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FAQLearning Through the Days of the Year
There are historic and important events to commemorate nearly every day of the year. You can use some of these dates to boost your young child's knowledge of the world in a fun and playful way. We have compiled information, books, DVDs, and other resources to help you do just that in this on-going, free resource that will be updated monthly.
Note: If your preschool-age child has older siblings at home, you may be interested in our comprehensive DVD Schooling Calendar with learning suggestions for every day of the year.
How does this thing work?
July Learning Calendar
1 — Build A Scarecrow Day
Have your children ever seen a scarecrow? Explain that when we plant a garden, crows and other birds may come and eat the seeds, corn, and vegetables that grow there. To keep the birds out of the garden, people build scarecrows and place them in the garden to scare crows and other birds away. The name "scarecrow" literally means to scare the crow away.Read:
- The Little Scarecrow Boy by Margaret Wise Brown
- Scarecrow by Cynthia Rylant
- Watch the film classic, The Wizard of Oz on DVD that features the beloved Scarecrow character.
- Make a Real Scarecrow for Your Garden - Get step-by-step instructions.
- Scarecrow - print, cut, and paste activity.
- Make a Paper Bag Scarecrow!
- Scarecrow Coloring Page
- Printable Scarecrow Color Match Game
- Scarecrow Poems, Songs, Fingerplays and more
3 — Fry An Egg on a Sidewalk Day!
Did you ever hear the expression, "It's so hot outside you could fry an egg on the sidewalk." Is that really true? Use these directions and see if it works.You know, it might be easier to make "Green Eggs and Ham." For inspiration read the book by Dr. Seuss - or watch the DVD.
4 — The 4th of July!
The U.S.A. celebrates independence from England! Check out all of the fun ideas and activities for celebrating with little ones at UniversalPreschool.com.7 — Cherry Pit Spitting Day!
Cherries are in abundance at this time of year and many people engage in cherry pit spitting contests. In fact, the Guinness World Record for competitive cherry-pit spitting is 93 feet 6.5 inches! Cherry pit spitting is for older children and adults. According to a CBS news report, cherry pits are to be avoided until a child reaches the age of 4, because they are a choking hazard. Even then, constant parental supervision is needed when eating cherries with pits. That said, you can still celebrate cherries. Here are some fun ideas:- Read the book Hidden Cherries by Anne Margaret Lewis, the official children's book of the National Cherry Festival! On these pages your child can go on a hunt to find 100 images of "Mr. Cherry" cleverly hidden in the pictures. Once you've found them all, look for cherry treasures in the cherry treasure box. Fun!
- Click-Clack Cherries! When you buy a package of bulk cherries, you may find some double-stemmed cherries. Holding the tip of the double stem in one hand with the cherries facing down toward the ground - pick one cherry up and let it fall against the other. It will knock the other cherry sideways starting a pendulum action. How long will it continue? Try it and find out.
- Use a Cherry Paint Brush! Cut a pitted cherry in half and let your child use it to make cherry prints or to draw designs on paper.
- Make a Cherry Pie! This recipe is designed for parents and children to make a cherry pie together. It uses frozen pie crusts to reduce the amount of time and labor. But you have all of the fun of removing the cherry pits by hand, and preparing the filling together! It tastes delicious!
10 — Teddy Bear Picnic Day!
Go out in the woods and enjoy a Teddy Bear Picnic today! Pack a picnic basket and invite your favorite stuffed Teddy Bear to an outdoor luncheon. Then try some of these activities:
Books:
DVD:
CDs:
Websites:
12 — Different Colored Eyes Day!
Celebrate the color of people's eyes including, brown, blue, green, and hazel.Notice the color of the eyes of everyone you see today. How many brown eyes do you see? How many blue? What color eyes does your child have? Look in the mirror and find out! What color eyes do you have? How about grandma? What about the next door neighbor? What about the dog? What color eyes does your child's doll or stuffed animal have? Read The Eye Book by Dr. Seuss.
13 — Cow Appreciation Day!
