National Maryland Day - post

National Maryland Day is observed on August 24, according to the National Day Calendar. Maryland is sometimes called “Little America” because its varied landscape includes mountains, beaches, sand dunes, farmland, and forests. The state also experiences a range of weather across all four seasons.

The national anthem was written by Francis Scott Key, a lawyer from Maryland. Legend has it that he wrote the National Anthem on September 14, 1814, while watching an attack on Fort McHenry in Baltimore Harbor.

When Is National Maryland Day?

National Maryland Day is observed on August 24. The observance recognizes Maryland as the seventh state to join the Union. It is a recurring annual observance, so the date remains August 24 rather than changing from year to year.

What Is Maryland Day, and What Can Children Learn From It?

Maryland Day offers an age-appropriate opportunity to explore state history, geography, and community identity. Educators can invite children to locate Maryland on a map, compare its coastal and mountainous regions, and discuss how land and weather influence the places people live. For younger children, use photographs, picture books, or a simple map; older children can compare regions or connect a historical event to a local landmark. Keep activities responsive to children’s ages, prior knowledge, and family experiences, and distinguish documented history from legends.

What Maryland History Can Educators Share?

Maryland ratified the U.S. Constitution on April 28, 1788, becoming the seventh state. Fort McHenry in Baltimore is associated with the defense of the harbor during the War of 1812 and with Francis Scott Key’s poem that later became the national anthem. The United States Naval Academy was established in Annapolis in 1845. These facts can anchor a short discussion, but educators should present historical details in developmentally appropriate language and use reliable source material when extending the lesson.

The United States Naval Academy was founded on October 10, 1845, at Annapolis.

On April 28, 1788, Maryland was the 7th state to enter the union.

H&H Child Care Training Center would like to highlight Maryland child care providers and support them in their ongoing professional development needs.

How Can Child Care Educators Mark Maryland Day With Children?

A Maryland Day activity can connect local history to the learning goals already in a classroom rather than becoming a stand-alone celebration. For guidance on planning developmentally responsive experiences, see practical approaches to individualized and inclusive learning. Consider inviting children to:

• Find Maryland on a map and identify a nearby city, body of water, or landmark.
• Compare pictures of the Chesapeake Bay, coastal areas, farmland, forests, and mountains, then describe what they notice.
• Create a class map or collage using children’s drawings and dictated descriptions.
• Ask families to share a place, tradition, or story that is meaningful to them, if they wish.

Use accessible materials and multiple ways for children to participate, including drawing, movement, conversation, and observation. Avoid treating one family’s experience as representative of every Maryland community. Educators can adapt the activity for infants and toddlers through sensory exploration and photographs, while preschool and school-age children may enjoy mapping, comparison, and storytelling. For additional ideas on inclusive family participation, see ways to represent and celebrate every family in the classroom.

What Should Maryland Providers Verify About Professional Development?

Training expectations can depend on a provider’s position, program type, and applicable Maryland rules. Before relying on a stated annual-hour total or assuming a course counts toward a requirement, check the current Maryland State Department of Education guidance and the rules that apply to the individual’s role. Confirm the number of hours, subject areas, accepted provider or course status, and documentation process with the licensing office or training registry. Course completion is professional development; it does not by itself confer a license, credential, or job qualification.

How Can Educators Make a Maryland Day Activity Accessible and Meaningful?

A short plan helps connect the celebration to children’s learning without requiring specialized materials. Begin with one question, such as “What places do we notice in Maryland?” Invite children to share observations about maps, photographs, or familiar surroundings, and record their words or drawings. Offer choices to participate by pointing, moving, drawing, speaking, or listening so children with different communication and mobility needs can contribute.

For infants and toddlers, use a small number of clear photographs and descriptive language during a calm, supervised exploration. Preschoolers can sort images by features they notice, dictate captions, or help assemble a shared map. School-age children may compare landforms or investigate how a local place is represented on a map. Keep the task open-ended: children can notice differences without being expected to memorize state facts or produce a single correct artwork.

Before sharing materials, consider whose stories and perspectives are represented. Use sources that distinguish documented history from legend, avoid presenting any one family’s experience as universal, and invite family contributions only when families choose to participate. Check images and books for age suitability, accessibility, and accurate context. Afterward, ask children what they wondered about and use their questions to guide a follow-up conversation, book selection, or map activity. These steps make the observance an extension of responsive curriculum planning rather than a one-day lesson disconnected from children’s interests.

Summary: How Can Educators Observe Maryland Day?

National Maryland Day is observed on August 24. Educators can use maps, photographs, local landmarks, and age-appropriate history to invite children to explore Maryland through conversation, art, and play. Adapt participation to children’s developmental needs and family experiences, and verify any professional development requirement with the current Maryland agency guidance that applies to the provider’s role.

Training expectations can depend on a provider’s position, program type, and applicable Maryland rules. Before relying on a stated annual-hour total or assuming a course counts toward a requirement, check the current Maryland State Department of Education guidance and the rules that apply to the individual’s role. Confirm the number of hours, subject areas, accepted provider or course status, and documentation process with the licensing office or training registry. Course completion is professional development; it does not by itself confer a license, credential, or job qualification.

The article’s existing statements about a universal 12-hour annual requirement and automatic qualification after completing 90 hours should not be treated as verified without checking current, role-specific state requirements. The 90-hour course sequence may be a training pathway, but eligibility and teacher qualifications must be confirmed through the applicable Maryland rules and credentialing process.

Early Childhood Educators in Maryland are required to complete annual professional development coursework. The Maryland Department of Education requires that all child care providers complete 12 clock hours (or 1.2 CEUs) of in-service training annually. For additional context, see Maryland child care licensing considerations, review the difference between Maryland’s initial health and safety training and its annual update, and verify the rules that apply to your program.

Maryland providers who earn their 90 hours are qualified to become an Infant/Toddler, Preschool, or School-Age teacher. For an overview of building a child care career in Maryland, review the training and career considerations before choosing a pathway. Educators considering a Maryland credential can also review which Maryland child care credential level they may be eligible for.

• 45 hour Growth and Development Birth-age 12 (ONLINE)
• 45-Hour Infant and Toddler Methods and Materials (online Buy Now $399.00$275.00 or in-person Buy Now $399.00)
• 45-Hour Preschool Methods and Materials (online Buy Now $399.00$275.00 or in-person Buy Now $399.00) 
• 45-Hour School-Age Methods and Materials (online Buy Now $399.00$275.00, or in-person Buy Now $399.00)
• 90-Hr certificate course (45-Hour Methods and Materials and 45-Hour Growth and Development)

H&H Child Care Training Center has developed a variety of training courses to meet the needs of Maryland providers in all Competency Areas.

Visit H&H today to learn more about how we can help you achieve your professional goals in child care, including #Maryland, #history, #geography, #learning, and #childcare.

Maryland history source: Maryland Secretary of State, “Famous Facts About Maryland”.