• Organize a family or neighborhood DebateWatch event – Watching and discussing political debates with your child is a great way for them to understand the overall political process while simultaneously gaining an enhanced knowledge about our current government. Participation has no boundaries with DebateWatch because all that is required is access to a television, open minded viewers, and the willingness to engage in meaningful discussion.
• Talk with your children about news and current events – Talking about what is going on in the world with your child is a great way to keep them interested in their community. Magazines for children such as Time For Kids, Children’s Digest, Boys’ Life, and New York Times Upfront are good examples of print magazines meant to keep kids up to date on current events.
• Plan family vacations to historic locations – Family vacations can be a great opportunity to visit places of historical significance. Cities like Philadelphia, Washington DC, Gettysburg, Boston & Williamsburg are loaded with historical significance, but still have plenty of attractions to keep kids of all ages entertained for the whole trip.
• Visit local places of government – Many people have lived in the same city their entire lives, but have still not learned much about their city’s history. Things like touring your county courthouse, city hall and other historical monuments can be a good activity for a weekend or summer afternoon with your child. Most city or county government offices will have some sort of map or website that will indicate the historical sites closest to you.
• Take your children with you when you go vote – Taking your children with you to the polls will set a good example and also instill the importance of voting at an early age.
• Share your political beliefs with your children, but remember that education and indoctrination are different – When your children get old enough, feel free to start sharing your opinions with them, just remember to encourage them to think for themselves.
• Encourage and support your child in entering civic writing competitions, patriotic poster contests, and other opportunities that support civic education and self expression
• Discuss the history of Federal holidays with your children – Talking about why our country observes holidays like Presidents’ Day, Labor Day, Constitution Day, etc. can help your child to develop a better understanding and respect for the history of the United States.
• Encourage your children to get their friends involved in civic education – One of the best ways for retaining information is to share it with others. Young people are also more likely to pursue an activity or area of interest in a group than they are on their own.
If you find yourself struggling for things to talk about with your kids, download our civics fact sheet for parents. [PDF - 47.2KB] It's got lots of different topics that you can discuss about our state and country.
If you would like some ideas concerning reading material in addition to what is on the fact sheet, download our extensive list of suggested reading material for kids of all ages. [PDF - 46.5KB]