Gifts for Military Kids Day
Do you have a military kid in your life? Take some time to honor them and all they do for us. Military Kids Day is a day set aside to recognize the sacrifices military kids make while their parents are away serving our country.
Whether they’re staying strong through long deployments or dealing with the everyday stress of living in a military family, these kids deserve our appreciation.
So if you’re looking for a way to show your support, why not celebrate Military Kids Day by picking up a gift for a military child in your life?
Check out our roundup of ideas and find the perfect present for the heroic young person in your life!
The 15th of April 2022 is Military Kids Day, and I want us to discuss how you can make the life of military children a little bit easier and bring smiles to their faces.
- Our story about Military Kids Day
- Celebrating military kids
- What’s the color for Military Kids Day?
- How Purple Up! Day began
- Other purple day celebrations around the world
- How is the Day of the Military Child celebrated?
- How you can honor that military kid you know
- Share Gifts for Military Kids Day
- Other National Days
Our story about Military Kids Day
Trevor sat on one of the basket chairs on the wraparound porch and brought out the sandwich he had taken to school that morning, only that it was now limp and didn’t look too appetizing. But because he was starving, he ate it anyway, washing it down with the water from his flask.
It was a warm summer day, but the porch provided some shade.
He couldn’t go into the house because the door was locked, and he had forgotten his copy of the key inside that morning as he rushed off to school, slamming the deadbolt shut before remembering that his key ring was on the dining table.
His dad always said that there had been a time when people didn’t lock their doors, but the crime rate was now so high that nobody could afford to leave their doors unlocked.
His mom was still at work and wouldn’t get back until five or thereabouts. She would pick up his two younger brothers on her way back home. So he was all alone and had the entire house (well, the entire porch at the moment) to himself.
The sandwich he had just eaten had been hurriedly made by his mom in the morning, and even though she knew he didn’t really like pulled pork sandwiches, that was all she had the time and ingredients to make. She had been running late for a meeting, and she still had to drop the two younger boys at school before going to work.
She looked a little thinner these days, and he knew that she missed his dad. They all missed Dad. His father’s current military deployment to Honduras was for twelve months, a whole year, and he had only managed to come home twice. The last time he was home was three months ago, and he’d only spent four days.
Trevor missed Dad, especially when the other twelve-year-old boys in his school spoke of all the adventures they had with their own fathers on the weekends; hunting, fishing, riding dirt bikes, and repairing broken stuff around the house.
Even though Dad tried to cram so many activities into the times he was home, the time was never enough. In between hanging out with Trevor, building toys with the younger boys, and talking to Mom, there was simply never enough time.
Trevor was, however, very proud of his dad; he was ecstatic that his father was a hero. Dad had joined the military right out of high school. He had been to Iraq, the Philippines, Thailand, and many other countries. He had actually met Mom in Thailand. Mom too had been deployed there as a military person, and they had met and fallen in love.
Because of the children, Mom had had to suspend her military career to be home to take care of them, but Trevor knew she missed the excitement of military bases.
Trevor shook his head and swigged from his water flask again. He was proud to be a military kid, but he realized that it wasn’t an easy life, and not everyone could do it. Every member of a military family had to sacrifice; the parent stationed abroad, the spouse who was left behind to hold all the pieces together, and the children.
A smile touched his face when he remembered that his Dad was coming home that weekend. He would only be home for three days, but they could get a lot done, and cram a lot into those three days. He smiled again, so excited he couldn’t wait.
Being a military kid was not so bad, though. Some spectacular things had happened to him in his lifetime. He had traveled to different places in the world to visit his dad, and he had spent a year abroad. He treasured those moments.
Celebrating military kids
The US Military celebrates military children throughout April, designating the month as the Month of the Military Child, and the reason for this is simple. Military families sacrifice a lot, and dependent children of military members serving at home and overseas are part of this selfless army.
The 15th of April, in particular, is the day to honor the sacrifice of military children. In the short story above, we see just a little bit of Trevor’s life, but we instantly recognize that he has to learn a lot of things and do many things on his own.
The Military Kids Day recognizes the sacrifice of the more than two million children who have had a parent deployed since 9/11, children just like Trevor.
What’s the color for Military Kids Day?
The color associated with Military Kids Day is purple. So go ahead and Purple Up! for Military Kids Day.
The color purple is worn to show support and thanks to military children for their sacrifices and strength. The single color purple indicates that all branches of the military are supported, including marine red, coast guard blue, navy blue, army green, and air force blue.
How Purple Up! Day began
The United States military emphasizes “the total force” and the “whole person concept.” This concept holds that troops and their families (including the extended family) are greater than the sum of their parts. Families are regarded as the lifeline between military service and enlisted officers, especially if they are stationed overseas.
