We visited Flanders Fields.

It’s something I’ve always wanted to see.

We took a little trip to Bruges, Belgium…and saw the Flanders Fields WWI sites on the way back home to Germany.

It was emotional to see all the monuments and memorials to the Commonwealth soldiers.

The “Brooding Soldier” statue by Frederick Chapman Clemesha in the St. Julien Memorial was poignant and much taller than I expected.

We enjoyed the Memorial Museum Passchendaele 1917.

Open from Monday to Sunday, from 9:00 to 18:00. Last admission at 16:30. A museum visit lasts approximately two hours.

Adults: €6,5 or €10,5 with audioguide
Students: €4 or €7 with audioguide
Under 7 FREE

I read that it was a fun and interactive museum, but we were really blown away by how well put-together it is. We didn’t bother to get audio-guides. The plaques on each display were in English and we read every single one.

The kids loved the interactive exhibits, trying on body armor and helmets, gas masks, and cloaks.

The kids were excited to see a stuffed messenger pigeon like Cher Ami.

Cher Ami was a registered Blue Check Hen carrier pigeon, one of 600 birds owned and flown by the U.S. Army Signal Corps in France during World War I. Download the Cher Ami real story here.

The exhibits were really amazing.

We really experienced history in the replicated dugout and trenches.

There was a gorgeous park with lots of walking trails. We had a picnic lunch by the pond.

The Menin Gate was breathtaking.

I really wanted to see the Essex Farm Cemetery and Memorials.

John McCrae wrote the poem In Flanders Fields.

It was memorable to see all these World War I sites and I’m so glad the kids and I got to experience this history.

Also, here’s my World War I Unit Study.

On this day, at the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918, the Great War ends. At 5 a.m. that morning, Germany, bereft of manpower and supplies and faced with imminent invasion, signed an armistice agreement with the Allies in a railroad car outside Compiegne, France.

Learn about WWI, Armistice Day, Remembrance Day, and American Veterans Day

Books:

DK Eyewitness Books: World War I by Simon Adams
World War I for Kids: A History with 21 Activities by R. Kent Rasmussen
The War to End All Wars: World War I by Russell Freedman
Treaties, Trenches, Mud, and Blood by Nathan Hale
War Horse by Michael Morpurgo
All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque
A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway
Silver Threads by Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch
War Game: Village Green to No-Man’s-Land by Michael Foreman
Truce by Jim Murphy
Christmas in the Trenches by John McCutcheon
Shooting at the Stars: The Christmas Truce of 1914 by John Hendrix
Silent Night: The Story of the World War I Christmas Truce by Stanley Weintraub
Christmas Truce: A True Story of World War 1 by Aaron Shepard
Eleventh Month, Eleventh Day, Eleventh Hour: Armistice Day, 1918 World War I and Its Violent Climax by Joseph E. Persico
Archie’s War by Marcia Williams
A Brave Soldier by Nicolas Debon
Rags: Hero Dog of WWI: A True Story by Margot Theis Raven
Stubby the War Dog: The True Story of World War I’s Bravest Dog by Ann Bausum
Stubby the Dog Soldier: World War I Hero by Blake Hoena
The Silver Donkey by Sonya Hartnett
In Flanders Fields: The Story of the Poem by John McCrae by Linda Granfield
The Poppy Lady: Moina Belle Michael and Her Tribute to Veterans by Barbara Walsh
Where Poppies Grow: A World War I Companion by Linda Granfield
A Poppy Is to Remember by Heather Patterson
Remembrance Poems & Readings: Reflection on Matters of War & Peace by David Roberts
Come On In, America: The United States in World War I by Linda Barrett Osborne
The Wall by Eve Bunting
America’s White Table by Margot Theis Raven

Movies:

Activities and Printables:

Activity Village Remembrance Day
51 Remembrance Day Poppy Craft Ideas from Everything Mom
French Remembrance Day Activities by For French Immersion
Remembrance Day from DLTK
51 Remembrance Day Poppy Craft Ideas from Everything Mom
WWI from BBC
History of Veterans Day from History Channel
Lemon Poppy Sugar Cookies from The Endless Meal

Learn the difference: American Memorial Day

How to Memorial Day
Don’t say Thanks for Service
FREE Notebooking Pages
ABC Teach – Free Memorial Day printables
Home of Heroes – Medal of Honor resources
Raising Our Kids – Memorial Day coloring pages
Homeschool Helper Online – Memorial Day resources
The Homeschool Mom – Memorial Lesson Plans
Homeschool Creations – Memorial Day Printables
Memorial Day Preschool Cutting Practice from 3 Boys and a Dog
How to Make a DIY Patriotic T-Shirt from Crafty Mama in ME
F is for Flag Handwriting Letter Mazes from Simple Fun for Kids
Memorial Day Penmanship Worksheet from Schooling a Monkey
Memorial Day Word Search from Something 2 Offer
Learning With My Boys – Memorial Day unit study

Lest we forget.

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We left super early so we would arrive early.

We spent two nights in Bruges.

We spent the whole afternoon and evening at de Haan BEACH!

It was just a short drive to de Haan and it was such a lovely beach.

The water was quite cold, even though it was a very warm day. No one was really in the water.

We walked along the strand, collecting shells, for about 3 mi, then back.

We got gelato. Of course.

There was a fun beach playground.

We had dinner on the boardwalk.

Goregous Trappist beer and moules frites. Fish and steak. Everyone was happy.

The next day, we walked around Bruges.

We ate breakfast at our apartment.

I used the walking tours in Rick Steves Belgium: Bruges, Brussels, Antwerp & Ghent.

We went straight to the Basilica of the Holy Blood. There’s a lovely chapel on the ground level.

We got to view the relic up close. It was just amazingly perfect timing. The annual festival was later that week too.

We paid to see the Michelangelo sculpture at the Church of Our Lady.

The whole city is just lovely with the canals and old houses.

We ate lunch at De Halve Maan. It was delicious.

Then we did the brewery tour. The kids loved it.

We learned about barley and hops and methods.

We got to taste more beer. The blonde beer tasting is included with the tour. We prefer the Dubbel or Tripel Zot and the Straffe Henrik.

We got chocolates at The Chocolate Line and Leonidas.

We saw lots of fun historical sites.

We bought dinner at Carrefour and cooked it in our cute little apartment. Alex was thrilled with the wild asparagus!

Our last day, we toured the Flanders WWI sites.

We ate breakfast in our apartment and packed up.

We saw “The Brooding Soldier” statue at St. Julien Memorial. Our favorite was the Memorial Museum Passchendaele 1917. We had a picnic lunch by the pond. We drove to Ypres to see The Menin Gate. We saw the Essex Farm cemetery and memorials.

We got takeout for dinner.

We got home pretty late, but it was worth it. It was a lovely trip.

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Flanders WWI Sites