Talking to Kids About the Election

It’s election season. If kids have questions, parents should do their best to answer them and use it as a learning opportunity.

It’s election season. These days, it’s difficult to shelter children from the divisiveness, rhetoric and political violence that currently is going along with selecting a new president. 

If kids have questions, parents should do their best to answer them and use it as a learning opportunity, says Jill Murphy, editor-in-chief at Common Sense Media, a San Francisco-based non-profit that provides entertainment and technology recommendations for families.

Here are some great resources to get the conversation going:

News Sources for Kids

Note: Some of these require a subscription.

DOGO News. Kindergarten-eighth grades. Offers news for kids focusing on current events, science, social studies, sports, the environment and more. dogonews.com

HuffPost Teen. Ages 13 and up. News for teens with some adult topics. huffpost.com/topic/teen-news

iCivics. Ages 12 and up. Civics resources and games for students and teachers including election information, games and more. icivics.org

News-O-Matic. Ages 7 and up. Interactive way for kids to learn about the world. newsomatic.org

Newsela. Ages 8 and up. Daily news and nonfiction articles for kids with a variety of reading levels. newsela.com

Scholastic News. For grades 1-6. Current events and nonfiction articles for kids. scholasticnews.scholastic.com

The Skimm. A daily subscription newsletter with easy-to-read articles. theskimm.com

TIME for Kids. Ages 8 and up. News and information as well as homework help tools. timeforkids.com

Youngzine. Ages 8 and up. Kids news site focusing on current events about the environment. youngzine.org

Fact-Checking Tools for Teens and Tweens

FactCheck.orgA nonpartisan, nonprofit consumer advocate for voters that aims to reduce the level of deception and confusion in U.S. politics. Ages 13 and up.

Poynter. Offers fact-checked articles about recent news. Ages 13 and up. poynter.org/media-news/fact-checking.

 

Apps

Cast Your Vote. This game allows players to discover what it takes to become an informed voter. Players participate in town hall meetings with fictional candidates, receive email updates about where candidates stand on issues, and get to research the candidates background and voting history. Apple App Store and Google Play.

Convene the Council. In this game, kids take on the role of president of the United States and respond to world events while surrounded by their National Security Council. Apple App Store and Google Play.

Engaging Congress. This game allows kids to learn about the history of the U.S. Congress, its role in the political process and how its responsibilities relate to individual states. Apple App Store and Google Play.

My Vote Ballotpedia. Access election information and more on this app. It provides information about real-life candidates at the local, state and federal level. Apple App Store and Google Play.

U.S. 270. It allows you to explore possible election outcomes for the 2024 presidential race, create your own electoral map with different candidates and share snapshots of your map. It also has historical data about elections and will provide live updates of the 2024 results on election night. Google Play.

Win the White House. This video game allows you to manage your own presidential campaign by debating your opponents, strategically raising funds, polling voters, launching media campaigns and making personal appearances. Apple App Store and Google Play

Children’s Books

“Bad Kitty for President.” It’s time to select a new president of the Neighborhood Cat Club. Voters will select either the candidate chosen by kitties on the right side of the street or the candidate chosen by kitties on the left side of the street. It’s a tight election. By Nick Bruel. Ages 6-9. Square Fish, 2012. us.macmillan.com/publishers/square-fish-books.

“Presidential Mad Libs.” Enjoy silly, fill-in-the-blank stories about United States presidents. By Douglas Yacka. Ages 8-12. Mad Libs, 2017. madlibs.com.

“Represent: The Unfinished Fight for The Vote.” It tells the story of voting rights in the United States – from the American Revolution up to the present day. By Michael Eric Dyson and Marc Favreau. Ages 12 and up. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2024. hachettebookgroup.com/imprint/little-brown-books-for-young-readers.

“Show Up and Vote.” This colorful picture book by Grammy-winning musical artist Ani Di Franco is about a girl learning about the importance of voting while accompanying her mom to the polls. Illustrated by Rachelle Baker. Ages 3-6. Rise X Penguin Workshop, 2024. penguin.com.

 “The Day Madear Voted.” In this story about a black family’s journey to exercise their right to vote, Charlie and Ralph join their mom as she votes for the first time. Written by Wade Hudson and illustrated by Don Tate. Ages 3-7. Nancy Paulsen Books, 2024. penguinrandomhouse.com.

Books About the Candidates

“Donald Trump: America’s 45th President.” This children’s book includes interesting facts about former president Donald Trump including his childhood, educational background, career, spouse and children. It also has some information about the White House and its history, secret service protection and more. By Carole Marsh. Ages 8-12. Gallopade International, 2016. gallopade.com.

“Kamala and Maya’s Big Idea.” Inspired by the childhood of Kamala Harris and her sister Maya, who worked with their community to turn their empty apartment courtyard into a playground for themselves and their neighbors. It was written by Kamala Harris’ niece Meena Harris. Ages 4-8.  Balzer + Bray, 2020. harperstacks.com/collections/catalog/imprint-balzer-bray?page=2.

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