Fabulous February - Holiday Celebrations

 

The February sunshine steeps your boughs,
And tints the buds and swells the leaves within.

- from "Twenty Second of February"
by William Cullen Bryant

Monthly Celebrations
African American History Month
American Heart Month
National Children's Dental Health Month
Love the Bus Month
Library Lovers Month
Youth Leadership Month

Weekly Celebrations
First Week: National New Idea Week
Third Week: Random Acts of Kindness Week

Daily Celebrations
February 01: World Read Aloud Day
February 01: Imbolc Begins
February 01: National Serpent Day
February 01: National Dark Chocolate Day
February 02: Groundhog Day
February 02: Candlemas
February 02: National Hedgehog Da
February 03: Elmo's Birthday
February 03: Four Chaplain's Day
February 03: National Carrot Cake Day
February 03: National Missing Persons Day
February 04: Charles Lindberg - 1902
February 04: Homemade Soup Day
February 04: Thank a Mailman Day
February 05: National Girls and Women in Sports Day
February 05: National Weatherperson's Day
February 06: Ronald Reagan - 1911
February 06: Waitangi Day - New Zealand made part of the British Empire 1840
February 06: Take Your Child to the Library Day
February 07: Laura Ingalls Wilder -1867
February 07: Charles Dickens - 1812
February 08: Boy Scout Anniversary
February 08: National Kite Flying Day
February 08: Jules Verne - 1828
February 09: National Weather Bureau Established 1870
February 09: National Pizza Day
February 10: Umbrella Day
February 11: Make a Friend Day
February 11: Inventor's Day
February 11: International Day of Women and Girls in Sports
February 11: Thomas Edison 1847
February 12: Abraham Lincoln 1809
February 13: Library Lover's Day
February 14: Ferris Wheel Day - 1859
February 14: Read to Your Child Day
February 14: Valentine's Day
February 15: Galileo Galilei - 1564
February 15: National Gumdrop Day
February 16: Mardi Gras
February 17: President's Day
February 17: Random Acts of Kindness Day
February 19: Nicolaus Copernicus - 1473
February 20: Love Your Pet Day
February 22: George Washington - 1732
February 22: World Thinking Day
February 24: Wilheim Carl Grimm - 1786
February 25: International Pancake Day
February 25: Pierre Auguste Renior - 1841
February 26: Tell a Fairy Tale Day
February 27: International Polar Bear Day
February 27: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow - 1807
February 28: National Tooth Fairy Day

December 1 - National Christmas Lights Day

Today is National Christmas Lights Day! People have decorated their homes with Christmas lights since the 17th century. The very first Christmas lights were actually candles clipped onto the Christmas tree branches. Outdoor electric lights came about in 1880 and by 1903 Christmas lights were being sold to the general public.

You can celebrate National Christmas lights day by decorating your home with lights or by visiting a local Christmas lights display.

In honor of National Christmas Lights Day, you can do some fun crafty projects with the kiddos in your life.

DIY Paper Christmas Lights Garland from Stubbornly Crafty.

Christmas Lights Suncatcher Project from And Next Comes ESL

Christmas Lights Ornament Craft from Buggy and Buddy

However you choose to celebrate National Christmas Lights Day, I hope you enjoy this kickoff of the wonderful December holiday season!

Happy Celebrating!

Graphics used in this post are purchased from Thistle Girl Designs

Girl Scout Fun Ideas for December

I've worked with Girl Scouts for nearly two decades (it really doesn't feel like that long!) and one of the things I loved most about having a Girl Scout troop was our holiday and seasonal activities. The ideas I share in these monthly posts are from a New Leader Booklet that was shared with me when I started leading Girl Scout troops in the early 2000s. Since our council (and as far as I know any other) no longer shares this information, I want to make it accessible on the internet. Enjoy!

Note: Please be careful to remember that not everyone celebrates Christmas! If all of the girls in your troop are of one faith, you could go ahead and do the typical crafts, holiday caroling, etc. However, it is much better to remember that Girl Scouting is not a Christian organization, and that we want to inclusive to girls of all faiths. As such, this might be a perfect opportunity to learn about other faiths by doing activities such as Hanukkah dreidels, something related to Kwanzaa, etc. 

Take part in a service project benefiting others, such as a food drive, toy drive, or gift giving to those less fortunate.

