Joey & Carla Link
July 1, 2026
You think your kids will learn about the 4th of July and what it means in school. But exactly what are they learning about it? In public schools, especially these days, it is hard to tell what is being taught about anything. Often, it is someone’s opinion about a historical event rather than the details surrounding the event itself.
Do your kids know the 4th of July (in the US) is the birthday of the United States? This is our country’s 250th birthday!! Most kids can relate to what a birthday means. Celebration! Gifts! Parties! Talk about how your family can celebrate the 4th. Ask your kids why they are glad to be an American. Why not plan a birthday party celebrating the United States with your kids to teach them about our country! Ask each of your kids who are old enough to look up the following to share with the family on the 4th of July.
- Have one of your kids prepare to share what being a “free” country means. That it gives us the freedom to go to church every Sunday and worship God.
- Do your kids know that millions of people live in countries where these freedoms don’t exist? Have one of your kids be prepared to share what some of these freedoms are.
- Do your kids know that God has historically been given credit for what the United States stands for?
- Where did the phrase, “In God We Trust” come from and where can you most easily find it? (Hint: Look on the back of a dollar bill)
I would have told you that the phrase “In God We Trust” first came into being in US politics when the Constitution was written. I just looked it up. On July 30, 1956, two years after pushing to have the phrase “under God” inserted into the pledge of allegiance, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed a law officially declaring “In God We Trust” to be the nation’s official motto. That was 80 years ago this July.
- Ask one of your kids to look up and find out how many US Presidents refused to put their hand on the Bible when they were sworn into office. Answer: All except 10 U.S. presidents have been sworn in with a Bible, and those that did traditionally seal their oath of office with “so help me God.”
- Ask one of your kids to be prepared to share how the Declaration of Independence came into being and how many times it mentions God. (Answer: It mentions God 4 times.)
To celebrate enjoy a picnic or a BBQ at a park or in your back yard. Ask your kids after they have shared their answers to the questions you have asked them what kind of gifts they can give the United States. One gift we told our kids they could always give was to pick up trash they saw and throw it away so they could help keep our city and our country clean. Another gift we can each give our country when we are old enough is to vote. That’s a freedom other countries don’t always have. We are sure your family can think of a lot of other things you can do as well!
Our kids still talk about the family trip we took to many of the historical sites on the East coast when they were in elementary, middle and high school. The 250th birthday of America is a fun occasion to celebrate, one to look back on and remember as a fun family memory someday when they are adults!
“In God I trust and am not afraid.
What can man do to me?”
Psalms 56:11