How could children help the war effort During World War 2 on the US home front?

Answer 1

I don't know what other kids did, but my twin brother and I collected newspapers for paper drives at school and planted a Victory Garden. We also collect old rubber tires and tin cans for the scrap drives. Adding to the previous comments. Children could go to the Post Office and get a booklet (I still have mine). You then would buy a 10-cent stamp to put into the book. (For a child that was a lot of money). Eventually you would fill the book with 10-cent stamps. When that happened you turned in the booklet, and were given a "War Bond," the money was a loan to the government to help fight the war. (I never filled my book.) We were given (at school) packages of vegetable seeds. Our job was to go out and sell the seeds to our neighbors. (I was very un-successful). I don't know where the money was suppose to go, perhaps the war. The purpose of the seeds was to encourage people to grow some of their own food. (Few of my neighbors had good enough soil, or enough room to have a garden.) My father had been a farmer as a child, so during the war he rented some land, and we grew a wide variety of vegetables, which my mother preserved for use in the Winter. I helped cultivate the land with a shovel, so in a small way I was helping the "War Effort." Children also "made do" with their shoes. When we wore holes in the soles we would put cardboard inside the shoe for a while till the hole became too large. Our family also took care of their clothes, trying to make them last. Instead of buying toys (which were either not common, or not worth having) I made my own (which, in a way helped the war effort). I saved everything, if I found a bent nail, I would take it home and hammer it straight. I picked up washers, nuts and bolts, used wooden boxes for toys used by grocery stores to ship food. I got into the habit of saving everything and still do, it is for me a habit impossible to break. "Making do" was common in a variety of ways, and this too helped the War Effort. Hope I didn't get carried away. John

Answer 2

Children Did normal kid activities they just were taught that fighting in war was everyone's goal

.... umm i don't think that's right... I believe that they were sent out to collect scrap metal, that was later used with women when they built weapons and such.

MoreEveryone participated in collecting scrap metal, among other activities. The metal was then grouped by type and sent to smelters and foundries where it was recycled for use in vehicles and weapons.

Children did of course have normal activities as much as possible but they were limited by rationing of most common commodities such as food and gasoline. Younger children played the same as they always have, and older ones went to parks, attended dances, and other activities. Everyone participated in war-related activities to a greater or lesser extent. Older teenagers of course knew they could be drafted or called to work in factories, so the war was never far from their thoughts.

Answer 3

They gathered scrap metal, collected paper both for recycle. There were saving stamps the kids bought after collecting a book of savings stamps they turned them in and got a US Savings Bond, the collected nickles, dimes and quarters helped finance the war. The helped plant gardens to feed their families and neighbors, as many foods were rationed.

Answer 4

children formed balls of aluminum foil they peeled from chewing gum wrappers, and also created rubber band balls, which they contributed to the war effort

Answer 5

They could collect scrap metal or help their mothers grow "Victory Gardens". They might also buy war bonds for their families.