By Melanie Linn Gutowski

President's Day, celebrated this year on February 15, commemorates the birthdays of presidents George Washington (February 22) and Abraham Lincoln (February 12). Though the holiday honors two of the United States' most illustrious presidents, President's Day is a day to celebrate and learn about all 44 of our chief executives. Use these cool facts, activities and discussion questions to start a conversation with the special kids in your life about America's presidents.

Though we now list George Washington's birthday as February 22, he was actually born on February 11, 1732. How did his birthday jump 11 days? When Washington was born, the American colonies were still under British rule and were using the Julian calendar, which has only 282 days per year. In 1750, British Parliament moved to the Gregorian calendar, which we still use today, for the country and all its colonies.

To make up for the difference between the Julian and Gregorian calendars, Washington celebrated his birthday on February 22 from 1753 onward.

Discussion
If you could choose your own birthday, which month and day would you choose?  Why?

Activity
Help your niece or nephew find out what their birthday would have been in the Julian calendar.

Thomas Jefferson, 3rd president, introduced ice cream, waffles and macaroni to the United States.

Discussion
Where do you think Thomas Jefferson found these foods?  Have you ever tried a food from a foreign country?

Though we are accustomed to seeing photographs of Abraham Lincoln, our 16th president, with a beard, he actually didn't begin growing it until after his election in 1860.

Activity
Show your niece or nephew a photograph of president Lincoln without his beard and see if they can recognize him!

Theodore Roosevelt, 26th president, was the first American Nobel Laureate.  He won the 1906 Nobel Peace Prize for his services in the signing of a peace treaty at the end of the Russo-Japanese War.  Former president Jimmy Carter (39th president) and current president Barack Obama have also been recipients of the Nobel Peace Prize.

Discussion
Do you know of any other Nobel Prize winners?  What were they famous for?

Franklin Delano Roosevelt, 32nd president, was the first president to broadcast in a foreign language.  On November 7, 1942, he addressed the French people from Washington, D.C. over the radio.

Discussion
Why do you think it might be important for the president to speak other languages? If you could speak any other language, what would it be?

Jimmy Carter, 39th president, was the first president to be sworn in using his nickname.  His give name was James Earl Carter, Jr.  

Discussion
Why do you think president Carter used his nickname?  If you became president, would you use your real name or your nickname?  Why?

Millard Fillmore, 13th president, had the first bathtub installed in the White House after seeing one at the Cincinnati Exhibition of 1850.

Discussion
Bathtub technology was new in the 1850s.  What kinds of new technology does President Obama use in the White House now?

Ulysses S. Grant, 18th president, established Yellowstone National Park, the country's first national park, in 1872.

Discussion
Why do you think it was important for the president to establish a national park?  Can you name any other national parks or national historic sites?

Activity
Watch clips from Ken Burns' latest film, "The National Parks: America's Best Idea" on the PBS web site with your niece or nephew.


Melanie Linn Gutowski is a freelance writer and a proud Godmother.