Constitutional Convention Activities for Kids

Learning about the U.S. Constitution might not sound like fun for kids, but it is important for children to learn about the history of the United States and how it came to be. Whether your children are learning about the U.S. Constitution in school, or you want to teach them about it at home, incorporate engaging, related activities that will keep them interested and excited to learn more about the most important legal document in the United States.

  1. Constitutional Convention Reading

    • Read age-appropriate books with your children that provide background on this historic convention and the leaders that participated. For children age 6 and older, "A More Perfect Union: The Story of Our Constitution," by Betsy Maestro, provides a basic outline of how the constitution was formed. For kids age 7 and older, "Shhh! We're Writing the Constitution," by Jean Fritz, provides a humorous, detailed account about how the delegates from the colonies spent four months putting together the Constitution in 1787.

    Write a Constitution

    • Talk to your kids about some of the laws that are in the Constitution, including the Bill of Rights. Give them each a different scenario where they are in charge of starting a new government in a different place, such as Mars, the Moon, or a magical underwater world. What type of laws would they put in their own constitutions? Would they include an amendment process so that laws can be changed or altered if certain ones no longer work in the future? Would they include a bill of rights for every martian or mermaid? What laws would they take, if any, from the U.S. constitution? Have your kids write out their own Mars constitution and present it to the rest of the family for discussion.

    Educational Games

    • Help your child learn the preamble to the Constitution for a memory competition. Setting the words to a tune, or using hand guessures for important words can makes it much easier to remember. Have a competition to see who can recite as much of the preamble as possible. You can also play a trivia game with the kids after learning about the Constitutional Convention. Put a point amount to each question based on the level of difficulty. Trivia questions should include famous delegates who attended, the location of the convention, the amount of time it took and specific laws listed in the Constitution.

    Field Trip

    • Take a field trip to Philadelphia, if you live anywhere relatively close, where you and your kids can visit the National Constitution Center (constitutioncenter.org), which features hands-on interactive exhibits and activities focused on the history of the Constitution. In addition, your kids will have the opportunity to visit Independence Hall, where both the U.S. Constitution and the Declaration of Independence were written. If you live anywhere near Washington, D.C., you can take your kids to see the actual Constitution at the National Archives (archives.gov). Otherwise, you can always take your children to your own state capitol for a tour and to learn about the history of the state and its laws. Another option is to take a virtual tour, allowing your kids to visit Independence Hall and see the Constitution on the Internet.

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