WW2 for Kids
Dogfights, the Blitz, Morse code & more!
There is so much that is important to learn about World War 2 for kids, from living in the cities during blackouts to life as an evacuee in the countryside.
World War Two saw thousands of children evacuated from British cities, ports and industrial areas to keep them safe from enemy air-raids. The evacuation of children began before war was even declared in 1939, because the government knew that war was inevitable. Children were evacuated to rural areas, where they lived with complete strangers in villages.
Evacuees
During the Second World War, around 3.5 million people were evacuated to keep them safe. This means they left home and lived with strangers in the countryside, often very far away from home.
The Battle of Britain
Winston Churchill refused to surrender or sign a peace treaty, so Hitler decided to invade Britain. He sent his air force (known as the Luftwaffe) to attack British ships, airfields and factories.
Morse Code
Morse Code is an old system of communication. It was created by an American man called Samuel Morse in 1836, because he wanted to send telegraph messages across great distances for the first time.
Posters and Propaganda
During wartime, governments like to persuade people to feel more hopeful about the war, and to see the enemy as weak, evil or silly. This is called ‘propaganda’.
WW2 Facts
World War Two saw thousands of children evacuated from British cities, ports and industrial areas to keep them safe from enemy air-raids.
PRINTABLES
Engage your child's learning with free history printables.
While many children grew to love their new life and were treated with kindness, many others were unwelcome or treated poorly. Incredibly, thousands of children were evacuated as far away as Canada, America and Australia!
Children returned with new accents and sometimes didn’t even recognise their own families. It was a necessary hardship to keep children safe in a time of war.