The Kentucky Derby is America's most famous horse race, and it is just as much fun for kids as it is for adults. Whether you’re attending the popular two-minute race in person or watching from home, there are plenty of activities that will make the day special for your little ones.

From derby-themed crafts and games to creating their own hats and betting pools, your kids can join in on all the fun while celebrating with you! Here are some great ideas for Derby Day activities for kids – so get ready to have a blast together!

Celebrate the Kentucky Derby with your kids! With derby-themed crafts and games, as well as homemade hats, you can make this iconic American horse race a fun event for everyone in your family.

From creating their own personalized hat to playing exciting races of their own at home, there are plenty of activities that will ensure an unforgettable day together – get ready to have some serious Triple Crown fun!

Kentucky Derby Activities

If you’re planning a Kentucky Derby theme, there are many opportunities for incorporating meaningful educational activities into your theme.

With all these fun and educational activities, homeschoolers can really take part in the excitement of the Kentucky Derby – no matter where they are.

These are just a handful of the concepts kids can focus on during a Kentucky Derby-themed unit:

• all about horses
• all about roses and/or the color red
• all about the state of Kentucky

Before you begin preparing your Kentucky Derby theme, you should look gather a few supplies including but not limited to: 

• books about horses
• books about Kentucky
• red roses to smell and explore
• mint leaves to smell and explore

Before beginning your unit about the Kentucky Derby, introduce your kids to the Derby with a book full of fun facts such as D is for Derby: A Kentucky Derby Alphabet.

Following the alphabet, D is for Derby: A Kentucky Derby Alphabet uses poetry and expository text to explain this world-famous event.

Topics include famous jockeys, legendary horses, fabled Bluegrass farms and owners, as well as offering a behind-the scenes view of thoroughbred breeding and racing.

Now that you've introduced your kids to the basics of the Kentucky Derby, how about adding some fun Kentucky Derby activities for kids: 

• You can find a large collection of downloadable Kentucky Derby activities over on the Kentucky Derby Museum website. Choose from vocabulary, suggested reading, coloring sheets, and more.  

• Make a Derby pie from scratch (leaving out the bourbon if you'd like). 

• Try making Mint Juleps to serve at your party. Again, leave the alcohol out for kids. 

• Download and complete this free Kentucky Derby lapbook which is perfect for ages 7-9.

Teach your kids all about horses with these awesome resources: 

• Download and print these Horse Breed cards featuring twelve breeds. 

• Assign (or read) one or more of these chapter books for horse lovers! You'll find both fiction and nonfiction selections on this list. 

• Little learners can create this cute H is for Horse letter of the week craft. 

Take some time to learn about the great state of Kentucky – the home of the Kentucky Derby. 

• Download and print these Kentucky State Fact File worksheets on which kids can record many facts about the state of KY. 

• This Kentucky Unit Study is a comprehensive list of facts, history, famous people, and more. 

Books to Add to Your Unit

Fill your book basket with a great collection of books to add to your Kentucky Derby unit study. Most of these books can be found at your local library or used bookstore.

If you have a hard time finding them, you can order them through my Amazon affiliate links by clicking the images below.

B is for Bluegrass – Mary Ann McCabe Riehle offers readers, young and old, the opportunity to take a horseback ride through the rich history and beautiful landscape of the Bluegrass State. 

H is for Horse – From basics such as mucking out the stall and how to judge a horse's qualities to historical facts on the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Mike Ulmer relays the fun and fundamentals of the world of horses. 

D is for Derby – Following the alphabet, D is for Derby: A Kentucky Derby Alphabet uses poetry and expository text to explain this world-famous event. Topics include famous jockeys, legendary horses, fabled Bluegrass farms and owners, as well as offering a behind-the scenes view of thoroughbred breeding and racing.

Round Out Your Unit with These Activities:

These little stick horses will please any little jockey with hours of play. They're perfect for hosting a horse race of your own! 

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If you plan to teach about apples this fall, use the resources below to learn how they grow and more!

Apple Unit Study

This apple themed unit study is perfect for kids in grades K-3. It’s designed for use in both a homeschool and classroom setting.

Apple Orchards

Take a field trip to a local apple orchard to pick apples. Use those apples in the activities below.

Language Arts

Older students can practice parts of speech with this noun and verb apple tree sorting activity.

If you create your spelling lists based on the theme you're studying, check out these apple themed spelling activities for grade 3.

I love to use book-based activities in my homeschool. Here's a great unit based on the story How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World.

Cooking/Snacks

Read Applesauce Day, and have your kids help you make applesauce from scratch.

These simple apple muffins will make a tasty afternoon snack.

Math Activities

Bring the story to life when you add these Ten Apples Up on Top to your early learning math centers. Counting to ten has never been so fun!

