The Twelve Days of Christmas Break: The 4th Day - Homemade Gift Wrap

On the fourth day of Christmas Break, make some personalized homemade gift wrap.

You Will Need

large roll of craft or butcher paper
markers, crayons, paint, etc
items unique to the person receiving the gift

Ask your kids what trait they think of when they reflect on a certain friend or family member and you'll have the beginnings of a gift wrap idea! Here are some examples just to get you started: 

If the person loves shopping, wrap the gift with a map of your local shopping mall. Instead of a ribbon, use a long cash register receipt or several taped together.

For a sports enthusiast, wrap the gift with a page from a sports magazine and tie it up with a a new headband or a pair of socks.

If the recipient enjoys gardening, wrap the gift in floral design fabric and top with bunches of seed packets tied together for a clever bow.

Wrap a gift for someone with a great sense of humor in the comic section from the Sunday newspaper. Write your own joke in the gift enclosure. 

For the person who loves to cook, print a special recipe on the wrapping paper. Fill the packages with ingredients called for in the recipe. Attach a kitchen utensil or gadget to the bow.

The Twelve Days of Christmas Break: The 1st Day - Homemade Ornaments

 

On the first day of Christmas Break make some homemade ornaments to decorate your tree.

You Will Need

fresh cranberries
mini marshmallows
thin florists write
holiday ribbon
pieces of orange rind (optional)

Young children who enjoy threading buttons and beads will be adept at making this ornament. It makes a colorful addition to the tree and when the holidays are over, you can hang it outside on a tree branch for a treat for the birds!

Cut the wire into 16-inch lengths. Begin by threading a cranberry on the wire, leaving about 1 1/2 inches of wire at the end. Alternate cranberries, marshmallows, and orange ride pieces (optional). When the wire is almost covered, twist it into a wreath shape. Twist end pieces of wire together. Attach a ribbon to the wire and hang it on the tree.

Celebrate August

   When working with kids, one of the things I've quickly discovered is that they love a good party. While it would be more chaos than I could cover to celebrate every single day, that doesn't mean that there isn't something worth celebrating everyday so that you can easily find what works best for you and your kiddos.

Monthly Observations

International Pirate Month
Family Fun Month
American Adventures Month
American Art Appreciation Month
National Language Month
Summer Sun Safety Month
Dog Days of Summer (July 3 - August 11)

Weekly Observations

August 1-7
    International Clown Week

August 3-10
    Ottawa County Free Fair

Week 1

    National Simplify Your Life Week
    National Farmer's Market Week

Week 2
    National Smile Week
    National Science Week

Week 3
    National Friendship Week

Week 4
    Be Kind to Humankind Week

Daily Observations

August 1:  Women Astronomers Day, National Planner Day, Lughnasadh

August  2:  National Coloring Book Day, National Water Balloon Day, Find a Four Leaf Clover Day

August 3:  Sandcastle Day, National Campfire Day

August 4:  National Friendship Day, National Sisters' Day, National Hooray for Kids Day

August 5: National Blogger Day, Festival Day (UK)

August 6: National Wiggle Your Toes Day, National Root Beer Float Day

August 7: National Sea Serpent Day, Regatta Day (Canada), Professional Speakers Day

August 8: Happiness Happens Day, International Cat Day, National Perler Day
August 9: Book Lovers' Day, National Kool Aid Day

August 10: National S'mores Day, National Bowling Day, World Lion Day

August 11: Mountain Day, Son & Daughter Day, National Face Mask Day, Summer Olympics Closing

August 12: Perseid Meteor Shower, World Elephant Day, National Vinyl Record Day, Middle Child Day, National Milkman Day

August 13: Left Hander Day

August 14: Navajo Code Talker Day, World Calligraphy Day, World Lizard Day

August 15: Chant at the Moon Day, World Greatness Day

August 16: National Roller Coaster Day, Hawaiian Shirt Day

August 17: National Honeybee Day, Black Cat Appreciation Day, International Geocaching Day, National Nonprofit Day
August 18: Serendipity Day, Green Man Festival

August 19: Aviation Day, World Photography Day, International Orangutang Day, National Potato Day

August 20: National Radio Day, World Mosquito Day

August 21: National Poet's Day, National Spumoni Day

August 22: Folklore Day (Brazil), National Tooth Fairy Day

August 23: Find Your Inner Nerd Day, National Ride the Wind Day

August 24: Vesuvius Day, National Waffle Day, International Bat Night

August 25: National Park Service Day, National Banana Split Day, Burning Man Festival

August 26: National Dog Day, National Spark the World Day

August 27: National Petroleum Day, International Lottery Day

August 28: Power Rangers Day

August 29: National Sports Day, Individual Rights Day

August 30: Frankenstein Day, National Beach Day, National Toasted Marshmallow Day
August 31: National Zoo Awareness Day

With so many great options in August there's sure to be lots of ways you and yours can celebrate the season!

Graphics used in this post have been purchased from EduClips and Thistle Girl Designs (now closed)

Cherokee National Holiday

      Growing up I was aware that I had Native heritage, but culture was something that just wasn't a primary focus (ah the 80s when GenX roamed free and parental involvement was next to nil). As my own wildlings were growing up we incorporated learning about many different cultures as we were able to learn more about our own origins. Now that I have the grand wildlings we're lucky enough to know more of our cultural heritage to share with them and they are blessed with a variety of cultural experiences.

Cherokee National Holiday celebrates the signing of the Cherokee Nation Constitution and there is a large celebration in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. You can learn more about it at their website at The Cherokee Holiday. However, if you're not able to attend festivities you can still teach your wildlings about the Cherokee culture. One of my favorite ways to share culture is to share their stories. One of my favorite stories from the Cherokee culture is The Origin of the Strawberry. 

