Celebrating the Month of the Military Child

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April is the Month of the Military Child. It’s a chance to celebrate children all across the nation who themselves make daily sacrifices and overcome many challenges. Military children deal with deployments, moving every couple of years, changing schools, and sometimes, the loss of a parent. It’s time to celebrate these special children and recognize all they endure. 

Here are some ways you can celebrate this special month and honor the military children in your life.

Purple Up!

Show your support for military kids by wearing purple on Wednesday, April 24. Purple is the color that symbolizes all branches of the military. It’s a combination of the colors of each branch: Army green, Coast Guard blue, Air Force blue, Marine red, and Navy blue. While April 24 is the national Purple Up day, be sure to check your child’s school to see if they are wearing purple on a different day.

Fort Jackson Events

The Exchange

Be sure to stop by the Exchange on base for some special discounts and contests. Visit the Exchange website for a chance to win some fabulous prizes! Prizes include a variety of toys and a $250 Exchange gift card. The Exchange also has a variety of “Military Brat” souvenirs like dog tags, pins, patches, coins, lanyards, and bags available for purchase in store. 

Dress your child(ren) in purple and head over to the Exchange on April 13 for a FREE treat at participating Exchange restaurants. Yum!

The Commissary

It’s time for the annual Month of the Military Child coloring contest! Head on over the Commissary website for contest information and coloring pages. Contest is open to children 11 years old and younger. You can submit the coloring page to your local commissary between April 1-30. 

Scholarship Contest

Parents, you have the chance to enter a contest to win up to $5,000 towards your child’s education as part of Month of the Military Child. Just text “Purple” to 89884 for your chance to win! Please note, this contest is open to military families only. 

Local Events

Purple Up at Lake Carolina

This FREE event will take place on Tuesday, April 16 from 4 – 5 p.m. at the Lake Carolina Town Center. Lake Carolina will be celebrating with Zumba for kids, a push-up challenge, face painting, ice cream, and a “Military Kids are Heroes” signing board. Don’t forget to wear purple for this fun event!

School Events

Check your child’s school calendar to see what special events they might be offering.

Community Events

Check to see if your local community is celebrating in any way.

Additional Ways to Celebrate

  • Young Lives, BIG Stories ContestEach year in April, the MWR of the U.S. Army puts on the YLBS Contest. This contest gives Army children the chance to tell their story about what it means to be a military kid. All entries must answer the question, “What does it mean to you to be a military child?” Entries may be in drawing form (ages three – third grade) or written form (fourth – twelfth grade).
  • Military discounts: Be sure to check out local businesses and restaurants to see if they are offering any special promotions this month. You can also find a helpful list of other discounts here.
  • Salute to military children at a sporting event: Are you headed to a sporting event in April? Maybe a Fireflies game? Ask if a special announcement can be made during the game to honor all the military children in attendance.
  • School project: Ask your child’s teacher (or other teachers as well!) to make a special project celebrating military children. It could be as simple as making a special picture frame, bookmark, drawing, journal, letters to military children, etc. 
  • School assembly: Work at a school? Why not have an assembly to celebrate military children? Ask the students to write poems or a short story about being a military child and have a few students read them at the assembly. Have the school band play. You can even do the Pledge of Allegiance. Why not have all the military children stand and be recognized? So many possibilities!
  • Website promotion and flyers: Schools and businesses can promote the Month of the Military Child on their website and provide links to helpful resources for military families. Don’t forget to send out flyers and promote any event(s) your school and/or business may be having!
  • Classroom activities: There are a wide variety of activities that can be done in the classroom to celebrate. Teachers can read stories about military children to their students; Military themed Show and Tell; Create a world map and have the military students in the classroom mark where they’ve lived; have theme days for one or two weeks and have the students dress accordingly. So many options!

There are many ways to celebrate military children in April! No matter how you celebrate, don’t forget to tag those social media pictures with #purpleup! Let’s join together and show our military children and families how special and important they are. And let’s honor them for the countless sacrifices they make on a daily basis. 

Are you a military family? Tell us below! We’d love to recognize you for your service. 

2 COMMENTS

  1. The South Carolina National Guard has over 11000 families in South Carolina. Our kids are a permanent part of the community. Every year, the South Carolina National Guard’s Service Member and Family Care Directorate holds events for military kids. I have copied a link to this year’s events below. The Military Child Education Coalition also holds events throughout the month to advocate and educate for military children.
    https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=2251034188278348&id=596071587107958

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