If your kids are working on time, be sure to check this apple themed “How Much Time Has Passed?” activity.

This Johnny Appleseed math pack contains activities that focus on graphing, number recognition, addition, and word problems.

Apple Crafts for Kids

Kids will love making a paper plate apple core craft with real apple seeds.

Your slime-loving kiddos will love mixing up a batch of fluffy apple slime.

Little ones can practice their sewing skills with this fun apple sewing craft.

Science Activities

The first thing I would focus on in an apple-themed science lesson is the life cycle of an apple. Kids can enjoy this Apple Life Cycle printable which contains a combination of worksheets and hands-on activities to teach and reinforce the lessons.

Teach kids about the parts of an apple and let them build one of their own when you present them with this engaging preschool apple craft.

Head to the grocery store or farmer's market to purchase a variety of apples. Be sure to get different types, colors, and sizes. Then, have your kids complete an apple taste test.

If your kids enjoy lapbooks, here is an apple science lapbook that explores parts of an apple, vocabulary, life cycle, and more.

Apple Books for Kids

Apples – Explore the history of the apple but also the way that families and farmers grow and care for apple trees today, from planting to selling, to turning them into delicious treats and using them for classic games like “bobbing for apples” on Halloween.

How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World – An apple pie is easy to make…if the market is open. But if the market is closed, the world becomes your grocery store. This picture book takes readers around the globe to gather ingredients for a delicious apple pie.

Johnny Appleseed – John Chapman, better known as Johnny Appleseed, was a historical figure whose wilderness adventures became larger-than-life legends.

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It is a familiar Bible story to most- even to many outside of the Christian faith and can be used to teach various spiritual truths such as: obedience, repentance, trust and humility.

So, doing a unit study on Jonah and the Whale might be exactly what you are looking for right now.

Jonah and the Whale Unit Study

This Jonah and the Whale unit study is perfect for kids in grades K-3. It's designed for use in the classroom, Sunday School, and homeschool.

Bible

Opening your Bible lesson with a song is always fun. There are so many songs about Jonah and the whale out there, but here are three of them that might be fun to use for Bible time depending on your child’s age and their taste in music:

Using the graphics from this Jonah and the Whale printable, you can tell the story of Jonah using your own words or read it from the Bible.

If you want to spread the unit study out over an entire week, you could tell the story of Jonah in a different way each day:

• Day 1: You tell it to your children using the graphics.
• Day 2: Have your children be the various characters in the story and have them reenact it while you are telling it.
• Day 3:  Have your children reenact the story telling it themselves from memory.
• Day 4:  Watch a cartoon on Jonah and the whale. Make sure you talk with them about any possible differences between the cartoon and the Bible.
• Day 5: Have them tell you the story using the graphics.

An excellent memory verse to learn during this unit would be 1^st Sam. 15:22:

“Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices
    as much as in obeying the Lord?
To obey is better than sacrifice,
    and to heed is better than the fat of rams.”

Math

During your Jonah and the Whale unit study, you can focus on bigger/ smaller, size sequencing, and graphs with the following activities.

This Jonah and the Whale packet comes with several Bigger/Smaller cards for grades K-1^st graders. It also comes with a game which teaches children about graphs for 2^nd-3^rd graders. These are excellent math resources.

If you need help explaining graphs to your child, here is a fun YouTube video for that:

Language Arts

This Jonah and the Whale packet offers several worksheets with which your child can practice retelling (sequencing) the story of Jonah.

If you feel like your 3^rd grader needs more grammar, you may want to supplement with this fun Jonah Mad-Lib worksheet.

Phonics/Handwriting

The Jonah and the Whale packet has some wonderful handwriting worksheets.

If you are teaching your child phonics, this would be the perfect time to teach the WH sound. Here is a fun YouTube video for that:

History

This free Jonah and the Whale pack comes with a map of Nineveh, Tarshish and Joppa which is particularly useful for teaching some history and geography on the ancient Assyrian civilization. 

This website has some great facts about Assyria for kids.

This 5-minute video is an interesting historical overview of Assyria for children.

Science

If you do science with your children, doing a study of whales during this unit would be just the thing.

Here is the link to a wonderful resource that teaches all about the differences between whales and dolphins.

Music

If you do musical appreciation with your children, here is a song that you might want to use:

If you are stretching the unit over a 5- day period you may want to simply have your children do the following:

•  Day 1: Clap along with the song on the first day. This song has a 4/4-time signature. If your children have not learned what that means here is a short explanation.
• Day 2: Play some percussion instrument such as a triangle, drumsticks, or tambourine on the second day.
•  Day 3-4: Do the actions the third and fourth days.
•  Day 5: Sing while doing the actions on the fifth day.

