Every time a major election approaches, many parents and teachers start thinking about how to teach kids about democracy. The right to vote is of course a huge part of what it means to be a citizen of a democratic country.

But voting is just the start of being a responsible citizen, not the end! We should talk with kids about being active members of our communities in every season, not just election season.

Use these tips to teach kids what it means to be part of a democracy, in the broadest sense. Be sure to scroll all the way to the end of the post for a list of 19 great books for kids and teens about democracy, voting, and citizenship!

10 Ways to Teach Kids about Democracy and Responsible  Citizenship

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1. Take your child with you when you vote, and talk about why you’ve chosen to vote for particular candidates

Is there a local or national election coming up? Then it’s a great opportunity to talk to your child about how ordinary people get to choose the leaders of our democracy.

I recommend taking your child with you to the polls if possible. Share the candidates’ stance on issues that matter to you. Young kids can be prone to simply thinking about losers and winners in a contest, but you can encourage them to go deeper.

Don’t forget to talk about state and local races, not just the more prominent races for President and Congress.

Related post: 14 children’s books about women in politics

2. Build media literacy skills and talk about disinformation

All of us, especially young people, are getting a lot of our news and information online these days. Helping children develop media literacy skills and spot disinformation will not only prepare them to be responsible citizens. It will also serve them well in many other areas of life.

Here are some resources to help you:

• Erica of What Do We Do All Day has a list of books for kids and teens about censorship, media literacy, and fake news.
• Learning for Justice has a framework for digital literacy, along with articles, videos, and activitiy ideas for different age groups. The video below is one example.
• Common Sense Education offers a series of lessons on media literacy and news skills for students.

3. Write a letter to an elected official as a family

This is a great, low-key way to show children what democracy in action looks like. Writing a letter is one very concrete example of how citizens not only get to elect our leaders. We also have a right and responsibility to push them to act for the good of our communities once they’re in the office.

I’ve put together a kid-friendly, step by step guide about how to write a letter to a member of Congress. It also includes a letter template with graphics that younger children can color. Just fill out the form below to download it from my free Resource Library.

If you have a teen or tween, you could also help guide them through the process of sending a message using Resistbot. Just text RESIST to 50409 and you’ll be guided step by step.

However, one of the advantages to writing a real letter is that your member of Congress will definitely send a written response back that your child can read.

4. Talk about how protest is patriotic

When there are news stories about protest, do you talk to your children about them? Whether it’s U.S. athletes taking a knee during the national anthem or the 2020 uprising against police brutality, there’s an opportunity for learning. Loving one’s country means speaking up  when we disagree with its actions.

Want to give kids a hands on way of understanding protest? Participate together in a march, vigil, or rally in your community. There are more family-friendly protests than you might realize at first, like the rally for immigrant children that took place in a park in my city a few years ago. While our son mostly hung out by the swings, he still saw democracy in action.

5. Talk about voter suppression that stills exists today

We often tell children that in the United States, one person equals one vote. But the reality of voter suppression (and how the electoral college works in presidential elections) means that isn’t really true.

Learning for Justice has a number of resources for the classroom about voter suppression, the history of voting rights and more. Find their resources here and here.

This article gives educators and parents background information they need to know in order to talk about voter suppression.

The young people’s edition of One Person, No Vote (see review in the book list at the end of this post) is a great resource for teens.

Related post: A playlist of kid-friendly social justice songs

Middle school and high school age students can watch the full length film Suppressed: The Fight to Vote right now on YouTube. The documentary focuses on voter suppression in Georgia during the 2018 election.

You can also print out this poster on myths about voting for your home or classroom.

6. Participate in a voter postcard campaign

Sending postcards to registered voters might sound old fashioned to young people, but they are effective! While these campaigns often target likely Democratic voters, the postcards themselves simply encourage people to remember to get out and vote.

There are a number of organizations that have campaigns encouraging voter turnout. Consider participating with Center for Common Ground in their postcard campaign, which focuses on increasing Black voter turnout in key states.

7. Encourage children to ask questions and to speak up when they don’t agree

As parents and teachers, one of the best ways to model democratic dialogue is to encourage children to respectfully question adults – including us!

Perhaps your child will tell you about a time when she didn’t like what someone else was saying. Try roleplaying with her how she could express disagreement the next time.

When a child questions your views or a decision you’ve made, encourage them to talk it through with you instead of shushing them.

This post from Doing Good Together has suggestions on how to teach children both civility and honesty about when they disagree.

