How to Talk to Your Kids About Veterans Day: An Age-by-Age Guide for COS Families

Colorado Springs has Fort Carson, the U.S. Air Force Academy, Peterson Space Force Base, Schriever Space Force Base, and Cheyenne Mountain Space Force Station — five major military installations within or adjacent to the city. By most measures, COS has one of the highest concentrations of military personnel and veterans in the country.

That means a lot of COS kids have a parent, grandparent, sibling, aunt, uncle, or family friend who served or is currently serving. Veterans Day here isn't abstract. For many families, it's personal.

Here's how to talk about it at different ages — and a few local ways to make the conversation real.

Ages 6 to 10: Community and Sacrifice

School-age kids can handle more context. They can understand that military service involves being away from home, that it involves risk, and that people who served gave up things to do it.

You can talk about the different branches of the military (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, Space Force) and what they do. If you live near Fort Carson or the Academy, you can point to those as real places where this service happens. "That's Fort Carson — soldiers who protect our country live and train there."

At this age, it's also worth making the distinction between Veterans Day (honoring all who served) and Memorial Day (honoring those who died in service). Kids who've celebrated both sometimes conflate them.

Ages 11 and Up: History and Personal Connection

Older kids and teens can handle history, nuance, and your family's own story. Talk about where Veterans Day comes from — it marks the end of World War I on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918, originally called Armistice Day. It was expanded after World War II to honor veterans of all wars.

If you have family members who served, tell their stories. What branch? Where did they serve? What was their experience? These conversations matter more than any formal observance, and many veterans welcome being asked — especially by grandchildren or younger family members who show genuine curiosity.

Teens in COS who are thinking about college may also be interested in the USAFA or ROTC programs. Today's a natural day to have that conversation if it's on the table.

Local Ways to Make It Real

The Memorial Park Veterans Day Ceremony is this morning at 11 AM. It's quiet, respectful, and appropriate for most ages. Even young children who don't fully understand what's happening often respond to the solemnity and the flag.

The WWII Aviation Museum at the Colorado Springs Airport is free today and excellent for school-age kids, especially those interested in history or aviation. The museum has aircraft on display and exhibits that connect to the broader story of American military history.

The USAFA Visitor Center is open and free year-round. The Cadet Chapel alone is one of the most architecturally significant buildings in the region — and the Academy's story connects directly to the history of American military aviation.

What's Next

Veterans Day is an annual prompt, but conversations about service and history don't have to stay seasonal. COS's military community offers year-round opportunities to connect kids with these themes — through base open houses, JROTC programs in local schools, and community organizations that support military families. The WWII Aviation Museum is worth a return visit beyond today's free admission day. And if your family has veterans in it, ask them to share their stories before those memories become harder to access.