Remembrance Day for three year olds

So today is Remembrance Day, and I wanted to mark it in my class but without saying anything too heavy, scary or confusing. So this is how I put it at circle time today...

"Today is a day when we think about soldiers. Some of them are really far away making sure people are staying safe and happy. Soldiers can be mummies or daddies or big kids that are away from their families for a long time. Lots of times they go away to places where it's hot, and they are thirsty, and they get sand in their boots. You all know that doesn't feel so good. So on this day we remember that we want the soldiers to stay safe, be comfortable and go home to their families."

I pretty much left it at that because I didn't want to have a start a serious geopolitical discussion with near-toddlers. I'd lose.

Anyway, at 11 o'clock I turned out one of the lights to get their attention and instead of trying to get them to stand at attention (I wouldn't have even tried. Playdough was out...), we sang O Canada as loud as we could. I think the troops would have been okay with that.

kxx