Related Post: 21 powerful children’s books about race and racism

8. Talk about times when your country has lived up to its ideals, and times when it has not

The younger a child is, the more adults seem to steer away from talking truthfully about history. You may feel like you need to wait until your child is a teen to talk about painful parts of history.

But consider how confusing it is a for a child to hear only positive stories about their country and its leaders, and then learn about topics like slavery years later.

We get more chances than you might think to naturally talk to kids about how complex history is. In her book Raising White Kids, author Jennifer Harvey gives a great example of talking to her 7 year old about George Washington.

Her child had been talking enthusiastically about all the wonderful things they were learning at school about Washington. Harvey was uncomfortable, but not sure how to respond.

One day, she had the radio on and her child overhead a story about a politician facing an ethics charge. Her 7 year old was confused about how an adult who was a leader could do something bad. Harvey expressed that unfortunately there are many times their country’s leaders have done bad things.

“Like who and what did they do?” her child wanted to know.

This gave Harvey a chance to talk about how even thought Washington fought for freedom for white people, he also owned Black people as slaves. Their conversation didn’t end there. They went on to talk about the importance of learning the whole truth about people, and how we can try to fix some of the bad things past leaders have done.

Related Post: 15 Picture books about social justice and human rights

9. Learn about the debate over the electoral college

The electoral college is probably too complicated for young children to grasp, but upper elementary and middle school students can explore this topic through the lens of history, math, or civics.

This excellent video from KQED teaches kids about the history of the electoral college, shares some math about how it shapes which voters have a bigger influence on presidential elections, and explains the debate over whether the electoral college should continue. (Head to their website for additional lesson materials that go with the video.)

10. Read and discuss books about voting, democracy and citizenship

My favorite children’s books (including books for teens) about democracy are below. As you read, pause to talk about what you’re learning. Does the book leave out points that you think need to be made?

For example, a book about women winning the right to vote in the United States may not mention that most Black women and women of color weren’t able  to exercise that right until decades after the 19th amendment passed.

When reading books about people facing injustice, point out the ways that oppressed people in the story are fighting back for their rights.

Stacey Abrams and the Fight to Vote by Traci N. Todd. Illustrated by Laura Freeman.

In this unique approach to Stacey Abrams’ biography, four Black women who fought for voting rights tell her story. Through a conversation between Ida B. Wells, Septima Clark, Fannie Lou Hamer, and Sojourner Truth, young readers discover key moments in Abrams’ life that shaped her perspective on justice.

This is a great resource for helping children understand that the fight for voting rights, especially for Black voters, is not just an issue of the past. An extensive voting rights timeline is included in the endnotes. (Recommended for ages 6 – 10.)

Fault Lines in the Constitution: The Framers, Their Fights, and the Flaws That Affect Us Today by Cynthia Levinson and Sanford Levinson.

In contrast to whitewashed history books that hold up the founding fathers as near-perfect, this insightful guide traces many of today’s most urgent problems to the way the framers wrote the Constitution.

True stories introduce the chapters in a way that shows the impact of potentially dry concepts like the Electoral College and gerrymandering. (Recommended for ages 12+).

I will be using Mint and Bloom Learning’s set of lessons on the 2024 Presidential Election to explore excerpts of Fault Lines in the Constitution with my 12 year old.

Vote for Our Future! by Margaret McNamara and Micah Player

The kids at Stanton Elementary School know that voting is important. Their school, a polling place, closes down on Election Day. And while kids can’t vote, they “have to live with adult choices!”

So the students decide they’ll do everything they can to educate and encourage the adults they know to vote. After doing a lot of research, they know how to answer just about every objection, from not being able to walk to the polls to not being registered. (Recommended for ages 4 – 8)

Sofia Valdez, Future Prez by Andrea Beaty and David Roberts

When Sofia’s Abuelo breaks his leg in an accident involving “Mount Trashmore”, she launches a campaign to get rid of the trash and build a park on the site. Her neighbors agree it’s a great idea, but she runs into obstacles when she takes her plan to City Hall.

This is a compelling story for young readers about the courage and persistence it takes to make change in a community. (Recommended for ages 3 – 7)

What Can a Citizen Do? by Dave Eggers and Shawn Harris

Ever since we checked this book out from the library, my 6 year old has asked to read it multiple times a day! It’s a light-hearted but empowering look at the difference a citizen, especially kid citizens, can make in a community.

We can see children making laws, and then changing them because some people don’t like them. They right wrongs; they “care and care.” I especially liked the line “A citizen’s not what you are – a citizen is what you do.” (Recommended for ages 3 – 7)

Shirley Chisolm Is a Verb! by Veronica Chambers and Rachelle Baker

Before reading this engaging picture book, I knew Shirley Chisolm was the first Black woman to run for President. But I didn’t know she was also the first Black women elected to Congress, or that she helped initiate important programs for children including WIC and the school lunch program.

