George Washington's Birthday (Feb. 22, 1732) ~ President's Day

"My Mother was the most beautiful woman I ever saw.

I attribute all my success in my life

to the moral, intellectual,

and physical education I received from her"

~ George Washington

February 18th is President's Day while the 22nd marks the birth of George Washington. Here are some activities, a short story and other resources for home education this week. The quotes would make excellent copywork!

A Short Story for the Little Ones…

GEORGE WASHINGTON AND HIS HATCHET ~ Excerpt from Fifty Famous Stories Retold

WHEN George Washington was quite a little boy, his father gave him a hatchet. It was bright and new, and George took great delight in going about and chopping things with it.

He ran into the garden, and there he saw a tree which seemed to say to him, "Come and cut me down!"

George had often seen his father's men chop down the great trees in the forest, and he thought that it would be fine sport to see this tree fall with a crash to the ground. So he set to work with his little hatchet, and, as the tree was a very small one it did not take long to lay it low.

Soon after that, his father came home.


"Who has been cutting my fine young cherry tree?" he cried. "It was the only tree of its kind in this country, and it cost me a great deal of money."

He was very angry when he came into the house.

"If I only knew who killed that cherry tree," he cried, "I would—yes, I would"—

"Father!" cried little George. "I will tell you the truth about it. I chopped the tree down with my hatchet."

His father forgot his anger.

"George," he said, and he took the little fellow in his arms, "George, I am glad that you told me about it. I would rather lose a dozen cherry trees than that you should tell one falsehood."

~ Written by James Baldwin, 1896

Lesson of the Day:

"Righteous lips are the delight of kings; and they love him that speaketh right."

~ Proverbs 16:13

"I hope I shall possess firmness and virtue enough to maintain what I consider the most enviable of all titles, the character of an honest man."

~ George Washington

"It is impossible to rightly govern a nation without God and the Bible."

~ George Washington

"Let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion. Reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle."

~ George Washington

Resources/Activities

Word Search

Crossword Puzzle

Collection of Paintings for Picture Study

How to Draw George Washington

George Washington Coloring Page

George Washington's Breakfast by Jean Fritz

George Washington DVD 

“It is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor.”

~ George Washington

"Oh, eternal and everlasting God, direct my thoughts, words and work. Wash away my sins in the immaculate blood of the Lamb and purge my heart by Thy Holy Spirit. Daily, frame me more and more in the likeness of Thy son, Jesus Christ, that living in Thy fear, and dying in Thy favor, I may in thy appointed time obtain the resurrection of the justified unto eternal life. Bless, O Lord, the whole race of mankind and let the world be filled with the knowledge of Thee and Thy son, Jesus Christ."

~ Prayer of George Washington