Easy Activity To Teach Your Child About Election Day

Election Day can be a confusing day for children, but with this fun, easy activity you can teach your child a little about our Presidential elections and why it is such a privilege for us to be able to vote.

What you need:

• Poster Board
• Non-toxic markers
• Blanket
• Favorite toy
• Paper for Ballots
• Big spoon
• Tupperware or a box for the secret ballot box. You can decorate the box to make it more fun and festive.
• Optional – Balloons, tissue paper or newspaper cut up in squares (scissors for adult use only) for the party.

What To Do:

• Have two people in your house choose a favorite toy to run for house mascot (parents can obviously pick from their child’s toy if there is one child or a child can invite friends or extended family to participate)
• The two people should think why that toy should be the mascot. (i.e. a stuffed dog because dog’s are loyal, an owl because owls are wise, etc.)
• Each person should make a poster for their “candidate” that they can hang in the house.
• Before dinner each person should present why their mascot is the best mascot for the family. Use the big spoon as your microphone to state your platform.
• After dinner, hang up the blanket between two chairs or in a doorway to create a voting booth.
• Give each person a voting ballot with the two toys’ names on it.
• Have each family member take a turn going to the booth, circling which toy should be mascot and putting it in the ballot box.
• After the voting is done, have a designated adult count the ballots and give the results.
• Have a balloon/tissue paper drop for the winner.
• Enjoy a fun dessert together to celebrate. Be sure to use this as a moment to teach the one who didn’t win, that he still had a good candidate with good reasons why he ran for mascot.