How to Celebrate VE Day at Home

The 8th May marks the 75th anniversary of VE Day - the day that the guns fell silent and WWII ended in Europe. Millions of people took to the streets on this day in 1945 to celebrate, reflect and mourn their loved ones.

VE Day 75 is a 3-day celebration taking place across Bank Holiday Weekend ( 8 - 10 May ). It is a chance for us to reflect, commemorate and remember the celebrations from 75 years ago.


Obviously, during lockdown, celebrations will be a little different from those that may have been planned. We have still decided to mark VE Day at home and use the occasion as a learning experience too. Here are some of our plans/ideas:

 How to Celebrate VE Day at Home

• Create a ration card, there are templates on Twinkl or Pinterest. 

• Listen to Churchill's Speech. You can listen to part of the speech here or tune into the BBC at 2:45pm 8th May.
  
  

• Design a VE Day Newspaper Cover from 1945. Google Images will show you the originals.  

• Watch a VE Day Documentary. There are quite a few programmes to choose from. I think we are going with VE Day in Colour : Britain's Biggest Party (C4 on Demand). Here is a guide to the BBC VE Day Schedule 

• Decorate the House and Garden with Red, White and Blue. Click here to read a BBC Guide to making VE Day Decorations & Bunting 

• Make a Victoria Sandwich Cake. Here is a link to Mary Berrys Recipe. 
  
  
  
• Download a VE Day Children's Activity Pack from the RBLI here. It includes wordsearches, scavenger hunts, spot the differences and more. 

• Plan a VE Day Picnic / Garden Party (with members of your household only). You could make it a 1940s theme.  

• Join an online Lindyhop Dance Lesson here
  

• Listen to War Time Music. There is a VE Day Playlist on Spotify here.  

• Check out this fantastic download from English Heritage  - we will be using their homemade lemonade recipe for our picnic. 

• Watch this Horrible Histories VE Day Song 
  
  
• Download a VE Day Poster to colour from RBLI here

• There are loads of learning resources over on BBC Bitesize - Watch clips here

• There are some brilliant resource over on the Royal British Legion website here including menu templates, diary entries and key facts. 

• Create a PEACE poster for your window with the word peace written in different languages.
  
• Make a Union Jack Flag - A Mummy Too has a free template on her site here. 

• The Imperial War Museum Website is a brilliant learning resource - check it out here. 

On 8 May 

• 11am - 2-minute silence to mark the end of the Second World War in Europe.

• 12noon - Garden / Indoor picnic (with members of your household). Our homemade lemonade, Victoria Sponge Cake and VE Day Spotify Playlist will feature. 

• 2:45pm - Churchill's speech is being played on BBC One and will give the chance to listen to it collectively. 

• 3pm - Join the nation and raise your glass to Toast the Heroes of World War Two. 

• 9pm - The Queen's Broadcast followed by nationwide doorstep rendition of Dame Vera Lynn's We'll Meet Again.

Let me know if you have any plans to celebrate / remember. 

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