The book emphasizes the many verbs that describe Chisolm, and how children can choose their own ways to act, from negotiating to listening to inspiring. Chambers also explains how Chisolm paved the way for other women in leadership, from Hillary Clinton to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. (#ownvoices, recommended for ages 6 – 10)

Ida B. Wells: Let the Truth Be Told by Walter Deans Myers and Bonnie Christensen

Activist, educator, journalist, and sufragette Ida B. Wells took incredible risks for Black freedom in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Long before the Birmingham bus boycotts, Wells was manhandled for refusing to move from the ladies’ coach of a train. She even sued the railroad for the mistreatment she received.

Later, it is Wells’ activism and journalism about the terrible reality of lynching that earns her both fame and threats. She went on to create the first voting organization for Black women in Illinois.

This biography covers Wells’ amazing life from her childhood through her death. Children everywhere will be inspired by her wisdom and her willingness to speak the truth no matter what. (#ownvoices, recommended for ages 7 – 12).

Related post: 31 children’s books for Women’s History Month

Lillian’s Right to Vote: A Celebration of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 by Jonah Winter and Shane W. Evans

This picture book does a beautiful job of summing up hundreds of years of voting rights struggles through one woman’s moving story. Lillian is over 100 years old, but she’s still determined to get out and vote. On her long walk to the polling place, she remembers her ancestors’ thwarted attempts to vote.

Each of the stories has an emphasis on the pride, dignity, and agency of Black Americans who tried to exercise their right to vote, but were denied. We learn about heroes (including Lillian herself) who struggled, fought, and sometimes died in the years leading up the historic 1965 Voting Rights Act. (Recommended for ages 6 – 10)

If You’re Going to a March by Martha Freeman and Violet Kim

After reading this straightforward picture book, your child will be left with no doubt that children can and should join in peaceful protests.

A variety of kids prepare for the march by making signs from old pizza boxes. The book is honest in many places. For example kids are told that when you get to the part of the march where there are speeches, “it’s possible this part will get boring.” But as the march picks up again, children are encouraged by the sounds of their neighbors singing and chanting.

One thing in the book that I wish had more nuance is the reference to police officers. The book says “their job is to keep people safe.” I understand the desire to ease fears children may have, and as a white woman, that has been true at most protests I’ve participated in. However, that’s often not the case for Black Lives Matter protests. In my own city, a lawsuit is pending in federal court over police surveillance of activists. (Recommended for ages 4 – 8)

Grace for President by Kelly DiPucchio and LeUyen Pham

This book was written prior to the 2008 U.S. election, but it’s still relevant! When Grace Campbell learns that no woman has ever been president, she decides she wants to become president one day. Her teacher realizes this is the perfect opportunity for a mock election.

Another class nominates a candidate too. Since he’s a boy, he’s confident that all the boys will vote for him. While Thomas is sure he’ll win, Grace works hard at identifying issues and finding ways to improve their school.

This is probably the only (interesting) picture book that explains in kid-friendly terms how the electoral college works, as Thomas and Grace finally square off for their election (Recommended for ages 5 – 10)

Voice of Freedom: Fannie Lou Hamer, Spirit of the Civil Rights Movement by Carole Boston Weatherford and Ekua Holmes

Fannie Lou Hamer is one of the most inspiring and under-appreciated heroes of the civil rights movement. This book tells her life story in free form verse with stirring collage illustrations.

Hamer grew up in a sharecropping family in Mississippi, where she saw that race meant the difference between having enough and poverty. When she asks her mother why she isn’t white, so that she could have enough, her mother tells her that being Black is not bad. Her mother soon buys her a Black doll, telling her “if you respect yourself enough, other people will have to respect you.”

As an adult, Hamer was one of the first Black Mississippians to try to register to vote. After she failed the literacy test, she and her husband were evicted from their land and home. Hamer continued her work for voter registration, and became known for the spirituals she led at meetings and marches.

She continued her work even after she was brutally beaten and imprisoned, determined that she was “marching toward the Promised Land.” When her Mississippi Democratic Freedom Party was denied seating at the national Democratic convention, Hamer made sure that the delegation didn’t give in to deals aimed to silence them. (#ownvoices, recommended for ages 8 – 12).

