On Presidents Day, some local kids had the chance to meet Thomas Jefferson and Teddy Roosevelt, have lunch with the Lincolns and write letters
to Barack Obama. About 45 children took part in the Positively Presidential Day at United Presbyterian Church in Peoria on Monday. The daylong event included a multitude of activities to help teach first- through fifth-graders about the various inhabitants of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. throughout history. The day began when children arrived and were greeted by Jefferson and Roosevelt, played by volunteers from United Presbyterian. Members of the church organized the event to give children something fun and educational to do on their day off from school. “They get the day off school, and this is a chance for them to learn why,” said Linda Kelley, one of the volunteers. This is the first year the church has organized an event on Presidents Day. Kelley said kids seemed especially interested in the presidency in the wake of Obama’s election and inauguration. In the morning, the kids all wrote and mailed letters to the current commander-in-chief. “I told him congratulations and that when I grow up I want to be just like him,” said Lantez Carpenter, 10, from Roosevelt Elementary School. The children spent the rest of the day learning about Obama’s 43 predecessors. They made Lego models of the White House and ran a presidential relay race, among other activities. They also made and ate pancakes and ice cream, two of the foods listed as favorites by the most presidents.
The kids also learned about presidential pets.