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 July...

Note: If your preschool-age child has older siblings at home, you may be interested in our comprehensive Homefires Learning Calendar with suggestions for every day of the year.

How does this thing work?

July Learning Calendar

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.
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:
- Teddy Bear's Picnic
- Bill Shontz - Teddy Bear's Greatest Hits
Websites:
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.
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 Beatrix Potter 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.
- Get free instructions and printables for fun activities in the Children's Pages of the Peter Rabbit website.

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:

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