Election Day Activities for Kids

 

Election Day Activities for Kids

Make a Ballot Box to Teach about Voting

What is voting? When a group needs to make a decision, it is usually done by voting to see what the majority chooses. This is done by everyone casting a vote for their choice, and then having the votes counted to see which choice the majority desires. In America, adults vote for president every four years on Election Day. Currently, all US citizens, eighteen years or older, are allowed to vote.

Election Day can be a confusing time for kids to understand, especially when they see signs, commercials, and mailings everywhere. Some elections are very heated, and kids may have a lot of questions. 

This craft will show kids the basics of casting a vote. Have fun with it and hold different ‘elections’ using toys and fun topics. Kids can even ‘campaign’ for their cause! 

Materials:

• Empty cereal or cracker box
• Construction paper
• Tape, glue sticks
• Markers
• Scissors
• Index cards
• Hole punch

1. Recycle an empty cereal or cracker box. Clean out all the crumbs, and remove any liner bags.
2. Have an adult carefully cut an opening in the middle of the top of the box, wide enough for an index card to fit through.
3. Cover the box with construction paper, leaving one end and the slit open. Cover the open end with a flap of paper so that you can close and open the box. Secure the construction paper with tape or glue.
4. With markers, write the word VOTE on the top of the box, and decorate as desired with stars, flags, or other patriotic symbols.
5. Prepare index card ballots by writing a list of the names of the candidates on each card, leaving a 1-inch margin beside each name. You may choose to have a silly election, using ice cream flavors, stuffed animals, or book titles as candidates.
6. Place the ballot box in a prominent area, and stack the ballots beside it along with the hole punch.
7. Voters each get an index card and use the hole punch to punch the card beside their choice. Then, each voter places his card secretly into the ballot box.
8. Once all votes are cast, have the election “official” remove the cards. Create a tally sheet to record the results, and discuss how the winner is decided by the most votes. You can even set up a math problem to figure out how many more votes the winner received.

Resources for Election Day

Share these books about voting and elections with the kids in your life to explore this topic further.

• Duck for President Doreen Cronin and Betsy Lewin–Click here to see more activities with this book.
• So You Want to Be President?  Judith St. George and David Small
• The Day Gogo Went to Vote Elinor Batezat Sisulu
• The Ballot Box Battle Emily Arnold McCully
• If You Lived When Women Won Their Rights Anne Kamma
• Elizabeth Leads the Way: Elizabeth Cady Stanton and the Right to Vote Tanya Lee Stone
• You Want Women to Vote, Lizzie Stanton? Jean Fritz

More ideas to teach your kids about elections & voting

These articles explore the topic of voting and elections for kids:

• Teaching Kids About Elections: Duck for President
• 2 Important Ways to Prepare Your Teens to Vote
• Abraham Lincoln Books for Kids
• George Washington Books for Kids
• The Buck Stops Here
• So You Want to Be President?
• Ghosts of the White House

Freebie: Presidents Activity Pack Printable

Click here or on the image below for our free printable activity pack! This activity pack is perfect for celebrating Washington’s Birthday, Lincoln’s Birthday, and President’s Day. It includes library checklists for books about Abraham Lincoln and George Washington, Fact vs. Opinion activity, Venn Diagram activity, copywork, and notebook pages. (Elementary, Middle)

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