Free Veterans Day Math Activity

I absolutely love teaching my students about veterans and the sacrifices they make for our freedom. Living in San Antonio, we have a large military community, and Veterans Day is always such a meaningful time at school. Each year, our veterans are invited to an assembly filled with songs, speeches, and student tributes. Classrooms and hallways fill with red, white, and blue decorations and teachers work hard to balance learning goals with special celebrations.

This hands-on math craft is the perfect way to do both. Students can practice targeted math skills while creating a patriotic display that honors our heroes.

Veterans Day Math Craft

This simple, engaging activity helps students review number combinations, factors, and math fluency while creating a festive paper chain to display in the classroom. It works beautifully as an independent math center, partner task, or whole-group lesson on Veterans Day week.

What’s New in the Free Download

To make this resource even more versatile, I’ve added templates for multiple grade levels:

• Ways to Make 5 (Kindergarten)

• Ways to Make 10 (First Grade)

• Ways to Make 20 (Second Grade)

• Factors of … (Third–Fifth Grades)

• Two Veterans Day Color Pages — perfect for early finishers or as letter-writing pages to thank veterans.

Every student can participate at their level while contributing to a shared class display that celebrates the day.

Materials

• Red and blue paper strips (approx. 4.25 in × 0.75 in)

• Green “star” templates printed on bright paper such as Astrobrights

• Snap cubes or red/blue counters for hands-on practice

• Glue sticks, scissors, and a little patience for that first paper link!

Provide snap cubes or other red and blue manipulatives for making number combinations

How It Works

1. Choose a the level of math activity.
   Print the matching star template for your class.

2. Model one example.
   Students record combinations (like 3 + 2 = 5 or 5 × 2 = 10) on their red and blue strips.

3. Build the chain.
   Thread the first strip through the star and glue the ends to form a link. Continue linking each equation in order.

4. Display with pride.
   Hang from the ceiling, doorway, or bulletin board for a festive tribute to our veterans.

Each student’s chain becomes both a visual representation of math fluency and a symbol of gratitude.

You can find the original template HERE and the newly updated free Veterans Day Math activity and coloring sheets here.

More Ways to Honor Veterans

If you’d like to expand this celebration beyond math, explore these classroom favorites:

Our November Build and Color Place Value Mystery Pictures Includes a veteran saluting the American flag.

Students can create an American Flag Craft and fill it with writing and research about the branches of the military and veterans in this America the Brave Learning Lapbook.

For a round-up of read alouds and ready to play videos, THIS POST provides learning ideas and activities for teaching all about United States Symbols and Landmarks in another keepsake craft of the Statue of Liberty.

Together, these activities make it easy to weave meaning, gratitude, and learning throughout the week.