Youth Activities

The VFW Auxiliary works to teach our nation’s youth the skills to become responsible adults through serving our country, communities, veterans and service members. We engage youth in positive volunteer experiences and believe every young person can find a place to serve that will improve their lives, as well as the lives they touch.

Youth Activities Program

Service · Art · Patriotism

Sponsors and works with youth groups such as Expand

Youth sports teams
Faith-based youth groups
After-school programs
Youth-focused organizations
School clubs
Home-school associations
Youth community service groups
Nonprofit organization youth advisory councils
Service learning and civic departments in high schools and colleges

Illustrating America Art Contest Expand

A patriotic art contest for elementary and middle/junior high school students that encourages students’ artistic abilities and rewards their hard work. It’s fun to see how our youth see the world through their drawings and paintings.

The contest consists of three grade divisions: K-2, 3-5 and 6-8. There are National awards for first, second and third place in each grade division.

Open Contest Rules (PDF) View Current National First-Place Winners

Random Acts of Patriotism (R.A.P.) Expand

We encourage and reward patriotism through R.A.P. If a child is seen thanking a veteran, properly placing their hand on their heart during the Pledge of Allegiance or involved in some other activity that promotes patriotism, we suggest giving them a R.A.P. card. It’s a fun and unique way to engage children elementary age and younger.

Download R.A.P. Card (PDF)

Recognizes youth and youth groups for their efforts and service projects honoring veterans, service members and their families.

Patriotism Through Literacy

Recommended Reads · Updated 2025–2026

Patriotism Through Literacy is a VFW Auxiliary Youth Activities initiative started in 2019. The purpose is to foster a love of reading while teaching students about America’s past, primarily through historical fiction and creative non-fiction, promoting both patriotism and literacy, in addition to encouraging empathy and broadening perspectives. The intended age range spans from pre-k through grade 12.

Symbols Key Expand

* Indicates it has a character who is, or whose parent, grandparent, sibling etc. is, a veteran, deployed, about to be deployed, returning from deployment, MIA, or was Killed in Action.

A Indicates that the book was not written for Young Adult readers; it is an adult book with crossover appeal that mature teen readers may enjoy/comprehend (discretion advised).

Underlining indicates that the author or co-author of the book is a veteran.

Ellipses… indicates that part of the book’s title was redacted because it was too long.

Historical Fiction

*At the Mountain’s Base by Traci Sorell
Dandelions by Eve Bunting
This is a Rope: A Story from the Great Migration by Jacqueline Woodson
Fry Bread by Kevin Noble Maillard
Fairy Floss: The Sweet Story of Cotton Candy by Ann Ingalls
My Life as a Pioneer by Ann Matzke

Americana and/or Educational

*Missing Momma by Winsome Bingham, illustrated by Rahele Jomepour Bell
*Tuesday Tucks Me In by Luis Carlos Montalvan
*Hero Mom and *Hero Dad by Melinda Hardin
*My Red Balloon by Eve Bunting
*Home Again by Dorinda Silver Williams
*Don’t Forget, God Bless Our Troops by Dr. Jill Biden
*Boyogi: How a Wounded Family Learned to Heal by David Barclay Moore
*Jayylen’s Christmas Wish by Lavaille Lavette, illustrated by David Wilkerson
*Talking About Deployment: A Sesame Street Resource by Charlotte Reed
*Mini Military series (Lil Navy Sailor, Lil Army Soldier, etc.) by RP Kids
This Land is Your Land by Woodie Guthrie, illustrated by Kathy Jakobsen
Leo’s First Vote by Christina Soontornvat
Apple Pie 4th of July by Janet S. Wong
Juneteenth for Mazie by Floyd Cooper
A is for America: A Patriotic Alphabet Book by Tanya Lee Stone
Red, White, and BOOM! by Lee Wardlaw
America the Beautiful by Katharine Lee Bates, illustrated by Wendell Minor
Aloha, Everything by Keylin Melia George
Fourth of July Fireworks by Patrick Merrick