Have a cookie exchange.

Decorate cookies or cakes to donate or keep.

Make gingerbread houses with graham crackers and small milk cartons.

Make angel dolls. Cute what material approx. 8"x 5". Satiny material looks great. Fold down 1/3 and stuff a ball of stuffing for the head, tie with attractive cord. Add a second piece of material approx. 4"x 12", tie around the shoulders with a cross cross in front for wings. Add doll hair, use markers for faces, and make a halo with star garland.

Make sock snowmen: Take one boys' tube sock, turned inside out (so you have the fleecy side out). Stuff with three balls of polyester stuffing, (largest at bottom, smallest on top for head). Turn down cuff of sock; stripes form hat. Decorate with black pompoms for face and buttons and add a shiny piece of orange felt for the nose. Glue with tacky glue or glue guns (be careful!). Tie ribbon around the neck and sing Frosty the Snowman.

Take an outdoor hike, especially in the rain. Notice all of the changes taking place (bare trees, etc.) Be sure to take along a trash bag and pick up any trash you find. If everybody doesn't have a raincoat, cut holes in large trash bags for arms and heads. Jump in puddles. Find a rainbow.

Make rain pictures. Put a piece of paper down on the ground, weighted down on the edges so it won't blow away. Sprinkle some dry tempera paint on the paper. Let rain sprinkle on the paper. Look to see what designs were made.

Play with your food! On December 23, the Festival of the Radishes is celebrated in Mexico. Giant radishes are carved into figures of people and animals. Prizes are awarded. Practice knife safety and carve a few radishes, too. Perhaps you can even practice making beautiful garnishes for food during the holidays. 

To the best of my knowledge, this booklet originated in the San Francisco area (the original specified places in that area along with including a San Fran phone number.) The ideas I have shared are not my own, though I have modified a few to include more updated information. 

December Doings

December really is the most wonderful time of the year, it seems there is magic surrounding us from the first snowfall to the twinkling lights. December also brings with it so many reasons to celebrate. Each year we try to celebrate at least one lesser known holiday and try out a new cultural experience. I hope this list encourages you to try something new as well.

Monthly Celebrations

• Advent - November 29-December 24
• Art & Architecture Month
• Handwashing Awareness Month
• Learn a Foreign Language Month
• Read a New Book Month
• Universal Human Rights Month
• National Fruitcake Month
• Eggnog Month

Weekly Celebrations

National Cookie Cutter Week - 1st week
National Handwashing Awareness Week - 1st Week
Tolerance Week - 1st Full Week
Human Rights Week - 2nd Full Week
Hanukkah - December 10-18
Las Posadas - December 16-24
Yule - December 21-January 1
Kwanzaa - December 26-January 1

Daily Celebrations

December 01 - National Christmas Lights Day
December 02 - National Mutt Day
December 03 - Make a Gift Day
December 04 - Santa's List Day
December 04 - National Cookie Day
December 05 - Krampusnacht
December 05 - Christmas Parade Day
December 06 - Saint Nicholas Day
December 07 - Walt Disney Day
December 08 - National Christmas Tree Day
December 09 - Christmas Card Day
December 10 - Hanukkah Begins
December 12 - National Poinsettia Day
December 12 - Gingerbread House Day
December 13 - National Cocoa Day
December 13 - Saint Lucia Day
December 14 - Roast Chestnuts Day
December 15 - National Cupcake Day
December 16 - Chocolate Covered Anything Day
December 16 - Las Posadas Begins
December 17 - National Maple Syrup Day
December 18 - Bake Cookies Day
December 18 - National Ugly Sweater Day
December 18 - National Twin Day
December 19 - Holly Day
December 19 - National Hard Candy Day
December 19 - Look for an Evergreen Day
December 20 - Go Caroling Day
December 20 - Games Day
December 21 - Winter Solstice
December 21 - Yule Begins
December 22 - National Cookie Exchange Day
December 23 - Christmas Eve Eve
December 23 - Pfeffernüsse Day
December 24 - Christmas Eve
December 25 - Christmas
December 26 - Kwanzaa Begins
December 26 - Boxing Day
December 26 - National Candy Cane Day
December 27 - National Fruitcake Day
December 27 - Make Cut-Out Snowflakes Day
December 28 - National Chocolate Candy Day
December 29 - Pepper Pot Day
December 30 - National Bicarbonate of Soda Day
December 30 - Bacon Day
December 31 - New Year's Eve

The information gathered in my monthly doings posts comes from a variety of sources. Some of my favorite celebration sources are Punch Bowl, The Spruce, and Apples 4 the Teacher.

