans to celebrate is the perfect way to celebrate.
• Write personalized letters to veterans– This is a fun and interesting activity for your kids. They can write their “thank you’s” and create drawings to lift a vet’s spirits.

Simple but Meaningful Veterans Day Plans for the Family

There are many events and activities you can enjoy on Veterans Day with your family. Many of them are fun and exciting enough to put on your annual “to do” list, including:

• Fundraisers– Fundraisers support veterans while also giving you a chance to spend meaningful time with your family.
• Community Programs– Many communities invite veterans to speak to the community about their experiences.
• Charity Walks or Runs– Get some exercise while raising money to support veterans in your community.
• Memorial Ceremonies– They may be solemn but these ceremonies often are the most powerful and memorable, especially if you have lost a family member who served.
• Veterans Day Parades– Parades are fun while also keeping our veterans in our thoughts.
• School Programs– Many schools across the nation have programs to teach youngsters about the sacrifices made by our veterans.
• Donate Clothes– Many veterans need help buying basics like clothes. Donating gently used (or new) clothes to a veterans shelter can help them greatly.
• Send Care Packages– Who doesn’t like receiving a care package filled to the brim with goodies?
• Deliver Meals to Vets– There’s nothing better than a nice meal for a veteran, especially one who’s having financial stress.

How To Create Your Own Family Traditions

Like other holidays, you can create your own traditions for Veterans Day. Not only will they give everyone something to look forward to, they also reinforce important values like duty, honor, and sacrifice. Below are a few excellent ideas to create your own traditions:

• Light a candle for each fallen hero in your family.
• Volunteer. Soup kitchens and shelters always need people to lend a hand.
• Cook a patriotic meal for your family and invite local veterans you know to come and enjoy it.
• Watch the National Veterans Day Ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery together with your kids.
• Gather family and friends for a flag hoisting ceremony on the morning of Veterans Day.

Store This Season with NSA Storage

Veterans Day, at its heart, is a day to express our gratitude for veterans everywhere. Doing it as a family is even more powerful thanks to the lessons and memories it can create. Together, these traditions bring families, friends, and communities closer, while also supporting veterans.

If you need a storage unit this holiday season, contact us today. You can also reserve a storage unit online at hundreds of locations across the United States. Happy Veterans Day from NSA Storage!