Barack Obama Inauguration Activities for Kids

1/14/09 - By Anna Fader

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If you are excited about the historic inauguration of our 44th President, Barack Obama, and you are a parent, you may also feel a little bit of pressure over how exactly to get your kids involved in this event in an age-appropriate way. Yesterday I posted where you can watch the Inauguration live, but there are also several events tailored just for kids to celebrate Obama's inauguration in New York City. I've also included some inauguration activity ideas and must read books.

[Baby got Barack T-Shirt from shoptoughcookies.com]


 

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Inauguration Events

Obamathon! Inauguration Day Family Party
NYC Explorers  
388 Atlantic Avenue
January 20, 9am-6pm
$10 All Day

Brooklyn Playspace NYC Explorers is bring DC to Brooklyn with an Inauguration Day Family Party. There will be Obama-themed crafts, a moon bounce, and video coverage of the Inauguration events in DC so the kids can have a blast and you can still see the Inauguration too. Thanks for doing this NYC Explorers!

Kids Inauguration Party
Borders Columbus Circle
January 17, 2pm
FREE

Celebrate America, democracy and new beginnings with art activities, games, a scavenger hunt and an official oath ceremony.

This day in History – Inauguration Day 2009
Staten Island Children's Museum
January 17 and 18, 1, 2 and 3 pm.
FREE with Museum Admission

Kids explore important historical events and create their own newspapers to commemorate this historic Inauguration.

Dear Mr. President
Children's Museum of Manhattan
January 10-19
FREE with Museum Admission

Children express their hopes for a brighter future, which will be compiled into a letter to send to President Obama. Kids can also email their hopes to kidshopes@cmom.org

Martin Luther King and Inauguration Day
Scholastic Store Soho
January 17, 3pm
FREE

Kids get to experience the journey of Civil Rights leader, Martin Luther King Jr. with a reading of March On, written by Christine King Farris, his older sister. Kids will also learn all about Election 2008 and the importance of inauguration day.

In addition to these events, here are some Inauguration Activities you can do with kids at home:

If You Were President
Scholastic has a little website where kids can see what it's like to be president. They must choose their cabinet, make a balanced budget and then be interviewed by the press about their decisions. At the end it creates a newspaper article about their presidency with their own real quotes.

PBS Kids' Speak Out
Watch videos of kids talking about what they'd like to see Obama do in office to make the world a better place, then vote for the ideas you think are best. Kids can also submit their ideas for Obama.

Inauguration books

Obama truly does have an incredible life story that brought him to where he is today. The story has been turned into an inspiring children's book, Barack Obama: Son of Promise, Child of Hope that is a great way to share the importance of his Inauguration with children.  

Yes We Can: A Biography of Barack Obama tells his story for older children.

And, I haven't read either Dreams from My Father or Audacity of Hope, but I have heard rave reviews and am eager to get my paws on them.

Tomorrow we'll have more Inaugural-related events.