Learning Through the Days of the Year

By: Diane Flynn Keith

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 January...

January Learning Calendar

• 5 — Migratory Bird Day!
  Some birds fly thousands of miles from their breeding grounds in cold northern climates to their winter homes in warm southern climates each year. This special day is meant to draw attention to these birds in the hopes that people will do all they can to help preserve and protect them and their habitats. Check out Winter Bird Watching Fun for activities to help your child learn more about migratory birds.

• 6 — Bean Day!
  Celebrate this day by reading the fairy tale Jack and the Beanstalk. Then, get a 20 oz. bag of 15-bean soup mix and try the following activities:

  
  • Sort the beans! Sorting is a math readiness skill. Make 15 piles - one for each type of bean. Then, sort the beans into piles of like sizes, colors, and shapes.
  • Beat Art! Spread Elmer's white glue on a paper plate and have your child arrange beans in random patterns on the plate. Let dry and hang up for all to admire.
  • Make Bean Soup! Let your child help you prepare the recipe on the 15-bean soup package for a warm and nourishing supper. Or try this recipe.

• 15 — National Hat Day!
  Here are some fun ideas for celebrating:

  • Read The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins by Dr. Seuss.
  • Go On A Hat Hunt - Challenge the children to find hats you have around the house. How many do you have? Take a walk or drive and point out the hats you see on people. Notice the different shapes, colors, and sizes. Visit the hat department at a clothing store. Talk about the different hats - try them on!
  • Magazine Hat Hunt - Look through magazines to find pictures of people wearing hats. Can you tell what kind of a job someone has based on the hat he or she wears? Think: Baseball Cap, Football Helmet, Crown, Hard Hat, Police Officer's hat, Fire Fighter's hat, Fast-food caps, Nurse's cap, etc. Talk about what function different hats perform. Some keep you warm, some protect your head, some are for special occasions (bridal veil, top hat, graduation cap, etc.).
  • Make A Hat! Follow these easy instructions for making a hat out of newspaper.

• 20 — Penguin Day!
  Learn about these unusual and very popular birds that call Antarctica home.

  
  • Read 365 Penguins by Jean-Luc Fromental
  • Penguin-Themed Activities & Crafts for Preschoolers
  • Watch the Penguin Cam - Live from the Tennessee Aquarium!
  • Penguins Around The World is a website that shows where penguins live worldwide. Click on any continent and find out if penguins live there.
  • Watch Happy Feet! This is the popular animated film about an adorable penguin named Mumble who can't sing, but he can dance.
  • Visit Penguins at the zoo!

• 25 — Opposite Day!
  This is a great day to try to explain the concept of "opposite." The opposite of "no" is "yes." The opposite of black is white. The opposite of day is night. The opposite of sweet is sour. The opposite of short is tall. The opposite of forward is backward. Can you and your child think of more examples?

  To get clearer on the concept try reading:

  • Opposites (Learning with Animals) by Melanie Watt
  • Eric Carle's Opposites by Eric Carle
  • Exactly The Opposite by Tana Hoban
  • Opposites by Sandra Boynton
  • Opposites an interactive book by Robert Crowther

  Fun Things To Do On Opposite Day:

  • Kiss your children "Good Night" when they wake up in the morning.
  • Eat dinner for breakfast and have dessert first!
  • When you answer the phone say "Goodbye" instead of "Hello."

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:

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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