Celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. Day with kids

Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a day of remembrance established by the U.S. government to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday on Jan. 15.

The day is observed on the third Monday of January each year and gives us a day to reflect on the monumental changes that one man set in motion.

Martin Luther King Jr. fought for equal rights amongst Black and white citizens in the 1950s and 1960s. These rights included the right to work and make an honest living, the right to vote, the right to use public places and the right to receive a good education. It's important to educate, remember and honor the man that made these equal rights possible for our children and us.

Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I have a dream" speech >>

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s 17-minute public speech in 1963 included these famous words: "I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character."

What do the children of 2012 dream of for our future? Because we love their honest answers, we asked children ages 4 to 13 about their dream for the future and this is what they said:

• "I dream for all the LEGOS in the world and then I will share them with the kids that don't have any. But I will keep the good ones." -- Connor, age 7.
• "I dream like Martin Wuther King."             -- Jonathan, age 5.
• "I have a dream for world peace." -- Hunter, age 9.
• "I have scary dreams sometimes."               -- Bennett, age 4.

Martin Luther King Jr. Quotes >>

Asking your children their dream is not the only thing you can do to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Involve your children in these activities to pay respect to the man that fought for equality.

• Read a book about the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
• Act out his famous "I have a dream" speech while implementing your own words and hopes for the future.
• Organize a peace parade in your neighborhood.
• Fly the American flag from your house.
• Write out dreams on small pieces of paper, attach them to helium balloons and let the balloons go outside.

5 Awesome place to visit this Martin Luther King Jr. day >>