Other purple day celebrations around the world
The Purple Up! Day should not be confused with other purple day celebrations around the world. One of these is the Purple Day held on the 26th of March of each year to bring awareness to epilepsy. Also, the Purple Parade raises awareness for people with disabilities in Singapore, while the International Purple Hijab Day recognizes those who have endured domestic violence.
How is the Day of the Military Child celebrated?
Like many other military recognition efforts, Military Child Day (and month) is primarily celebrated within military associations and communities. These communities organize contests, parades, fairs, seminars, and special events centered around the theme.
However, Military Child Day is not just celebrated by military people. It is also marked by many organizations, schools, and communities.
The Department of Defense Education Activity often urges parents and schools to plan special events to honor military kids and have principals and administrators incorporate the theme into April’s everyday activity.
One thing to note is that it is not a national holiday, so there are no days off work or school closings to mark the day.
How you can honor that military kid you know
Here are Amoware’s recommendations for gifts for Military Kids Day:
Lensatic Vintage Antique Military Pocket Compass
The Lensatic Compass is a fun but meaningful gift for military children, especially teenage ones. A compass is one of the most common military instruments for measuring direction, and this particular one has a lot of history behind it. It was first used during World War II, evolving from the pre-war Compass, Prismatic M-1938.
The Lensatic Compass is made of solid brass and copper and has a magnetic compass needle and fine glass and lens. The brass is polished to a shiny finish.
Why we like it: This is a very special compass. The Corps of Engineers Lensatic Compass was the most common style used during World War II, making a meaningful gift for a military child. The compass was issued to squad leaders, officers, and specialist troops only, even though most troops received training in compass use for land navigation. A military child interested in pursuing a career in the military will appreciate this thoughtful gift.
Contemporary Wolf Art in Bright Colours
This beautiful work of art by Theresa Paden will excite the military child. The painting is colorful and striking. Beyond the beautiful rendering of colors, there is also the symbolism behind this painting. The wolf, which is front and center of this painting, represents loyalty and denotes noble traits such as family and friendship, freedom, teamwork, and protection. These noble traits are traits typically displayed by military families, so this is a gift a military child will appreciate.
Quick Fact
Size: “30 x 24″
Why we like it: We like this painting because of its bright colors and its symbolism.
Artisan Traditional Style Hand Carved Rosewood Jewellery Box
This is a perfect gift for military daughters. There is nothing as girly as a beautiful jewelry box, but do you know what can make that girly gift even more beautiful? When the jewelry box is richly decorated with floral carvings.
Jewelry boxes allow people to better organize their collection and separate jewelry pieces, preventing them from damaging each other. They are, however, used for much more than that. They can also be used to store mementos and other personal items.
Why we like it: These are jewelry boxes that not only allow the military daughter to store jewelry and other personal mementos but also bear the personal and artistic touch of hand carving.
Ultra-soft warm all season fleece blankets
Nothing feels as snuggly and warm as a blanket, especially in the winter months.
Purchase a soft blanket made of micro flannel for softness, warmth, and durability for that military kid. Also, ensure that the blanket is great for both indoor and outdoor use.
Why we love them: Who does not love a cozy blanket? A micro flannel lightweight blanket is perfect for lounging on the sofa/bed, movie nights, camping, reading, watching TV, meditation, and of course, napping.
Vintage pen
The world today is fast losing the culture and art of letter writing, but a vintage fountain pen is always a welcome gift and will be for a military child. Why? Vintage pens are like lost love songs. They make writing look better and will definitely bring nostalgic memories of the deployed parent to that military child.
Why we love them: What more do we need to say? Vintage pens are nostalgic and will remind that child of their deployed parent.
Share Gifts for Military Kids Day
There are nearly two million “total-force dependent children” in the US. That’s a sizeable portion of all the children living in the US. Apart from the fact that these children sacrifice so much for the country, alongside their parents, they are also, in and of themselves, awesome. Here are some of the ways that military kids are fantastic:
They adapt easily to new places and faces.
They appreciate diversity, which is something all of us need to strive for.
They are resilient in challenging situations.
They usually have a desire to serve others. These are the kids who take new kids at school under their wings because they know what it is like to be the new kid on the block.
The odds are that you know a military child or have one in your life. Celebrate that child’s sacrifice, adaptability, diversity, resilience, and service by getting him/her a meaningful gift and sharing Military Kids Day with your friends.
Other National Days
National days are a time to celebrate the unique identity of a country and its people. However, they can also be a source of confusion for visitors from other nations. For example, while most countries celebrate their national day on the anniversary of their independence, some nations observe their national day on the date of their ruler’s coronation or on the Feast of Corpus Christi.
Additionally, some countries have multiple national days, each with its own set of celebrations. So, whether you’re planning a trip abroad or simply brushing up on your geography, it’s important to be aware of the different national days that are observed around the world.
