Celebrating the 75th

anniversary of VE Day

Friday 8th May 2020

Parents and carers.

You do not need to print this entire presentation, however

there may be printing depending upon which activities your

child chooses.

Victory in Europe Day or

‘VE Day’ took place on

May 8th 1945.

It was a public holiday and

day of celebration to mark

the defeat of Germany by

the Allied forces in Second

World War.

Watch the film to find out more about VE Day and VJ Day, click here

Discuss It! How do you think it felt when the war finally ended?

Victory in Europe Day (VE Day)

VE Day was the end of the war with Germany in Europe and

ended six years of suffering, courage and endurance.

We mustn’t forget that World War II was still being fought

in Asia Pacific and didn’t fully end until Japan finally

surrendered on 15th August 1945, which then became

Victory over Japan Day (VJ Day)

• On haring the news, people ran out on to the streets, hanging bunting and banners and dancing, it was the best news they had heard for six years!

• Church bells, which had been silent for six years, pealed across the country to share the news: peace in Europe!

• Everyone brought out food to share at street parties.

• May 8th was to be a national day of celebration: Victory in Europe Day.

Find out

more?BBC Newsround click here

Time to celebrate

Captain Tom Moore has been in the news a lot recently because he has raised over 28 MILLION pounds (so far!) for the NHS.

He walked 100 lengths of his garden which is very hard when you are 99 years old.

Captain Tom is a hero now because of what he has done for the NHS but he was also a hero when he fought as a soldier during World War II.

Captain Tom was one of thousands of soldiers who bravely fought hard to make VE day happen.

Maybe someone in your family also fought in the war?

Captain Tom Moore

VE Day Activities

Create or complete a

VE Day wordsearch.

Design your own VE

Day medal.

Listen to stories from

World War II. Find out

if there was someone

in your family who

fought in World War

II.

Have a VE day picnic

(in your garden) or

tea party like people

did in 1945.

Write down 3 reasons

why we are so lucky

that we live during

peace time. Explain

why you chose these

reasons.

Do some more

research and create a

VE day fact file.

Learn a 1940s swing

dance.

Make your own

newspaper front page

to announce peace in

Europe.

Make flags and

bunting to decorate

your house for VE

day.

Bake your own VE

day celebration cake

or cup cakes.

Thank the men and

women of the World

War II by leaving a VE

Day message on the

Royal British Legion

website.

Learn the wartime

favourite song “We’ll

meet again.”

Record your own

speech like Winston

Churchill, announcing

the end of the war.

Write a letter or draw

a picture/poster for

Captain Tom to say

thank you.

Design an outfit or

dress up like it is the

1940’s.

Choose 1 or 2 activities from the table below, maybe your

brother or sister can do the same activity?

If you need further help look at the slides after the table.

Learn to Swing Dance

Dancing was one of the most popular hobbies during the

war. Every town and village had a hall where dancing

could take place. Due to a shortage of men, sometimes

girls would dance with other girls!

There were many different types of swing dance, to see

how one type was performed during the 1940s, click here

You can learn the swing with your brother or sister, click

here for a lesson.

Learn a 1940s songWe’ll meet again was performed throughout the war by

Dame Vera Lynn. To see her performing the song in the

1940’s, click here

Here are the lyrics:

We'll meet again

Don't know where

Don't know when

But I know we'll meet again

Some sunny day

Keep smiling through

Just like you always do

'Till the blue skies chase

Those dark clouds far away

And I will just say hello

To the folks that you know

Tell them you won't be long

They'll be happy to know

That, as I saw you go

You were singing this song

We'll meet again

Don't know where

Don't know when

But I know we'll meet again

Some sunny day

And I will just say hello

To the folks that you know

Tell them you won't be long

They'll be happy to know

That, as I saw you go

You were singing this song

We'll meet again

Don't know where

Don't know when

But I know we'll meet again

Some sunny day

Design a VE Day Medal

Create a medal for people who served in the armed services during the World War II.

Your medal can be any shape or size and remember to design a ribbon and think about the metal.

Ideas to think about:• The years of the war (1939 – 1945).• The colours of the Union Flag.• A symbol to signify the war and a

person’s sacrifice.• A reference to which area of the

armed forces – an aeroplane, warship, a helmet etc

Tip: if you want to make a medal, try using an old cardboard box like a cereal packet.

Create a VE Day word search

Create your own VE day word search and challenge

members of your family to find the words you have

hidden.

Here are some words you can hide in your wordsearch,

remember to add some of your own words.

victory Europe fighting liberation

flags bunting party surrender

celebrate Churchill

Remember, at the end of the war paper and lots of other

goods were in short supply, so try and reuse paper at

home.

Turn to the next page for a word search you can complete

Complete a VE Day Word Search

Have a VE Day tea party

On VE Day, street parties were held all over the UK. Friends and

neighbours got together and celebrated the end of the war. This

year, instead of a street party, you can celebrate in your garden.

Sandwiches were popular at street parties, why don’t you choose

and make your own?

Turn to the next page for wartime recipes for Lemonade and

Cheese and Marmite Swirls.

Have a VE Day tea party

Record a speech like Winston Churchill

Winston Churchill, the UK’s Prime Minister, announced the

end of war on Tuesday 8th May 1945, to listen to his

speech, click here

To listen to his speech, click here

Create a VE day fact file

There is a lot of information available to help you write a

fact file.

Click the links for help

Imperial War Museum, click here

BBC Newsround, click here

Create a newspaper front page

As people had lived with war for six years, the end of the

war was big news.

There were no mobile phones or internet, so reading

newspapers was really popular.

Crete your own newspaper front page, encouraging people

to read all about the fantastic news.

Create a newspaper front page

Find out if there was someone in your family who fought in

World War II. Try asking your grandparents to see if they

know.

Listen to a veteran remembering VE day, click here.

Design an outfit in the style of the 1940s

Design your own outfit in the style of the 1940s.

Create a flag or bunting

Streets and homes were decorated with flags and bunting

on VE day. The colours often used in bunting were red,

white and blue, the colours of the Union Jack.

You can draw anything that inspires you but here are some

ideas if you get stuck:

• A soldier from WW2

• Your grandfather who was in the Navy

• Your grandmother who worked for the RAF

• Union Flag

• A dove of peace

• Your message of thanks

• Your hero

As there had been war for six years, people made bunting

out of whatever they could find, including paper and

material. Remember to think of the environment and try

and reuse any paper or material at home.

On the next pages you will find templates you can use or

copy.

Create bunting

Create a flag

VE Day Activities

Parents and carersIf you want to find out more resources, or about ways the country is marking VE Day, please visit the following websites:

Royal British Legion • UK-wide rendition of

Dame Vera Lynn’s

‘We’ll Meet Again’ to

mark the 75th

anniversary of VE Day.

• Message board to

thank men and women

of WW2.

VE Day 75 • ‘Nation’s Toast to the

Heroes of WW2’.

BBC Make a Difference • Make great British

bunting.

Absolute Radio • On 8th May, Absolute

Radio are playing music

from the 1940s.

• Artists include: Vera

Lynn, Gracie Fields,

Doris Day and also hear

veterans tell their

stories.