All graphics used on this post are from Ashley at Thistle Girl Designs.

October Ideas for PreKinders and Kinders

Little learners require special activities designed for little hands and developing minds. One of my previous life experiences was teaching preschool (my first class was a group of 10 little boys and that was a bit of a culture shock for me). Our club doesn't have little ones (membership starts at 6) but I know there are a lot out there who do take PreK so I wanted to share some ideas of activities that can be done with the club or as family projects.

Clipping Tubes - Cut cardboard tubes into 2-inch lengths. Have your child use spring-type clothespins to clip the tubes together to make simple designs. You can also ask your child to clip specific numbers of tubes together.

Torn-Paper Pumpkin - Give your child a small paper plate and a piece of orange construction paper. Let you child tear the orange paper into small pieces and glue the pieces all over the paper plate. Then let your child glue on a green construction paper stem to complete the pumpkin.

Ghostly Family - On a sheet of white paper, help your child trace around your family's hands. Cut out the shapes. Have your child turn the hand shapes into ghosts by turning the hand shapes upside down and using black crayons to draw eyes on the palms of the hands. Glue the ghosts onto a large sheet of black construction paper so that they appear to be floating in the night sky. Which ghost is the smallest? Which is the largest?

Trick or Treat Container - Cut the top off a plastic gallon milk jug, leaving the handle attached to the bottom. Cut out shapes from construction paper and help your child glue them onto the jug to create a funny or scary face. Glue pieces of yarn around the top edge of the jug for hair.

News for Everyone - Share the newspaper with your child. Read the comics and captions under interesting pictures. Point to letters that are in your child's name. Look for numerals in the advertisement pages.

Measuring a Pumpkin - Set out a pumpkin. Let your child cut off a length of yarn that he or she thinks will fit around the pumpkin. Have your child try wrapping the yarn around the pumpkin to see how well it fits. Measure and cut off a piece of yarn that fits around the pumpkin exactly. Let your child compare his or her yarn to the piece that fits the pumpkin exactly. Ask "Is your yarn piece longer or shorter?"

Journals - Spend some quality time with your child by setting aside some time each day or week to write in a journal together. Just staple several sheets of paper together to make a journal and have your child dictate something for you to write. Try offering a topic each time such as "What did you do last night? What makes you happy? What is your favorite game?"

What is Litter? - Set out various pieces of litter (soda can, gum wrapper, plastic bag, paper, etc.) and nature objects (leaf, branch, rock, etc.). Ask your child to point to the objects that are litter. How does your child know that the objects are litter? What should be done with them? Hide some litter around the room, and let your child search for it and put it in a garbage bag.

Marble Fun - Tie several marbles in the toe of a large sock. Have your child fell the sock and try to guess how many marbles are inside. Take out the marbles and count them. Take turns placing marbles in the sock and guessing.

Jack-O'-Lantern Flashlight - From orange construction paper, cut a circle to cover the end of a flashlight. Cut jack-o'-lantern features out of the circle. Tape the circle to the end of the flashlight. Darken the room, play music, and let your child use the flashlight to shine jack-o'-lanterns on everything while dancing around the room.

Tennis Ball Carry - Place a large spoon and a basket filled with tennis balls at one end of the room and an empty basket at the other end. Let your child balance a tennis ball on the spoon, walking carefully across the room, and put the ball in the other basket.

Sniffy Name - Place a sheet of construction paper inside a box lid. Help your child print his or her name by squeezing glue onto the paper. Then let your child sprinkle fruit flavored gelatin powder on the glue and tap the excess into the box lid. After the glue dries, let your child let everyone sniff his or her name.

