Vote! Election Day Parade

Crafts & Activities for Kids

With Election Day just around the corner, you may be wondering how to teach your children about politics and elections in a positive way. The easiest place to start is with voting and our electoral system. Below are some crafts to make going to the polls a fun, family activity. They’re also a great way to fill the craft gap between Halloween and Thanksgiving. Enjoy!

To get started, share patriotic craft supplies and invite your children to make hats, streamers, and signs. Then put on some fun music and have an Election Day parade. Better yet, take your children to the polls and have a parade to celebrate on the way.

For supplies, you can use any craft supplies laying around the house. You can even involve your children in a red, white, and blue scavenger hunt to find supplies. We used some leftover wooden stars from a space birthday as the streamer base and paper plates were key for the hats. Anything else from pom pom balls and feathers to ribbons and crepe paper are great. Below are more detailed instructions to create our Vote Parade Streamer and Vote Paper Plate Hat.

Vote Parade Streamer

Supplies:

  • Small and large wooden stars (popsicle sticks or wooden dowels)
  • Ribbon
  • Acrylic paint
  • Hot glue gun
  • Paint pen

Instructions:

Paint the wooden stars and let dry. You can do this ahead of time if you need less mess. Paint pens are also a great painting tool with less mess. Glue the ribbons in the middle of the large star. Then, add the smaller star on top to sandwich in and cover the ends of the ribbons. Add the word VOTE, and you’re ready to celebrate!

Vote Paper Plate Hat

Supplies:

  • Paper Plate
  • Red & blue construction paper
  • Star stencil or cookie cutter
  • Scissors
  • Glue stick
  • Crepe paper
  • Stickers & other decorating items

Instructions:

Cut the middle out of the paper plate leaving a 2 inch space that is still connected to the plate. Fold the circle up to create the front of the hat to decorate. Tip: When the circle is more difficult to cut, flip the plate over and cut from the other side. To adjust the size of the hat for older children, just trim around the inside edges to make the hat a little bigger.

According to your children’s age, you can have them trace a star stencil and cut out the blue and red paper stars, or do this ahead of time.

Invite children to decorate the hat however they would like using whichever supplies they prefer. If you have crepe paper available it is fun to have children rip and crinkle the paper. If you add ribbons or crepe paper streaming down the back of the hat, it makes for more fun during the parade.

Last, add the word VOTE!

LEARNING TIPS

Reading & Letter/Sound Recognition:

Talk about the letters and sounds in the word V – O – T – E. Practice recognizing the letters, sounds, and reading the word. Then add it to your list of site words. When you take your children to the polls, ask how many times they see the word VOTE.

Civics, Elections, & Voting:

While you are crafting together, below are some questions you can ask to spur conversation and instill in your children the value and importance of voting and have the right to participate in elections.

  1. Does anyone know what happens on the first Tuesday in November in the United States?
  2. What do we do on Election Day?
  3. How old do you have to be to vote?
  4. What does it mean to vote for something?
  5. How do our elections work in America?
  6. Do you know what the Electoral College is?