Bastille Day 2009

Bastille Day, a big holiday celebrated in France. Of course, France isn't the only country that has fun and celebrates on Bastille Day. Read on for some history, crafts, books, and movie ideas to share with your kids. A simple history of Bastille Day is this: Bastille Day is considered the first day of the French Revolution in 1789. On the morning of July 14, French citizens armed themselves and stormed the Bastille Fortress, which mainly housed political opponents to the French government.

The citizens viewed it as their first victory against the government, which they felt was corrupt, and the revolution began. Bastille Day was proclaimed a French national holiday in 1880 and its motto is "Liberty, Equality, Fraternity." This craft is for older children as it's a little difficult. Adults will need to be on hand as some of the materials include a hot glue gun and a sharp knife (really, it's a cute craft!). The end result is a an Eiffel Tower complete with fireworks.

Ratatouille: Pixar's movie about a rat who wants to cook is set in Paris. While the idea of a rat making your dinner may make you squeamish, it's a lovely film that has Paris as the backdrop and kids will get a kick out of it! The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Beauty and the Beast: These are put together because they are classics by Disney, however, they may scare very young children with some of the action. Older kids who haven't seen them before (or may just want to see them again) will enjoy the stories of the films as well as the songs!