How to Make Women’s History Month Fun for Kids

When it comes to teaching kids about Women’s History Month, many of us parents and teachers don’t know where to start.

In fact, growing up in the ’80s and 90’s, history classes taught us that 50% of the population didn’t contribute anything to world events. The only women I remember learning much about are Catherine the Great and Eleanor Roosevelt.

War after war, president after president, men dominated history lessons. I can’t even recall learning about Harriet Tubman and her role in the Underground Railroad until late high school or college. In Spanish class we admired works of Salvador Dali but not Frida Kahlo. Math and science teachers told us about Isaac Newton but not Ada Lovelace. We all knew about the achievements of Neil Armstrong and John Glenn, but I didn’t learn about Mae Jemison until adulthood.

Women, especially women of color, were noticeably absent.

“I Want To Be President”

In third grade, a girl in my class proclaimed she wanted to be president. Everyone laughed. Was it because she wasn’t a straight-A student, or because she was a girl? Or both? Or perhaps it was because she dreamed big dreams and unapologetically admitted it?

We need more girls to dream to be the president, an astronaut, or a computer programmer.

To fuel those dreams, girls need to see role models; women who have accomplished amazing feats.

Certain professions seem “off-limits” when you don’t see anyone who looks like you. This barrier is compounded by children’s books, which dramatically over-represent males as protagonists. Girls are erased, and when we see them in toy catalogs, greeting cards, and clothes, they are often boxed into stereotypically sweet and timid, feminine boxes.

As the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media says: If she can see it, she can be it.™

Boys need to see these role models, too, so that they understand the strengths and abilities of women and girls. Otherwise, they will assert roles of power and control so long as they see girls relegated to the sidelines and absorb our society’s expectations.

Let’s Make History Fun for Kids

This is why I was so excited to learn about a fun way to introduce Women’s History Month to children.

First, a big thank you to Persistent Sisters for sponsoring this post! The opinions in this review are completely my own. Read disclosures for more info.

As a child, my sister and I had two sets of trading cards. No, thankfully they weren’t those creepy Garbage Pail Kids cards.

One set featured professional golfers; the other was New Kids on the Block. Arnold Palmer and Joey McIntyre (swoon) are great, but they didn’t exactly give me role models to which I could aspire.

When Persistent Sisters trading cards came on the market, I was jazzed.

Creator and artist Ellen Schaeffer designed these pocket-sized cards out of a desire to share with her daughter the stories of trailblazing women in history.

Trading cards make Women’s History month a year-round game that is simple and fun. The cards cover a diverse range of women, from authors and painters to chemists and mathematicians.

Each card lists interesting facts on the back. Did you know that Ada Lovelace was the daughter of poet Lord Byron? I didn’t! Even more fascinating is that her mother provided her with private math tutoring, which helped her to become a pioneer in computer programming.

Today, it seems like kids are more likely to know Kendall Jenner than Sojourner Truth.

And while pop culture can certainly be fun, the women on these cards are the ones I want my daughter to admire and emulate.

Related: Get the Free 5 Day Reboot to Raising Confident Girls

She loves looking at these beautiful drawings and learning more about these magnificent women. Before long, I know she’ll be trading these with her friends like peanut butter cups on Halloween.

Along with the trading cards, Persistent Sisters has notebooks, pins, t-shirts, and stickers – something fun for all ages! You can even get gift sets for your favorite kid… or adult. (Frankly, I can picture all of my coworkers loving these.)

I’m also planning to load up for a few birthday parties this spring.

Their message is one I want to convey to my daughter every day: “Feel Empowered. Be Inspired.”

And to celebrate Women’s History Month, we have a special treat for you. Get 15% off of your order by using the code: “THINKORBLUE” at checkout.

Who’s your favorite woman in history? Who do you hope to see in your first pack of trading cards?