Celebrate VE Day with Busy Things
With the 80th anniversary of VE Day being commemorated soon (8th May 2025), we know you’ll be exploring how best to mark the occasion.
In this blog, we look at World War II and the changes that it brought about with some of our history writing projects, then consider some of the ways you could mark the day with your pupils and community.
We have:
Read on to find out more!
Online activities to commemorate VE Day
Log in to Busy Things today to find a range of World War II-based activities. Some will help you teach pupils about the causes of the war, others explore the impact on families and everyday life, while some focus on what happened when peace was restored. All include Guidance information which presents the pupils with the basic facts to be able to complete the writing projects.
The activities include:
What was World War 2?
Pupils will learn:
• why World War 2 started
• the countries and war leaders involved
There are four templates in all, with Clip art and photo bank images.
Britain during World War 2 – Advanced
These four writing projects explore some of the changes that the war brought about, including:
- the men going to fight,
- the need for gas masks, air raid shelters and blackout blinds, women working in factories and on farms
World War 2 food and rationing – Advanced
Alongside the changes already discussed, rationing was introduced.
Pupils will learn about:
- what rationing meant
- which items were rationed
- how rationing worked
- what a weekly food ration looked like
- how people coped with shortages
World War 2 evacuations – Advanced During the war, children were also moved out of the cities to the safety of the countryside.
Pupils will explore:
- why children were evacuated and how
- what they were allowed to take
Encourage pupils to imagine being evacuated—what would they miss the most?
COMING SOON! Ask an evacuee what it was actually like with our Interview An Evacuee A.I.-powered activity.
After World War 2 – Advanced
VE Day in 1945 was both a celebration and a time of reflection. On the one hand, people were relieved that the fighting was over, but families and homes had been destroyed.
Pupils will learn:
- why life after the war was not the same as before
- how we remember those who died in World War 2 and other conflicts
Please NOTE: All of activities provided here are advanced versions (apart from the first), intended for pupils aged 9-11. For each activity, there is also a simplified version for younger pupils.
If you have a Busy Things account, you’ll be able to find the all, and more, by logging in and searching for World War 2. If you’re not trialing or subscribing already, you’d be more than welcome to try them from the blog or take a 28-day free trial with us. No obligation to proceed and no credit card details required.
Community-based activities to bring the celebrations to life
In addition to the learning activities mentioned above, the VE Day is a great opportunity to bring the school and wider community together. Some ideas on how you could do this are below:
| Hold a VE Day party | Encourage pupils to dress in red, white, and blue or in 1940s-style clothing (evacuees, land girls, nurses, soldiers). Play 1940s music and teach them wartime dance moves! |
| Hold a wartime bake off | Challenge pupils to bake using wartime recipes, such as: carrot cookies and potato scones. |
| Make bunting | Use our red, white and blue bunting or encourage pupils to make their own using recycled fabric, embracing the wartime ‘Make Do and Mend’ ethos. |
| Talk to elderly family members | Do any pupils have grandparents or great-grandparents over 90 who remember the war? Encourage them to share their stories. |
| Visit local memorials/museums | Many towns have war memorials listing the names of those who served. Visiting can help pupils reflect on the sacrifices made during the war and the sheer number of people lost. |
Whatever you decide to do in your school, we hope your VE Day celebrations are meaningful and memorable! If you have photos of any of your events, we’d love it if you could share them to our social media channels.