Creative Non-Fiction, Biography & Memoir

*He Looks Like Me by Lawanda Warthen
*John, Paul, George, and Ben by Lane Smith
*John McCain: A Little Golden Book Biography by Gram Adams
*Wat Kept Playing: The… Story of Wataru Misaka… by Emily Inouye Huey
Can You Sing ‘The Star-Spangled Banner?’ by Martha E. H. Rustad
What Your Ribbon Skirt Means to Me: Deb Haaland… by Alexis Bunten
Mae Among the Stars by Roda Ahmed
Journey to the Stars: Kalpana Chawla, Astronaut by Laurie Wallmark
Ron’s Big Mission by Rose J. Blue
Blue Sky, White Stars by Sarvinder Naberhaus, illustrated by Kadir Nelson
I Am series (I Am Abe Lincoln, Rosa Parks, Amelia Earhart, etc.) by Brad Metzer

Grades 1–2 Expand

Historical Fiction

*Mama Played Baseball by David A. Adler
Ellis Island Passover by Marissa Moss
Do You Know Them? by Shana Keller, illustrated by Laura Freeman
Coming On Home Soon by Jacqueline Woodson
Show Way by Jacqueline Woodson
Clara and the Bookwagon by Nancy Smiler Levinson
Dust for Dinner by Ann Turner
Baseball Saved Us by Ken Mochizuki
Golly Sisters Go West by Betsy Byars
The Josefina Story Quilt by Eleanor Goerr
The Doll Shop Downstairs by Yona Zeldis McDonough
New Shoes by Susan Lynn Meyer, illustrated by Eric Valasquez

Americana and/or Educational

*Rolling Thunder by Kate Messner, illustrated by Greg Ruth
*The Veterans Day Visitor by Peter Catalanotto, illustrated by Pamela Schembri
Keepunumuk: Weeachumun’s Thanksgiving Story by Alexis Bunten, et al.
The Survivor Tree… by Cheryl Somers Aubin, illustrated by Sheila Harrington
Some of Us: A Story of Citizenship & the United States by Rajani LaRocca
If I Were President by Catherine Stier
The Flag We Love by Pam Munoz Ryan
We the Kids by David Catrow
The Scrambled States of America by Laurie Keller

Creative Non-Fiction, Biography, & Memoir

*They Called Her Molly Pitcher by Anne Rockwell
*Nubs: True Story of a Mutt, a Marine & a Miracle by Maj. Brian Dennis, et al.
*A Life of Service: The Story of… Tammy Duckworth by Christina Soontornvat
*A Day for Rememberin’… by Leah Henderson, illustrated by Floyd Cooper
*The Spy Who Played Baseball by Carrie Jones
Revolutionary Mary by Karen Blumenthal and Jen McCartney
Finding Providence: The Story of Roger Williams by Avi
First Flight: The Story of Tom Tate & the Wright Brothers by George Shea
Diana’s White House Garden by Elisa Carbone
Emma’s Poem by Linda Glaser
The Story of Ruby Bridges by Robert Coles
Martin’s Big Words by Doreen Rappaport
Balloons Over Broadway: The True Story of… Macy’s Parade by Melissa Sweet
Harriet’s Ruffled Feathers by Joy McCullough
I Could Do That: How Esther Morris Gets Women the Vote by Linda White

Grades 3–4 Expand

Historical Fiction

*Brave Like My Brother by Marc Tyler Nobleman
*The Hero Two Doors Down, Based on the True Story… by Sharon Robinson
*Postcards from Pismo by Michael Scotto, illustrated by Dion Williams
I Survived series (Gettysburg, Pearl Harbor, D-Day, 9/11, etc.) by Lauren Tarshis
Step Up to the Plate, Maria Singh by Uma Krishnaswami
Home is With Our Family by Joyce Hansen, illustrated by Kadir Nelson
Capital Mysteries series by Ron Roy
Tricking the Tallyman by Jacqueline Davies
The Year of the Boar & Jackie Robinson by Bette Bao Lord
American Girl series (incl. books about *Molly, *Claudie, *Kit) by various
Worth by Alexandria LaFaye
If You Were a Kid During… series (*American Revolution, etc.) by Will Mara
Magic Treehouse series (incl. Big Day for Baseball, etc.) by Mary Pope Osborne