Columbus Day is observed in the United States on the second Monday in October. It marks Christopher Columbus’s arrival in the Americas in 1492. Many states and cities also, or instead, observe Indigenous Peoples’ Day, so teaching about this day is a chance to explore history from more than one point of view.

The basic history

  • In 1492, Columbus sailed west from Spain with three ships: the Niña, the Pinta and the Santa María.
  • He was looking for a sea route to Asia.
  • He landed on an island in the Bahamas, where the Taíno people already lived.
  • His voyages led to lasting contact between Europe and the Americas, which had major and often harmful effects on Indigenous peoples.

Include more than one perspective

Young children can understand that the people who already lived in a place had their own homes, families and ways of life. Share information about the Taíno and other Indigenous peoples, and ask students to think about how different people might have felt when the ships arrived.

Vocabulary to teach

Voyage, explorer, ship, sail, crew, island, navigate and Indigenous.

Hands-on science: will it float?

Ships connect nicely to a simple science investigation. Give students foil, clay or paper to make small boats. Have them predict how many counters each boat will hold, then test and record the results. Talk about why wider, flatter boats often hold more.

Writing connections

  • Write a journal entry imagining a day aboard a ship.
  • Write facts learned about the Taíno people.
  • Write and draw about a time you went somewhere new.

Ready-to-use Columbus Day activities

For ready-to-use materials, our Columbus Day Activities: Vocabulary, Ship Craft, Science and Writing are available on Teachers Pay Teachers.