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BlogLearning 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.
Celebrate Thanksgiving - Nov. 22nd, 2007
November Learning Calendar
1 — Cave Painting Day!
In 1940, four boys were playing in a meadow in Lascaux, France, when their dog fell into a hole in the ground. The boys climbed down the hole to rescue the mutt, and discovered prehistoric cave paintings! Ancient people used dirt, rocks, and plants to create paints in order to draw simple pictures - and you and your child can too. Visit KinderArt for complete instructions!2 — Daniel Boone Day!
Daniel Boone, American pioneer, was born in 1734. To celebrate try these activities:- Read: Daniel Boone: Young Hunter & Tracker (for ages 4-8)
- Watch: Daniel Boone the television series on DVD starring Fess Parker as the frontier hero.
- Color: This free Daniel Boone printable or purchase The Daniel Boone Coloring Book by Dover Publications. It chronicles the wilderness adventures of Boone in captions located below the pictures. While this is designed for children 9 and up, young children may enjoy coloring or scribbling on the pages too.
3 — Sandwich Day!
Today celebrates the invention of that gastronomical delight - the sandwich. An Englishman named John Montagu was the 4th Earl of Sandwich. In 1762, he put meat between two pieces of bread as a way to conveniently eat a meal while continuing to play cards at a gambling table. Your child may enjoy these activities:
Read these books:
- Carla's Sandwich by Debbie Herman
- Moon Sandwich Mom by Jennifer Richard Jacobson
- Sam's Sandwich by David Pelham
- Show Jo How To Make A Sandwich by Charlie Buckley (designed for children with developmental disabilities like autism and Aspergers syndrome)
- The Giant Jam Sandwich Book and CD (read along)
Activities:
- Make a Pretend Sandwich! Use these free printable sandwich fixings to build a paper sandwich that's a work of art.
- Make a Real Sandwich with these fun ideas!
4 — King Tut Day!
The Tomb of Egyptian boy-King Tutankhamun was discovered in 1922 by legendary archeologist Howard Carter.Read these books:
- Read: Ten Little Mummies by Phillip Yates (ages 4-8)
- Watch: Disney's Little Einsteins: The Legend of the Golden Pyramid This DVD is designed to take little kids on a virtual trip to see Egypt and much more!
- Play: Here's an online game of Hieroglyphic Concentration designed especially for young children!
6 — Saxophone Day!
This woodwind instrument made of brass was invented by Adophe Sax in 1840 and is most often heard in jazz bands, symphony orchestras, and marching bands. Here are some ideas to celebrate Saxophone Day:Activities:
- Read Rainbow Jo and Me by Maria Diaz Strom
- Listen to Mr. Saxophone play samples from his CD.
- Print out and color this free Saxophone Coloring Page.
- Purchase and play this toy saxophone!
10 — National Forget-Me-Not Day!
Remember friends and family members who you haven't seen in a while. Send them a greeting card and enclose a packet of ...what else?... Forget-Me-Not flower seeds! Forget-Me-Nots are the official state flower of Alaska.Activities:
- Learn how to grow Forget-Me-Nots
- Purchase Forget-Me-Not Flower Seed Packets
12 — Auguste Rodin's Birthday!
The master sculptor best known for his work The Thinker, born 1840. Here are some activities to do:Activities:
- Children ages 4-8 may enjoy the book, Little Sap and Monsieur Rodin by Michelle Lord.
- Take a virtual tour of the Rodin Museum collection (designed for adults, but children may enjoy seeing the pictures of sculptures).
- Here's a thought-provoking article for parents and educators titled, "Clay and Kids: The Natural Way To Learn" by Marvin Bartel, with some great suggestions for how to help kids express their creativity with clay.
13 — National Indian Pudding Day!
Celebrate by making your own Indian Pudding using Abigail Adams' recipe. (She was the wife of U.S. Founding Father, John Adams, and used to serve this to him for dessert.)17 — Homemade Bread Day!
Ahhhh! There is nothing quite like the aroma of fresh bread baking in the oven. Kids love the tactile experience of kneading and punching the dough too! Try these activities:Activities:
- Read: Sun Bread by Elisa Kleven, and Tony's Bread by Tomie dePaola
- Read this article for parents full of great tips (and a science activity) about baking bread.
- Use this recipe from Family Fun for baking basic bread.
18 — Antarctica Day!
Nathaniel Palmer discovered Antarctica in 1820. Show your child where Antarctica is located on a globe. Explain that it is very cold there and covered with snow and ice. Your child may enjoy...- A Virtual Tour of Antarctica. It is designed for kids, and preschool-age children may also enjoy aspects of the site.
- Read: Hooray for Antarctica (Our Amazing Continents) by April Pulley Sayre
22 — Thanksgiving Day!
Check out UniversalPreschool.com's The Three Sisters: A Native American Curriculum for Thanksgiving designed especially for preschoolers by Fran Wisniewski!23 — National Cashew Nut Day!
See a picture and learn more about this equatorial nut. Be sure to point out on a globe, the regions of the world where cashew trees grow. Then, read this online version of The Legend of the Cashew Nut. If your child doesn't have nut allergies, enjoy some cashew nuts or cashew butter today.28 — Red Planet Day!
Celebrate the planet Mars! You'll find terrific ideas for playful exploration of the planets, sun, moon, and stars that include activities, songs, fingerplays, nursery rhymes, recipes and more at this website!
Bonus! See Scholastic's interactive lessons and activities about The First Thanksgiving. Take a virtual field trip of Plimouth Plantation and learn the history behind the first Thanksgiving. Find all kinds of terrific suggestions and free resources for learning about Thanksgiving from Preschool through High School at Annette Hall's LocalHS.com!
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.
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