In honor of Women’s History Month, I’m sharing some fun and easy ways to celebrate the lives of five influential women. It can be difficult to explain big concepts to young children, but these short bios and engaging activities will help you pass along some wisdom while having fun with your kids.

Amelia Earhart

Amelia was the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic. Share her sense of adventure by reading the book I am Amelia Earhart by Brad Melzer (available on Amazon). Then have a paper airplane contest. Even if your child is too young to make a paper airplane, they can still have fun decorating one with stickers and crayons before trying to set the record for flying across the living room.

Florence Nightingale

Proclaimed as the founder of modern nursing, Florence helped wounded soldiers, trained nurses, and made hospitals cleaner places. Let your child step into Florence’s world by playing hospital. Does Teddy have a cut on his leg? Maybe Dolly has a sore throat, and Fluffy needs a flu shot. Give toys a check-up together.

Maya Angelou

Maya was a famous poet, author, civil rights activist, and she was even on Sesame Street!  Celebrate by reading her poem Life Doesn’t Frighten Me and watching her sing “The Name Song” with Elmo on YouTube.  Explain that poets like Maya Angelou use rhyming words in their poetry, and play the rhyme game with your little one. Rhyming is a fun way to help young children understand that similar sounding words often share some of the same letters.

Mother Teresa

Known as one of the great humanitarians of the 20th century, Mother Teresa dedicated her life to helping others. In the spirit of her charitable nature, find a way for you and your little one to give back in your community like donating items to the local food bank. Your child can help pick canned goods and other non-perishables that they think other families may enjoy.

Sacagawea

Sacagawea’s navigation and translation skills were imperative during the Lewis and Clark expedition. Let your little explorer work on their navigation skills with this free printable maze.  (I hope you don’t mind repurposing a Thanksgiving activity sheet. I had trouble finding one specifically for Sacagawea.)

Have another fun way to engage young children in Women’s History Month? Share it with a comment below.