I will be the first to admit that I knew very little about the subtle differences between Veterans Day, Memorial Day, and Armed Forces Day before I became a military spouse a few years ago.
According to Military.com, “Veterans Day is a time to honor and thank those who have served in the military for their sacrifices and dedication. It’s an important day to show appreciation.”
Once I became a member of the military community by marrying a Submarine Sailor in the US Navy, I was very glad that my husband, David, was always more than happy to come in (in person or virtually) and engage in a meaningful time with students and make learning come alive.
In the past, as a classroom teacher and later as a school principal, I made the most of these opportunities. Veterans Day is an interesting one, because depending on the school, sometimes the day is a day off from school.
Even when we had the day off, we’d work around it to have students connect to what service means for an active duty member of the military.
Here is what I would say: start somewhere, with what you have.
Honoring Veterans Day doesn’t have to be complicated to be meaningful.
Here are some ways to honor those who have served:
Resources for Teachers & Homeschooling Parents
- Veterans Day Teachers Resource Guide from the Department of Veteran Affairs
- K-4th Grade – 3 Veterans Day Printable Activities from Scholastic
- 6th-8th Grade – Lesson plan: Veterans Day and the meaning of sacrifice from PBS Newshour Classroom
Activities to Honor the Day
Below are some more ways to honor Veterans Day:
- Invite a member of the military to speak to your child or students in person and share their experience in the service. Depending on their comfort level, you can allow for a question and answer time at the end of their presentation.
- Visit a local memorial: Seeing artifacts, monuments, memorials, or museums can help history come alive and help young learners connect more to the history of Veterans Day.
- Support Veterans’ Families: Brainstorm ways to support Veterans. One way is to write letters of support, and Operation Gratitude is one (of many) organizations that makes it easy to do this!
Yes, Veterans Day can be “just another holiday”. But if you want to make it meaningful, tap into one of these ways to teach young, growing minds about it!
Your friend,
Vimbo
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Vimbo Watson, M.Ed. is a speaker, professional development provider, education expert, former school principal, and national speaker on school culture, burnout recovery, and transformational leadership. She is also an active Navy spouse, named the AFI 2025 Washington Navy Yard Spouse of the Year. She helps educators, companies, and organizations build better systems where people don’t just survive—they thrive. Email hello@vimbowatson.com to connect!
