Interesting Facts about Kentucky

These interesting facts about Kentucky for kids include one of the longest river systems in the U.S., Abraham Lincoln, baseball, and Fort Knox.

This is part of the 50 states unit study as we travel around America, learning about each state’s history. Check out these Kentucky facts for kids below! Find some fun crafts, activities, and books for each state that will engage kids of all ages.

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5 Interesting Facts about Kentucky

Kentucky is in the south-central part of the United States and along the west side of the Appalachian mountains. The capital is Frankfort, and it’s known as The Bluegrass State. It became a state in 1792 as the 15th state to enter the United States.

Fact One: More running water than any other state except Alaska

Kentucky has thousands of miles of running water going through the state, including the Ohio River and the Kentucky River. This makes the state incredibly green for most of the year. Plants and animals flourish in Kentucky because of all the freshwater.

Here are some fun crafts and activities that you can do with your kids:

Make this fun tin foil river with your kids in the backyard.
These embossed foil fish are reflective and fun to make.
Read this fun, imaginative story about rivers in A River.
See the river at night with this moon river craft for kids.
Help your kids make this sailboat craft to float down their homemade river.

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Fact Two: President Abraham Lincoln is from Kentucky

President Abraham Lincoln was born in Hodgenville, Kentucky in 1809. He was the 16th president of the United States and had a career as a lawyer and politician. He was a major advocate for abolishing slavery and enacted the Emancipation Proclamation.

Here are some fun crafts and activities that you can do with your kids:

Build a Lincoln log cabin with popsicle sticks.
Make this Abe Lincoln paper plate craft with your kids.
Read this book with activities about Abraham Lincoln.
Use this Abraham Lincoln word search to keep your kids occupied.
Eat these easy-to-make Abraham Lincoln cookies with your kids.

Fact Three: Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory

The first Louisville Slugger bat was manufactured in 1884 and you can take a museum and factory tour of the building. You can miss it, there’s a 120-foot steel bat outside the museum!

Here are some fun crafts and activities that you can do with your kids:

The next time you go to a baseball game, play this fun scavenger hunt with your kids.
Make these tasty baseball rice krispie treats.
Read this story about baseball in Goodnight Baseball.
Try this math baseball activity.
These easy baseball pennants are fun to make.

Fact Four: Fort Knox is in Kentucky

Fort Knox is an Army base that was named in honor of Henry Knox. It contains an estimated 260 billion dollars of gold on the 109,000-acre property. Half of the nation’s gold reserves are protected by the United States Mint Police and was built in 1936 by the Treasury.

Here are some fun crafts and activities that you can do with your kids:

Make a cardboard box barn.
Make this DIY RV fort with your kids.
Read about protecting the U.S. gold reserves in this book.
Build a DIY Igloo with marshmallows.
This tablecloth fort even comes with a tea party!

Fact Five: The Kentucky Derby horse race runs here

The oldest held horse race in the country is at Churchhill Downs on the first Saturday of May every year in Louisville, Kentucky. It follows two weeks of festivals and is known as the “Run for the Roses.” This Grade I stakes race competes thoroughbred horses on a one-and-a-quarter-mile track.

Here are some fun crafts and activities that you can do with your kids: