Explaining Remembrance Day to a 5 year old - any good resources?

[OrdinaryGirl]

Hoping you lot have some good links or suggestions about how to explain war and Remembrance Day to Reception age kids.

Has anything worked well for you that got the important bits across in a meaningful but age-appropriate way? I get all teary just thinking about it - I have 3 boys and I keep remembering all the mothers whose sons never came home.

I've shown him the beautiful CBeebies poppies animation but it's a bit nuanced for him and I need some concrete information.
Thanks in advance. 💐

Are you sure he isn't already covering it in school?

The reason I ask is because at one of the primary school open days I attended, they had a big display on "Remembrance Day", in the reception class. They had a big cardboard silhouette of a soldier carrying a gun.

It might be worth asking school what resources they use. The Bookpeople were selling a book, aimed at this age, last year. No idea if they still have it. I think it was just called Remembrance Day.

Good luck, op. Such a hard thing to have to teach a little one. I get what you mean about feeling teary. I appreciate how those parents must have felt, and it upsets me too.

Pop the kids along to Sainsbury or any supermarket after school, when it’s quiet. They’ve all got British Legion retirees selling poppies. Get them to explain it. They’re lovely.

The British Legion idea is excellent. Perhaps if an ancestor died in either WW1 or WW2 you could explain about their life and where they served, if in the military. They would be remembering Uncle xx or Aunty yy, or perhaps a great-grandparent.

There's a bbc cartoon which my 6yo enjoyed. www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04p4zsl

I second what Elflocks said, are you sure school aren’t covering it? My 4 year old is in reception, she learned the basics last year at pre school... ‘we wear poppies to remember soldiers who died’, and has covered it in more detail in reception. I was geared up to explain it to her but didn’t really have any need to in the end, she told me!

Hmmm....They might be covering it in school but DS1 hasn't mentioned it. He's been on half-term this week so maybe they'll be doing something next week.

Good suggestion about the RBL. I'll see if I can fix up a visit to a supermarket they're at.

@MrTumblesSpottyHag (brilliant username btw 😄) yes this was the CBeebies video I mentioned - love it too, it's just that DS1 needs things to be spelt out a bit more.

Thanks so much for the replies. 💗

Michael Morpurgo has recently written a book for children on the story behind the poppy 'Poppy Field' that may be helpful. It's got very good reviews.

Is there any point? Why not wait another year or so, then explain it properly when he can understand better?

@CatAndMice you might be right. I just floundered a bit in providing a concise explanation when he asked about war and why people died and why poppies. He's a bit like Le Petit Prince when he gets hold of a question and feels we're palming him off. 😏

Thank you @Lallybroch - I'll check that out. 👍🏼

I’ve had some really meaningful conversations this week that I couldn’t have had a couple of years ago (not British, so poppies are not a thing for me, which could sway my opinion). Sometimes I think we try so hard to do the right thing, but actually waiting can make things so much easier.

Oh lawd, totally missed the last paragraph of your OP, sorry! 🤦🏽‍♀️