Related post: 16 children’s books about the civil rights movement

Finish the Fight! The Brave and Revolutionary Women Who Fought for the Right to Vote by Veronica Chambers and the staff of The New York Times

I’m so glad there’s finally a book available for tweens and teens that tells the complicated story of woman’s suffrage and race. After introducing how racism divided the suffrage movement, each chapter tells the story of a different BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) or queer suffragette, and how she advanced the fight for women’s rights.

I’ve been learning just as much as my son as we read the stories of lesser known heroes including Mary Church Terrell, Mabel Ping-Hua, Jovita Idár. (#ownvoices, recommended for ages 10+).

Shop this list of children’s books about democracy and voting rights on Bookshop.org. Your purchase supports independent bookstores!

We Rise, We Resist, We Raise Our Voices edited by Wade Hudson and Cheryl Willis Hudson

Reading this book raised my spirits in more ways that one. It’s a must have for middle grade readers, especially children of color. It includes poetry and short essays by a wide variety of children’s book authors of color. The editors were inspired to create the book when their 7 year old great niece became distraught learning about Donald Trump’s election.

Some of the contributions focus on pride in one’s culture and the history of protest. Others talk about bullying, racism, and how to respond. Still others focus on topics like kindness and mindfulness. The message of the book, expressed by Tameka Fryer Brown, that “there are more good people than not” is one that children and teens need to hear. (#ownvoices, recommended for ages 10+)

A is for Activist by Innosanto Nagara

A Is For Activist is a delightfully unusual alphabet book, introducing children to words like abolitionist, co-op, “little d democracy”, environmental justice, feminist, trans, and union. While the justice and human rights issues the book points to are quite serious, the book also has a playful tone.

Its rhymes and examples of things children will love (like the demand for healthy hot dogs) keep the book from becoming too heavy. There is also a cat hidden on each page, adding an interactive element. (Recommended for ages 2 – 6).

Chasing Freedom: The Life Journeys of Harriet Tubman and Susan B. Anthony, Inspired by Historical Facts by Nikki Grimes and Michele Wood

Nikki Grimes was inspired to write this in-depth imagined conversation between Harriet Tubman and Susan B. Anthony after learning that the women had attended some of the same anti-slavery and women’s rights conventions.

Though the two women had very different life histories, their common commitment to working tirelessly for disenfranchised people is evident in the story.  Anthony ended up focusing primarily on women’s right to vote and Tubman on the abolition of slavery. It’s clear that both were considered bothersome troublemakers or worse by polite society.

Other historical figures like John Brown and Frederick Douglass also make brief appearances, making this a great book for bringing American history to life. (#ownvoices, recommended for ages 8 – 12)

Peaceful  Fights for Equal Rights by Rob Sanders and Jared Andrew Schorr

This is an alphabet book of sorts for ways to create change. Each page contains a series of verbs or phrases about how people can advocate for equal rights. For example, one page that’s filled with hands holding candles reminds us to “Listen. Learn. Lead. Light a candle. Write a letter. Pass laws.”

Although I wish that there was a little more explanation to the book, it does give adults the chance to choose where they’d like to lead the discussion. I absolutely love the illustrations, and the wide range of actions highlighted remind us that everyone has something different to contribute in the struggle for equality. (Recommended for ages 3 – 7)

Lifting As We Climb: Black Women’s Battle for the Ballot Box by Evette Dionne

This book is a must read for middle and high school students who are learning about the women’s suffrage movement.

Beginning with the movement to abolish slavery, Dionne outlines how Black women stood up for their right to vote and challenged the racist cult of true womanhood. Readers learn how Black women’s struggle at the ballot box continued long after the 19th amendment, as they resisted Jim Crow laws, and continue to battle present day voter suppression. (#ownvoices, recommended for ages 12+)

March trilogy by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell

Graphic novels are one of my favorite ways to help reluctant readers explore history. In this compelling series, Congressman John Lewis tells his story of fighting for voting rights and the struggle to end segregation. Readers will learn not only about Lewis, but other key leaders involved in the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, and more.

Be aware that because this is an honest account of history, the n word is used. (#ownvoices, recommended for ages 13+)

One Person, No Vote: How Not All Voters Are Treated Equally (Young Adult edition) by Carol Anderson with Tonya Bolden

It’s crucial to talk with young people not only about what voter suppression looked like in the past, but how it’s happening in the present.

Anderson and Bolden challenge the idea that Black voter turnout decreased in 2016 because of a lack of enthusiasm. They make a strong case that the undoing of the Voting Rights Act was the more important factor affecting turnout.

This accessible book outlines how gerrymandering, closing polling sites, and requiring photo ID have been deliberately used to disenfranchise voters of color. (#ownvoices, recommended for ages 13+)