Cows provide so much! Does your little one know that we have cows to thank for milk, yogurt, ice cream, and cheese?- Watch a free video "The Story of Milk" and learn all about cows and milk! You'll discover the answers to questions like: To make a gallon of milk, how much water does a cow need to drink? How many hours a day does a cow chew her cud? What does a cow weigh? How can you tell cows apart? How many stomachs does a cow have? Why is milk white? Then, check out the free, fun activities for kids including coloring pages and dot-to-dot activities.
- Learn all about Dairy Cows at the 4-H Virtual Farm for kids!
- Watch a video of how cheese is made at the Crowley Cheese Factory!
- Watch the "Cow to Cone" story of Ben & Jerry's ice cream!
Great Cow Reads for Little Kids:
- Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type by Doreen Cronin (You can get the video on DVD too!)
- Kiss the Cow by Phyllis Root
- Moo Moo, Brown Cow by Jakki Wood
- Sixteen Cows by Lisa Wheeler
- The Cow in Apple Time by Robert Frost
Watch Some Cow DVDs!
Put On A Cow Costume and Get a Free Meal!
The Chick-Fil-A restaurant chain is offering a free meal to anyone who comes to the restaurant dressed in a cow costume. They even provide ideas on how to make a simple cow costume! Get a printable cow mask!
More Cow Activities!
20 — Moon Day!
This day commemorates the U.S. Apollo 11 space mission in 1969, when Neil Armstrong became the first person to walk on the moon. Check out UniversalPreschool.com's moon reads, rhymes, & recipes for moon foods. Be sure to scroll down the entire page to see all of the fun, free moon activities.22 — Pied Piper Day!
Have you told your children the story of the Pied Piper? This tale from German folklore is about the rat-infested town of Hamelin. There are many variations of the story. In one version, the mayor promised to pay a reward to anyone who rid the town of the rats. The Pied Piper lured the rats from the town by playing his magical flute. The rats, enchanted by the music, followed the Pied Piper out of town and down into the river where they drowned. The greedy mayor refused to pay the piper.To teach him a lesson, the Pied Piper played his magic music again, while the townspeople were sleeping. The children awoke, left their beds, and followed him to a cave where they remained until the mothers and fathers of the children demanded the mayor pay the Piper for his services.
- Read the classic version of The Pied Piper of Hamelin online for free - complete with original illustrations.
- Watch the 1957 classic film, The Pied Piper of Hamelin on DVD.
Make A Flute!
What You'll Need:
- Cardboard Toilet Paper or Paper Towel Roll
- Piece of 4" square Wax Paper
- Rubber Band
- Markers, stickers, pencil
What To Do:
Let the children decorate a cardboard roll with markers and stickers. Show them how to use a pencil to poke 3 or 4 holes (about 1" apart) in the cardboard roll. Place the wax paper over one end of the roll and use the rubber band to secure it. Teach the children to hum (not blow) into the open end of the roll. Explain that they can put their fingers on the holes to try and make different sounds.
23 — National Hot Dog Day!
July is National Hot Dog Month. That's because the most popular summertime dinner fare is the classic kids' favorite - hot dogs! There is something for everyone's taste and health preferences including Ball Park Franks, Kosher-Style Hot Dogs, Tofu Dogs, and Chicken Wieners made without nitrates and other preservatives or additives.Unfortunately, hot dogs can present a choking hazard for young children. Instead of cutting them into little pieces, why not make an Octodog?! Have you seen this gastronomic invention? It's a device that transforms a normal hot dog into an octopus-shaped gourmet treat. It slices sausages into edible "tentacles" that reduces the choking hazard. You can see how it works and purchase it for $16.95 at Octodog.com.
Read Books About Hot Dogs!
- A Hot Dog Day: Storybook (Disney's Mickey Mouse Clubhouse) by Sheila Sweeny Higginson
- Mucumber McGee and the Half-Eaten Hot Dog by Patrick Loehr
- The Pigeon Finds A Hot Dog! by Mo Willems
- The Burger and the Hot Dog by Jim Aylesworth
Hands On Fun
25 — Thread the Needle Day!
