Today we came together to mark Remembrance Day/Armistice Day. This day, celebrated on 11th November each year, is to remember all those who died during the war.
We started our day by explaining to the older children that today is about celebrating those who have worked, and still work, hard to keep us safe. We talked about why people wear poppies during November, symbolising the poppies that grew in Flanders Field during the first world war.
We looked at the way today is celebrated; looking at poppies and the different types of poppies worn by the members of staff in the building as well as talking about the poppies they have seen their friends and family wearing. The children created their own poppies to commemorate the day; doing fingerprints for the petals and using real poppy seeds for the center of their poppies before drawing stems and leaving with green pens. Many of the children wanted to cut out their poppies and celotape them to their jumpers, “like Mummy and Daddy”.
We were very lucky to be visited this week by some veterans from the Chelsea Pensioners Royal Hospital. They talked to the children about Remembrance Day and how they celebrate it. They also talked to the children very briefly about their role during the war. The children decorated a display board for them, filled with poppies, soldiers, and a poem about Remembrance Day. The children also made some cards to say thank you to them for their visit and also made a beautiful poppy wreath for them to take back to their retirement home and show the other residents.
The children listened to a story about Remembrance Day before participating in a minute silence, using a sand timer as a visual representation of the time. The children did amazingly well during their minute silence. Afterward, they recapped what they had learned about Remembrance Day and the importance of remembering those who are no longer with us.