Celebrate September

Monthly Celebrations

National Piano Month
National Organic Harvest Month
Friendship Month
Read a New Book Month

Daily Celebrations

September 1: Emma M. Nutt Day
September 2: Calendar Adjustment Day
September 3: Skyscraper Day
September 3: Aliki's Birthday (1920)
September 4: National Wildlife Day
September 4: Newspaper Carriers' Day
September 5: National Hummingbird Day
September 5: International Day of Charity
September 5: International Bacon Day
September 6: National Read a Book Day
September 6: Pet Rock Day
September 7: Labor Day
September 7: Grandma Moses' Birthday (1860)
September 8: International Literacy Day
September 8: Actor's Day
September 9: Wonderful Weirdos Day
September 10: Swap Ideas Day
September 11: National Day of Service and Remembrance
September 12: National Day of Encouragement
September 12: Video Games Day
September 12: Programmer's Day
September 13: Grandparent's Day
September 13: Supernatural Day
September 13: Roald Dahl's Birthday (1916)
September 14: Gobstopper Day
September 15: Make a Hat Day
September 15: Greenpeace Day
September 15: Hispanic Heritage Month Begins
September 15: Robert McCloskey's Birthday (1914)
September 15: Tomie dePaola's Birthday (1934)
September 16: Mexican Independence Day
September 16: National Play-Doh Day
September 16: Collect Rocks Day
September 17: Constitution Day
September 17: Citizenship Day
September 18: Rosh Hashanah Begins
September 18: Tradesmen's Day
September 19: Oktoberfest Begins
September 19: International Talk Like a Pirate Day
September 20: Emmy Awards
September 21: World Gratitude Day
September 21: International Day of Peace
September 21: Miniature Golf Day
September 22: Mabon (Autumn Equinox)
September 22: National Voters Registration Day
September 22: Elephant Appreciation Day
September 22: World Rhino Day
September 22: Business Women's Day
September 22: Dear Diary Day
September 22: Doodle Day
September 22: Hobbit Day
September 23: Checkers Day (Nixon's Dog)
September 23: Education Technology Day
September 23: International Day of Sign Languages
September 24: International Punctuation Day
September 24: US Supreme Court Established in 1789
September 25: National Comic Book Day
September 25: National Daughter's Day
September 25: Cooking Day
September 25: 1st Newspaper Published in the US in 1690
September 26: Johnny Appleseed Day
September 26: Human Resource Professional Day
September 27: Yom Kippur Begins
September 27: Tourism Day
September 27: Ancestor Appreciation Day
September 27: Native American Day
September 28: Family Day
September 28: Good Neighbor Day
September 29: National Coffee Day
September 30: International Translation Day

Hello August!

Monthly Celebrations

Family Fun Month
National Picnic Month
National Water Quality Month

Weekly Celebrations

International Clown Week (August 1-7)
Simplify Your Life Week (1st full week)
Perseid's Meteor Shower (August 9-15)
National Aviation Week (3rd Week)
Friendship Week (3rd Week)
Be Kind to Humankind (4th Week)

Daily Celebrations

August 01: Campfire Day (1st Saturday of August)
August 01: Woman Astronomer's Day
August 01: Lughnasadh (first harvest festival)
August 02: Dinosaur Day
August 02: Friendship Day (1st Sunday)
August 03: Watermelon Day
August 04: Coast Guard Day
August 05: Neil Armstrong's Birthday (1930)
August 06: National Root Beer Float Day
August 07: Beach Party Day
August 08: World Cat Day
August 09: Book Lovers Day
August 10: National S'mores Day
August 11: Night of the Shooting Stars (Perseid's Meteor Shower)
August 11: Popcorn Festival
August 12: International Youth Day
August 12: World Elephant Day
August 13: Left Handers' Day
August 13: Alfred Hitchcock's Birthday (1899)
August 14: National Financial Awareness Day
August 15: National Relaxation Day
August 16: National Roller Coaster Day
August 17: National Black Cat Appreciation Day
August 17: National Geocaching Day
August 18: National Fajita Day
August 18: Serendipity Day
August 19: National Aviation Day
August 20: National Lemonade Day
August 21: Poet's Day
August 22: National Tooth Fairy Day
August 23: Cuban Sandwich Day
August 24: Mt. Vesuvius Day
August 25: National Banana Split Day
August 26: Women's Equality Day
August 27: National Burger Day
August 28: MLK Jr's Walk on Washington (1963)
August 29: Chop Suey Day
August 30: National Beach Day
August 30: Mary Shelley's Birthday (1797)
August 31: Eat Outside Day