Research studies show that sewing not only improves eye-hand coordination, it stimulates creativity and helps children develop patience, perseverance and problem-solving skills."Thread the Needle Day" is a great day to introduce the concept of sewing to your child. Show your child a needle and a spool of thread. Explain how they are used. Let your child watch as you thread a needle and sew fabric together, mend clothing, or sew on a button. While preschool age children may not have the ability to sew with a real needle and thread, there are lots of sewing and lacing toys they can enjoy.
Make Your Own Sewing Cards!
What You'll Need:
- Cardboard or posterboard cut into large shapes such as circles, triangles, squares, and rectangles.
- Hole Punch
- Long Piece of Yarn
- ScotchTape
What To Do:
Punch evenly spaced holes (about 1" apart) around the edge of the cardboard shape.
Take one end of the yarn and put Scotch Tape around the end to make it stiff and needle-like. Tie a large knot on the other end of the yarn. (Make sure the knot is large enough so that it won't slip through the punched holes on the cardboard.) Then, show your child how to thread the yarn through one hole, and then another, until they have sewn the yarn through all of the holes. Cut any leftover yarn, and tie or tape the loose end of yarn in place. Then, sew another card.
Hands On Fun
- Play a game of Thread the Needle with the whole family today!
27 — Happy Birthday Bugs Bunny!
The classic animated cartoon character, Bugs Bunny, debuted in A Wild Hare, in 1940 with Mel Blanc providing the voice for the famous rabbit. Watch the "Looney Tunes - Movie Collection" and enjoy a Bugs Bunny and Road Runner Movie.Hands On Fun
- Don't forget to eat a carrot, and say, "What's up, Doc?" Then, print out and color these images of that rascally rabbit.
28 — Beatrix Potter's Birthday!
The beloved children's author of The Tale of Peter Rabbit was born in 1866. Watch the DVD of animated tales included in The Peter Rabbit Collection that features the classic stories with Peter Rabbit, Benjamin Bunny, and Tale of Mr. Tod.Hands On Fun
- Read the original Beatrix Potter tales for free at WiredForBooks, and listen to audio versions of the stories too. You can even watch a free multi-media slide show of Peter Rabbit.
- Print out original illustrations of Peter Rabbit and other Beatrix Potter characters for free, and have fun coloring them!
31 — Mutt's Day!
A dog that is not a pure breed, but is a mix of two or more breeds is called a "mutt." Although they may not have "papers" or have as much monetary value as purebred dogs, they are loved by humans just as much and make great pets. Here are some ideas to celebrate Mutt's Day:Make a Doggie Treat
If you have a mutt, help your child make a special treat for Fido. Here are recipes for everything from Doggie Pizza to Classic Canine Cookies and more!
Visit The Dog Pound
Lots of mutts are waiting to be adopted at the pound (your local humane society). Why not visit them today? Here's a directory of humane societies - just enter your zip code to find an animal shelter near you.
Favorite Children's Dog Books:
- Good Dog, Carl! by Alexandra Day
- Bad Dog, Marley! by John Grogan
- Clifford, The Big Red Dog by Norman Bridwell
- Harry, The Dirty Dog by Gene Zion
- The Dog Who Cried Wolf by Keiko Kasza
- Only One Woof by James Herriot (Also available from your local library.)
- Walter, The Farting Dog by William Kotzwinkle
Favorite Children's Dog Movies:
- Lady & The Tramp (Check your local library for this video.)
- 101 Dalmations
- Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey
- The Adventures of Milo and Otis
- The Best of Clifford, the Big Red Dog
Hands On Fun
- Fun Dog Activity Pages for Kids, including dot-to-dot, mazes, and coloring pages.
Activities:
Have Older Children?
- Check out Homefires DVD Schooling Calendar
Find More Summer Fun!
- Celebrate Summer!
- Summer Learning Fun!
- Summer Activities For Little Ones
- Summer Moon Illusion
- Discretionary Playtime Needed!
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