When the first man was created and a mate was given to him, they lived together happily for a long time, but then began to quarrel, until at last the woman left her husband and started off toward the Sun Land, in the east.

The man followed alone and grieving, but the woman kept on steadily ahead and never looked behind, until Unelanvhi, the great Apportioner (the Sun), took pity on him and asked him if he was still angry with his wife.

He said he was not, and Unelanvhi then asked him if he would like to have her back again, to which he eagerly answered yes.

So Unelanvhi caused a patch of the finest ripe huckleberries to spring up along the path in front of the woman, but she passed by without paying any attention to them. Farther on he put a clump of blackberries, but these she also refused.

Other fruits, one tow, and three, and then some trees covered with beautiful red berries, were placed beside the path to tempt her, but she still went on until suddenly she saw in front a patch of large, ripe strawberries, the first ever known.

She stooped to gather a few to eat, and as she picked them she chanced to turn her face to the west, and at once the memory of her husband cam back to her and she found herself unable to go on.

She sat down, but the longer she waited the stronger her desire to return to her husband became. At last she gathered a bunch of the finest berries and started back along the path to give them to him. 

He met her kindly and they went back home together.

I love this story because it models how we can have quarrels with loved ones and still find out way back to them. There is no fault or blame given, just the example of love being stronger than the differences we face.

You can download an activity book featuring this story along with many other activity books from The Cherokee Holiday website here.

If you happen to have local wildlings, there is a large Strawberry Festival in May in Stillwell, Oklahoma that would be a very cool field trip to go along with this story. Of course, there are many other ways to experience the Cherokee culture, hopefully you and your wildlings find something that interest you.

Graphics used in this post are from Phillip Martin and Thistle Girl Designs (now closed)

Celebrating March

 

O wind a-blowing all day long,
O wind, that sings so loud a song!

- from "The Wind"
by Robert Lewis Stevenson

Monthly Celebrations
American Red Cross Month
Music in Our Schools Month
National Women's History Month
Foot Health Month
National Peanut Month
Poetry Month
Youth Art Month

Weekly Celebrations
First Full Week: Return Borrowed Books Week
First Full Week: Newspaper Education Week
First Week: Teen Tech Week
Second Week: Girl Scout Week
Third Week: World Fold Tales and Fables Week
Third Week: Spring Break
Fourth Week: National Week of the Ocean

Daily Celebrations
March 01: Peace Corps Day

March 01: Peanut Butter Lovers Day
March 02: Read Across America Day

March 02: Dr. Seuss' Birthday
March 03: I Want You to Be Happy Day

March 03: World Wildlife Day
March 04: Call to Action Day (March Forth!)

March 04: National Grammar Day
March 04: World Book Day

March 05: National Day of Unplugging (first Friday)

March 06: National Dentist's Day

March 07: National Cereal Day
March 07: Iditarod Begins
March 07: Girl Scout Sunday
March 08: International Women's Day
March 10: Mario Day (MAR10)
March 10: International Day of Awesomeness
March 11: Registered Dietitian and Nutritionist Day
March 12: Girl Scout Birthday
March 12: National Plant a Flower Day
March 13: National Good Samaritan Day

March 13: Genealogy Day
March 14: PI Day

March 14: Daylight Savings Time Day

March 14: Learn about Butterflies Day
March 15: Ides of March
March 16: Goddard Day - 1926 Robert Goddard launch the 1st success liquid-fueled rocket

March 16: National Giant Panda Day
March 16: National Artichoke Day
March 17: St. Patrick's Day

March 18: Absolutely Incredible Kid Day (Campfire Kids)

March 18: Goddess of Fertility Day

March 19: National Poultry Day
March 20: Ostara
March 20: Snowman Burning Day

March 20: International Day of Happiness

March 20: Spring Equinox
March 21: Spring Fairy Fun Day

March 21: World Poetry Day
March 21: International Day of Forests
March 22: World Water Day
March 23: World Meteorological Day
March 25: Vaffeldagen (Waffle Day) in Sweden
March 26: Make Up Your Own Holiday

March 26: National Spinach Day

March 27: Passover Begins at Sundown

March 28: Palm Sunday

March 28: Respect Your Cat Day
March 28: Earth Hour

March 29: Holi - Hindu festival of Colors
March 30: Doctors' Day

March 31: National Crayon Day

May the Fourth Be With You!

National Unicorn Day

National Unicorn Day is a new holiday this year and is set to happen every April 9. Growing up I was not a "horse" girl but I was most definitely a "unicorn" girl. One of my absolute favorite movies as a child was The Last Unicorn. With most holiday celebrations, the first thing we think of is a big party. However, this year instead of having a unicorn party I'm sharing ways to celebrate while practicing the social distancing that we all need to do to stay safe.

How can you celebrate National Unicorn Day? Well first of all, by watching one of the best movies ever. Have you seen The Last Unicorn (I'm honestly surprised at how many people haven't). Here's a clip and trailer from the movie.

If you would like to watch the movie but don't have a copy, you can rent or buy a digital copy through Amazon video.

Maybe you would like a snack while watching the movie. In that case, you might like to make some yummy Unicorn Dip like this that I found over at Simplistic Living.

Now that you've had your snack and watched your movie, are you looking for something else to keep you busy? You could make this toilet paper tube unicorn from Meraki Mother. It's super cute!

Another great craft that you can do at home that uses household items is this mixed media Unicorn Craft from Arty Crafty Kids.

However you decide to celebrate National Unicorn Day, you should definitely take some pictures and share with your friends. Even if we can't all be together, we can still interact virtually and share the holiday fun!