If your child plays an instrument, here is beginner level sheet music for the song “A Sailor Went to Sea”

Art

Making a Piñata might be a fun art activity to do over the course of 4-5 days.

Here is a YouTube tutorial on how to make a fish (Nemo) shaped piñata which you could easily turn into a whale by simply painting it differently.

For some extra fun, mom could secretly put “Jonah” in the whale while stuffing it with candy, and the one that finds him after breaking the piñata open could get an extra prize! 

Learning from the perspective God’s Word is such a wonderful, rich experience. Let us know what your favorite part of this unit study was.

BOOKS ABOUT JONAH AND THE WHALE

Picture books are a great way to introduce young children to Biblical stories. The story of Jonah and the Whale is a popular one that has been retold in many different ways.

Here are some picture book versions of the story that your child is sure to enjoy.

Jonah and the Whale – Enjoy this traditional retelling of the classic Biblical story about Jonah and the Whale with beautiful illustrations!

Jonah's Big Fish Adventure – Uh-oh! Jonah didn’t listen to God, and now he’s in the belly of a big fish! What will happen to Jonah next?

The Hard to Swallow Tale of Jonah and the Whale – The story of Jonah is full of ingredients that children love: a dangerous mission; a man on the run; danger at sea; an incredible whale rescue; and a grand finale about forgiveness.

Round Out Your Unit with These Activities:

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Whether you live in Kentucky and are looking for a unit to fulfill your state study requirement or you're working your way across the United States, this resource list is an awesome place to start your research.

This state unit study (and the free state study printable) is perfect for students in grades 3-8! They'll research state facts and symbols, famous Kentuckians, and more.

Kentucky Unit Study Resources

In addition to the State Studies Pack I'm sharing below, you may also want to check out The Big Kentucky Activity Book which is available on Amazon.

Kentucky became a state in 1792 becoming the fifteenth state and the first state west of the Appalachian Mountains. 

Ideas for Notebooking Pages

Whether you purchase notebooking pages or create your own, there are many things about Kentucky that your kids can add to those pages. 

They can draw an outline of the state marking its capital and some of its biggest cities. They can also draw the state flag, the state bird (Northern Cardinal), the state flower (Goldenrod), and the state tree (Tulip Poplar). 

Great Books

I have a much more extensive list of books about Kentucky that you can peruse, if you'd like. But for the sake of being concise, I'm only listing a few of my favorite books about Kentucky here. 

• The Rag Coat by Lauren Mills | This is a tender story about a resourceful mountain girl's special coat that will touch readers with its affirming message of love and friendship.

• Appalachia: The Voices of Sleeping Birds by Cynthia Rylant | Lyrical prose and warm watercolor illustrations bring a “certain part of the country called Appalachia” alive for young readers. 

• That Book Woman by Heather Henson | That Book Woman is a rare and moving tale that honors a special part of American history—the Pack Horse Librarians, who helped untold numbers of children see the stories amid the chicken scratch, and thus made them into lifetime readers.

Field Trip Ideas

If you live nearby and have a chance to visit Kentucky, there are a few places you should see.

• Mammoth Cave | I remember touring Mammoth Cave when I was a child. I vividly remember Fat Man's Misery (a skinny passageway) and Tall Man's Agony (a shorter passageway). You and your kids can tour the underground cave trails or stay above ground and wander through the acres of forest the park has to offer.  

• Louisville Slugger Museum | Baseball fans will love touring the Louisville Slugger Museum to see how baseball bats are made. They'll love bringing home their very own personalized bat, too!

• Kentucky State Capitol | Tour the beautiful Kentucky State Capitol Building to see the Kentucky Supreme Court room, the Senate Chamber, and more!

• Abraham Lincoln's Birthplace | See the log cabin where Abraham Lincoln was born. 

Famous People

No state study is complete without a look at some of the famous people that were born there. Kentucky has its fair share of important people. 

• Abraham Lincoln | Abraham Lincoln was born in a one-room log cabin in Hodgenville, KY. He was elected the 16th President of the United States in 1861. 

• Daniel Boone | Daniel Boone was born in Pennsylvania in 1734. In his adult years, Boone spent much time exploring the land of Kentucky before it became a state. He made the Wilderness Road which ran through the Appalachian Mountains from NC through KY to TN. 

• Muhammad Ali | Muhammad Ali was born in Louisville, KY in 1942. He grow up to be a famous American boxer. 

Science

There's plenty of science to be incorporated into a state study. Kids can research animals and/or plants native to the state. One animal that is frequently associated with Kentucky is the horse. That would be a fun animal to study alongside a study of KY. 

More Teaching Resources

This challenging Kentucky-themed word search book is perfect for those who want to improve their knowledge and have fun during free times,road trips, waiting times and more.

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