Inauguration Day is a huge deal in the US. It is the day when the President and the Vice President are sworn into office and people all over the country take some time to celebrate this momentous occasion.
Originally, Inauguration Day just consisted of a simple ceremony, but it’s a much more celebrated affair now.
It’s normal for people to have all-day celebrations, and it’s a great holiday to introduce into your lessons at school.
If you are looking for some fun Inauguration Day classroom activities for your students, then you have come to the right place!
We have put together a list of 12 of the best Inauguration Day classroom activities that you can do with your students, so let’s get straight into the list!
1. Presidential Parade
This activity requires a bit of planning, but if you can sort the planning out, you and your kids will have a wonderful time! Every Inauguration Day has an official Presidential Parade that is usually televised, so you can use that as inspiration.
You and your students can plan the parade out together and you can even spend part of the lesson discussing past Presidential Parades.
Ask your students why they think these parades happen and what they mean. It’s a great way to do something fun, whilst also educating your students on an important topic.
2. Poetry Readings
One of the more recent additions to Inauguration Day is actually poetry readings, so it only makes sense that you incorporate poetry into your lesson plan!
You can get your kids to write their own poetry, and see if any of them want to read their work out.
You can make a theme around America or American Presidents or something similar so it sticks to the theme of the whole day.
For slightly older students, you can get older poems that have been read at past Inaugurations and have them analyze them, and then ask them to write one that is similar.
You can have lots of fun with this activity, and there are plenty of ways you can incorporate poetry into your lesson!
3. Dear Mr. President
“Dear Mr. President” is a great activity to do with your students on Inauguration Day because it will really help them to feel like they are more involved in the whole process.
All you have to do is ask your students to write a letter to the new president. You can set goals and briefs in the writing, asking them to talk about current events or what they would like the president to do during their term.
You can even see about sending the letters to the White House, which will add a whole extra layer of excitement for your kids, and it will really make them feel like they are part of the big day.
4. American Flag Craft
There’s nothing more patriotic than the American Flag, and with Inauguration Day, you can really utilize the flag to make a fun and crafty lesson for your students.
You can get your kids to make their own American Flags using whatever materials you can get hold of and you can get really creative with this idea!
A good set of materials to use for this would be popsicle sticks, markers, and stickers, but you can really use anything you want and you can change it depending on the age group you are working with.
You can even ask your students to add a personal touch to their designs, and you can hang all of the finished flags up for the rest of the day.
You can really approach this activity however you want, so don’t be afraid to get creative!
5. Our Hundred-Day Plan
When the US President is sworn into office, they typically put out plans about what they indent to accomplish in the next 100 days.
This is a great activity that capitalizes on that plan, by bringing it into the classroom and teaching your students how to set goals and follow through on plans.
You can get your students together to outline their own Hundred-Day Plan and you can create milestones and mini-goals in between, perhaps even adding a little celebration once the 100 days are finished.
You and your students can have a lot of fun with this idea, so get as creative as you possibly can with it!
6. Inauguration Day Bingo
Bingo works for practically any holiday, and Inauguration Day is no exception! You can get pre-made cards online, or you can make and print your own, it’s really up to you!
This is a great hands-on activity that will allow your students to watch either the present or past Inauguration Day, but in a way that’s fun and challenging. You can even add some mini prizes to anyone who manages to call out bingo first.
While you can just print off pre-made cards to save some time, you can really have a bit more fun when you write the bingo words out yourself.
When it comes to actually playing bingo, you can divide your students up into groups, or you can just let them play individually. However you go about it, your kids are sure to have a fun time!
7. Inauguration Day Boom Card Game
The Inauguration Day Boom Card Game is actually an online game found on Teacherspayteachers.com, so it’s best to play it on a computer or even a tablet.
This is a great game that is completely centered around Inauguration Day, and it is perfect for younger students.
This game will help your students understand color recognition a bit better and it will also familiarize them with the concept of Presidents changing and moving out of the White House so a new one can move in.
It’s engaging and fun, and perfect for introducing Inauguration Day to younger students.
8. U.S. Presidents
There is no better day than Inauguration Day for teaching your students about US Presidents, both old and new!
There are lots of songs on websites like YouTube where they have put together all of the Presidents in an engaging and easy-to-remember way.
Most kids, even the older ones, don’t know much about past presidents, and this is a fun way to give them that information, without it being boring.
Look online for a suitable song or poem that features the names of all the different presidents and get your students to learn it, especially for Inauguration Day!
9. Recite The Presidential Oath
Every Inauguration Day features the President reciting the Presidential Oath, so why not incorporate that into your lesson plan?
You can easily find a copy of the Presidential Oath online and you can get your students to read it out or even analyze it if they are a bit older.
It gives your students a better understanding of what being the President of the United States really means, and gives them a chance to look at the oath in more detail.
10. Inauguration Day Trivia
Trivia is always a great idea because it gives your students the chance to learn things in a fun and engaging way. You can even split your students up into groups and award whichever group gets the most questions correct a little prize!
If you are going to do some Inauguration Day Trivia with your students, just make sure that you make the questions age appropriate. The goal here is to teach your kids about the day, whilst also keeping them engaged and having fun!
11. Presidential Costume Content
Costume contests are usually reserved for Halloween, but that doesn’t mean you can’t host one for Inauguration Day too!
This is a perfect day to host a costume contest for your students and it gives them a chance to really immerse themselves in American culture and history.
You can ask your students to dress up as past presidents or anything that really reflects well on American culture and history.
You can create categories for your students to win prizes for as well. Some good categories include “Best Dressed President”, “Best Tribute To America”, “Best Vice President” and much more!
Get creative with your categories and prizes and watch how much fun your students have.
12. Inauguration Day Crossword Puzzle
Another fun way to teach your students more about American history and Inauguration Day is through a crossword puzzle!
This is a fun activity that you can do at the beginning or end of your class and it’s a great way to keep your kids entertained but still learn about an important part of American culture!
Conclusion
Inauguration Day is an important part of American culture and history, so if you want to incorporate it into your lesson plan, these activities are the best way to do that.
They will keep your students engaged and entertained, but they will still learn valuable lessons about this important day.
When Inauguration Day rolls around, try some of these activities out in your class and see which ones they enjoy the most!
Hi, my name is Helena Waters and I was a teacher for 40 years before retiring last year.
During my time as a teacher I dedicated the majority of it to making classrooms as fun as possible, with educational parties, fun activities, and low cost entertainment that made the children excited about learning.
I taught children of all ages, from preschoolers to high school students. Now, with the pandemic having uprooted everything that children once knew about school and learning, I think that the need for my ideas is bigger than ever.
That is why I created School Sparks, a place in which I can write down and share all of my ideas on how to get students excited about going to school again. I hope that you’ll find some useful within a school setting, even at home too!
