Election Day Resources for Kids

Team GCM Playologists, Sydney and Bill, are our GCM poll workers today for GCM Votes! Guests are voting for their favorite shows, animals, and more!

How can you explain the Presidential Election to your children in a way they can understand? We can help! Team GCM has gathered resources for you to use at home to help your children connect to the world around them this Election Day in an easily digestible way. We got together helpful resources from our favorites like Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, Sesame Street, and more!

Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood

• In the Neighborhood Voting Booth | Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood: Daniel Tiger is asked to vote on whether he’d like swings or a slide in the new playground. His father explains the process of voting, Daniel makes his choice, then the votes are counted.  When the winner is announced, Daniel is disappointed, but only at first.

• Stop, Think and Choose | Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood: Teacher Harriett announces that the children will be voting on a new class pet — either a rabbit or a turtle. She helps them learn about voting by encouraging them to stop (and learn about the two pets), think, and then choose.

• You Can’t Always Get What You Want | Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood: Teacher Harriett holds an election to choose the new class pet – a turtle or a rabbit. Daniel wants a turtle so that he can watch it swim, but the rabbit wins the election. Daniel finds that even though his choice didn’t win, there are things he can enjoy about the pet that won the vote.

Sesame Street

• Vote Song | Sesame Street: When a group of people can’t agree, sometimes they have to make a choice and vote. The group with the most votes wins. This song teaches the concept of voting and reviews counting.

• Sesame Street – Election Day: Big Bird and Snuffy learn about voting on Election Day.

PBS KIDS

• YOU CHOOSE | Presley Talks About Voting | PBS KIDS: Meet Presley, the host of PBS KIDS You Choose, a mini-series about democracy and how kids can get involved in important issues they care about! In this episode Presley talks about voting. What does voting look like for you and your family?

• Arthur, season 5, episode 6, ‘The Election’ full episode: Mr. Ratburn’s class holds a class election. Muffy takes the candidacy for class president seriously and a competitive campaign against Arthur ensues.

YouTube Storytimes

• If I Ran For President read by Lonnie Chavis, Parker Bates and Mackenzie Hancsicsak from ‘This Is Us’: If I Ran For President is written by Catherine Stier, illustrated by Lynne Avril Cravath and read by Lonnie Chavis, Parker Bates and Mackenzie Hancsicsak from the hit NBC television show, This Is Us

• Grace for President | Read-Aloud: Grace Campbell wonders why no girls have ever been President of the United States. In this book by Kelly DiPucchio, Grace and her classmates learn how states vote in the electoral college and that it takes more than just making promises to be elected president.

• One Vote, Two Votes, I Vote, You Vote: Cat in the Hat does a read-aloud of Bonnie Worth’s One Vote, Two Votes, I Vote, You Vote.

Articles for Reading

• 6 Tips for Talking About the Outcome of the Election with Kids: Whether results are clear on election night or ballots take longer to count, kids are going to have questions. Here’s how to help your kids digest the news.

• How the President Is Elected, in 6 Simple Steps Kids Can Understand: A mom and veteran political strategist offers up tips for talking about Election Day 2020 with your kids, plus her favorite children’s books that breakdown how the president is elected in fun ways.

• The Electoral College, Explained for Kids: Ahead of Election Day 2020, Parents.com asked a mom and veteran political strategist to explain what the Electoral College is, how it works, and why it was created—all in terms simple enough for a child to understand.

• How To Explain The Election And Voting To Kids: Here’s what parents should know about talking to their children about the electoral college, choosing a candidate to support and more.

• 12 Great Videos to Teach Students About Elections & Voting: The 2020 election is fast approaching and kids are taking notice. Teach them all the ins and outs of this important civic right and responsibility with these 12 awesome election videos for learners from PreK through high school.

Team GCM Creator: Carlynn