Happy 4th of July!

Today I took #2 to Cub Scouts and we stopped to pick up some things on the way home. On the way out of the store he asked me "What's so special about the 4th of July? Was it the day fireworks were invented or something? Are we celebrating that or are we celebrating our freedom?"

I took some small comfort that he at least was aware enough to suspect it might have something to do with freedom. Do you think your kids understand what the 4th of July is really about?

A friend of mine says that he plans to read the Declaration of Independence for the 4th of July. I think that is a great idea and if you have kids then I have a recommendation for you. Its a book called, The Declaration of Independence and it was illustrated by Sam Fink. It has the whole Declaration in it written in small segments and illustrated with pictures the help to convey the meaning of what each phrase means. It has a glossary as well. Its a great tool for teaching kids about the Declaration of Independence and the pictures, while educational are also entertaining. It is a somewhat hefty 160 pages, but its not really a long read either. Its one or two lines per page with a full page illustration opposite. I highly recommend it. I bought it a couple of years ago at a book sale at the school and am thinking about starting a yearly tradition of reading it with the kids during the week of the 4th. Sam Fink has also done similar books on The Constitution and The Gettysburg Address.