I am always looking for ways to incorporate geography for kids at home; one way we learn about the world is through flags of the world. While flags began as decorative banners that were easy to carry, and slowly gained popularity and respect as symbols of ideals. People often display flags as a sign of pride or patriotism, and when traveling abroad the sight of one’s national flag is a reminder of home.
Every month, the Multicultural Kid Blogs hosts a blogging carnival about a topic relevant to our global writers and readers. As this month’s host, I’ve chosen “Flags of the World” and asked my fellow bloggers to share posts about flags. What an amazing collection of articles we’ve come up with!!! 🙂
Flags of the World & their Symbolism
I think the story of the escudo (the center part) of the Mexican flag is one of the most interesting. Here is the history of its origins plus a simple craft for kids.
Frances from “Discovering the World through my Son’s Eyes” celebrated 122 years of the Puerto Rican flag.
Chasing the Donkey has a fantastic description of the Croatian Flag, with information on its regions and a coloring sheet!
Eva Vargas gives us ideas on how to honor the flag in the US on Flag Day (June 14th) and also in Norway on Constitution Day (May 17).
Expat families, and those who belong to and have grown up in more than one culture, often identify with multiple nations’ flags. Ute from Expats Since Birth shares information on the 3 flags her multicultural family embraces.
Thank you so much to La Cite des Vents for her bilingual post (French/English) on the history and origins of the French flag- fascinating!
Lou Messugo also shares a wonderful history on the French flag and explains when and where it’s appropriate to hang and display “le Tricolore.”
The Indian flag is easy to recognize, but do you know what the colors and center circle mean? Check out the symbolism and make your own.
Patricia from Our Whole Village has an excellent description of Tibetan prayer flags and their symbolism and colors with instructions on how to make your own.
Family in Finland has a wealth of knowledge about the Finnish flag- I love what the colors stand for in their flag!
Maria from Trilingual Mama describes the symbolic importance of the US flag to her as an expat, plus the story of how her son got his citizenship and first passport.
One fun way to incorporate any flags into a wearable craft is to try these shrinky-dink flag bracelets. Super-cute and super-easy!
Carrie from Craft Moms Share has a wonderful round-up of books, activities, and crafts related to flags. The 4th of July crafts here (and here) are easy for all ages and very patriotic. She also has a great post on learning the Pledge of Allegiance with a book idea.
Here’s a US Veteran’s Day flag craft for little ones from Toddling in the Fast Lane.
Next time we have the Olympics, check back for the Flag Scavenger Hunt: a popular, free download kids can use during the Opening Ceremonies to keep track of the different countries.
Finally, The Art of Home Education shares how she discusses flags with her kids, plus a book suggestion with global kids and their national flags, and finally a download for a “flags of the world” bunting. Great ideas!
Mr Printables has a downloadable set of free world flags! Cute bunting for your class or office.
Do you have any more ideas to celebrate and learn about flags? How do you use flags to introduce geography for kids?
I would like to add a comment about the Maltese Flag. It was officially adopted on September 21, 1964 but has a very long history.
You can get more information on:
http://maltaflag.facts.co/maltaflagof/maltaflag.php
Thank you so much for sharing! I will look into it!
What a wonderful post! We really enjoyed reading all the flag stories and we plan to try a lot of the crafts…We especially love the Tibetan Prayer Flag story as we have a set flying in our garden! Kittos from Family in Finland xx
Oh, cool! We want to try that craft as well.
Thanks for hosting this blog carnival. It’s a great pleasure to discover all these stories and cultures!
It was really fun to read everyone’s posts- so diverse!
Thanks for including my post, it’s been really interesting to read about all the other flags and see our different approaches to the subject.