Learning Through the Days of the Year
There are historic, important, and even fun and silly 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, websites, lessons, DVDs, and other resources to help you do just that in our Universal Preschool Learning Calendar.
Here is a sample of what you will find for the month of February...

February Learning Calendar
2 — Ground Hog Day!
The "official" groundhog is named Punxsutawney Phil. He lives at Gobbler's Knob in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. On February 2, Punxsutawney Phil comes out of his burrow to predict the weather for the rest of season to crowds of onlookers and fans.Learn More
Read a Book
- How Groundhog's Garden Grew - by Lynne Cherry
- Substitute Groundhog - by Pat Miller
- Groundhog Day - by Michelle Aki Becker
- Groundhog Day - by Gail Gibbons
- Groundhog Gets A Say - by Pamela Curtis Swallow
- Go To Sleep Ground Hog - by Judy Cox, Paul Meisel
- The Secret of the First One Up - by Iris Hiskey Arno
- Geoffrey Groundhog Predicts the Weather - by Bruce Koscielniak
- Gretchen Groundhog, It's Your Day! - by Abby Levine, Nancy Cote
- Punxsutawney Phyllis - by Susanna Leonard Hill
- The Groundhog Day Book of Facts and Fun - by Wendie Old
10 — Umbrella Day!
Celebrate a great invention - the umbrella! Show your child an umbrella and explain how to open and close it. Point to the wire frame and the fabric that is stretched across it. What color is it? Tell him/her that the umbrella keeps us dry in the rain and provides shade from the sun when it is hot outside. Umbrellas that are used for shade are called "parasols."If it's raining outside, show your child how the umbrella protects them from the rain. If it's not raining, go outside, prop the umbrella up and sprinkle water on the umbrella. Show your child how the water rolls right off the umbrella keeping everything under it dry. Here are some great books about umbrellas that your children are sure to enjoy:
- The Umbrella Party by Janet Louise Swoboda Lunn
- Umbrella by Taro Yashima
- The Yellow Umbrella by Jae-Soo Liu
- The Umbrella by Jan Brett
- Beneath A Blue Umbrella by Jack Prelutsky
- Grandma Fina and Her Wonderful Umbrellas by Benjamin Alire Sanenz
Try these fun activities:
12 — Abraham Lincoln's Birthday!
The 16th President of the United States was born on this day in 1809.- Read The Story of Abraham Lincoln by Patricia Pingry, written with young children in mind.
- See pictures of Lincoln at this website.
- Get free, printable coloring pages of Lincoln.
- Show your child a Lincoln penny.
- See Lincoln's picture on a five dollar bill.
- Make a Lincoln Stovepipe Hat!
14 — Valentine's Day!
Get all kinds of free, fun, and educational ideas to celebrate Valentine's Day with your little one.27 — Polar Bear Day!
This day is for learning about the largest, predatory land animal - the endangered polar bear. Polar bears live in and around the arctic North Pole region, and are found in Russia, Alaska, Canada, Greenland, and Norway. Point out the area where polar bears live on a map or globe. Here are some other ways to celebrate:Read a Book:
- Hush Little Polar Bear by Jeff Mack
- Polar Bears by Mark Newman
- The World of the Polar Bear by Norbert Rosing
- Little Polar Bear by Hans de Beer - This is the first in a series of books about the adventures of a little polar bear cub.
- Polar Bear Night by Lauren Thompson
- Polar Bear, Polar Bear What Do You Hear? by Bill Martin
Other Fun Polar Bear Ideas...
- Visit the Zoo to see Polar Bears! Heres a directory of zoos with polar bears.
- Watch Free Amazing Videos About Polar Bears from National Geographic for Kids!
- Polar Bear Craft Activity
- Make a Polar Bear and A Polar Bear Habitat
- Watch the National Geographic DVD Arctic Tale.
29 — Leap Day!
That's right, 2012 is a Leap Year with 29 instead of 28 days in February. Get some fun trivia facts to share with kids of all ages at LeapYearDay.com.
That's just a taste of the entertaining and engaging resources that will help you boost your young child's knowledge of the world in this outstanding activity book and time-saver! Order your copy today - here's how:
New! Universal Preschool's Learning Calendar!
Fun, Easy Activities & Time-Saving Resources - Get a full 12-months of learning just for the little ones!
"If you are the parent of a preschooler - you need this calendar! It will save you hours of research and provide dozens of innovative activities, lessons, and teaching ideas that are just right for children ages 2-5!"
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.