I've always had a soft spot for Amelia Earhart.
Long before home education or parenting or even adulting were on my radar, I wanted to be a pilot. Not just any pilot either — the kind that charts new paths, flies solo across oceans, and probably drinks tea at 20,000 feet like a boss.
So it's no surprise that when I stumbled across Amelia Earhart Day (24 July) as part of our home-ed planning, I got far too excited.
Back in the day, I even applied to join the RAF. I had the motivation, the dodgy eyesight they were somehow willing to overlook, and the obsession with planes. But my Restless Leg Syndrome and migraines grounded me faster than you can say "pre-flight checklist." Didn't even make it to the medical assessment and my dreams of flight were over before they'd left the hangar.
Fast forward a couple of decades, and here I am: still grounded — but now with five mini co-pilots and a chance to spark their curiosity about the sky and the fearless woman who helped break it open.
Table of Contents
Who Was Amelia Earhart (and Why Should Kids Care)?
If you're new to home ed — or you've just blocked out your own school history lessons — here's the quick version:
- First woman to fly solo across the Atlantic
- Record-breaking pilot
- Disappeared mysteriously in 1937
- Basically, the Indiana Jones of aviation (minus the whip)
She's the perfect figure to build a multi-subject, hands-on learning day around — especially if your kids love mysteries, maps, or the idea of flying.
What We Plan to do for Amelia Earhart Day in Our Home Ed
Here's how we plan to structureour Amelia Earhart mini unit, with a big shoutout to the Twinkl resources that made the prep ten times easier.
🖍️ 1. Colouring and Crosswords (for the win)
We'll kick off with Twinkl's Amelia Earhart Day pack, which includes colouring sheets and crossword puzzle — perfect for easing into the topic without a full-blown worksheet rebellion.
- The colouring page will give us time to chat casually about what the kids think pilots do.
- Shame the crossword puzzle doesn't have a mention of whether 'aviatrix' is a real word (it was — and it's awesome).
🌍 2. Map Her Final Flight
We've got a big scrunch-up world map (or you could draw one), and will be tracing Amelia's intended route on her final journey. A great opportunity to explore:
- Ocean names
- Distance estimation
- Wild guesses about what actually happened to her!
✈️ 3. Paper Plane STEM Challenge
Inspired by Earhart's love of aviation, and our neurodiversities, I have no doubt that this will turn into a battle of who can build the best paper planes (me of course).
Bonus points for anyone whose plane could survive a toddler launching it off the stairs.
🎭 4. Roleplay Interview with Amelia
We'll round it out with an RP interview with Amelia covering some of the most important questions like:
- "Do you like turbulence or is it just annoying?"
- "Why did you wear trousers when no other women did?"
- "Did you ever eat snacks in the cockpit?"
It's a brilliant literacy, empathy, and comprehension task disguised as a game.
Why This Stuff Matters
Teaching our kids about brave women in history shouldn't be a token gesture once a year. For us, Amelia Earhart Day is a brilliant excuse to explore:
- Courage
- Curiosity
- Female representation in STEM
- And how dreams don't always turn out how you plan — but can still inspire others
Want to Try It Yourself?
You don't need a pilot's licence (or five energetic kids) to pull this off. Just grab the free Twinkl Amelia Earhart Day activity pack and go from there.
It's low-prep, high-engagement, and a great way to bring history to life — even if your own flying dreams were clipped by dodgy genetics and RAF medical forms. Not bitter. Not at all.
Some people climb mountains. Some cross oceans. And some, like Earhart, fly above it all.
Me? I never left the runway — but I'm helping my kids build their wings (and really must get the eldest back on her gliding lessons!)
