If you have children then you’ve probably heard them say something along these lines: Columbus sailed the ocean blue in 1492. They can tell you that Christopher Columbus arrived in the New World on October 12 of the same year. Since most schools are out for this day, they may say, ?Let?s celebrate Columbus Day! You’re probably wondering what you can do.

Christopher Columbus, an Italian navigator, sailed from Spain to Hispaniola with the support of King Ferdinand II and Queen Isabella on August 3, 1492. The purpose of the trip was to find a quicker route from Spain to Asia so they could obtain spices. The ships along on the trip were the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria. After five long weeks, Columbus found land, but it wasn’t the Far East as he thought. He had landed on the New World or what is now called North America.

The rest of the world that celebrates Columbus Day in some form or another does so on the actual date that he sighted land, October 12, 1492. The United States, however, commemorates the day on the second Monday of the same month.

New York City loves to throw a parade and does so every year in honor of Columbus Day. If you live in this area, you may want to take your children to the Columbus Day parade as a fun activity while they’re out of school.

You can also check to see if the replica of the Nina is nearby. If you’re lucky enough to be able to see it, this replica caravel will give your children a better idea of what it was like to sail from one country to another. The conditions on the ship were cramped with the men sleeping on deck. The only person with an actual room was the Captain.

If your child isn’t able to visit a replica of the ship that Columbus arrived back in Spain on, they may like to read translations of his ship logs that describe his voyages. After reading the logs, they could get a map of the world and mark the voyage on the map.

They may also like to learn more about the ships Columbus used on his voyage to the New World and see if they can make a scale model of the ship. Popsicle or craft sticks could be used for the planks, cloth could be used for the sails, and dental floss could be used for the rigging. Your child may be surprised by the ship they are actually able to create.

Columbus Day isn’t the type of holiday where there are parties, dressing up, or presents being given, but it is important to remember Christopher Columbus? part in history. There may be those who say that Columbus shouldn’t be credited with discovering the United States, but that’s no reason not to celebrate Columbus Day.