Just look at all the things going on this month! This is sure to inspire lots of ideas! (Activities at bottom of page are taken from other areas of this site)
Flower: Calendula (English Marigold)
Birthstone: Opal-Tourmaline
THIS IS:
• Adopt a Shelter Dog Month
• National Apple Month (See Apple Activities and Cooking & Snacking with Apples
• National Pajama Month (See page bottom)
• National Roller Skating Month
• National Stamp Collecting Month
• National Pizza Month
• National Chili Month
• Computer Learning Month
• Do-It Yourself Month
• Polish American Awareness Month
• National Dental Hygiene Month
• National Pasta Month (See Ideas)
• World Chocolate Awareness Month
• Vegetarian Awareness Month
• National Seafood Month
• National Clock Month
• Family History Month
• National Popcorn Month (Check out page--Some ideas at page bottom)
• National Dessert Month
• American Pharmacist Month
• Awareness Month
• Cookie Month
• Eat Country Ham Month
• International Drum Month
• Sarcastic Month
• Seafood Month
• National Vegetarian Month
• Celebrate 'Lights on After School'! October 22 (See Ideas)
• Head Start Awareness Month
• Month of the Young Adolescent-Learn of Shadow Day
• Diversity Awareness Month
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DOING THE WEEKS!
WEEK ONE:
National Hispanic Heritage Month is observed from Sept. 15 through Oct. 15.
Teen Read Week
Get Organized Week
National Fire Prevention Week
National Human Services awareness Week
National Newspaper Week
National Pickled Pepper Week
Universal Children's Week
The Fourth Annual NATIONAL BULLYING PREVENTION AWARENESS WEEK
Oct 4-10, 2009
Work together to increase awareness of the prevalence and impact of bullying on all children!
WEEK TWO:
Metric Week
National School Lunch Week
Organize Your Files Week
Pet Peeve Week
Space Week
Kids Care Week is celebrated from October 18th -24th
WEEK THREE:
Peace with Justice Week
National School Bus Safety Week
National Forest Products Week
Wildlife Week
World Rainforest Week
WEEK FOUR:
World Rainforest Continues
Peace, Friendship and Goodwill Week
Save your Back Week
Don't forget 'Bonza Bottler Day'!
Just a reason to celebrate.
This happens each month when the day and date are the same number!
Example: October 10, November 11, etc.
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DOING THE DAYS
1. Homemade Cookie Day (No Bake Cookies Here)
World Vegetarian Day and Julie Andrew's (Mary Poppins) Birthday
2. National Diversity Day and Mohandas (Mahatma) Gandhi born 1869
Charlie Brown's Birthday: Peanuts debut 1950
Name your Car Day and World Smile Day (See below)
3. Emily Post Birth Date -1873
Captain Kangaroo Day
SOS established as international stress code
4. Nation Bullying Prevention Week starts!
National Golf Day and Sputnik launched
5. World Teachers Day
6. Thomas Edison shows first motion picture
Mad Hatter Day
7. American Bandstand premiered
8. Columbus Day Celebrated-except not celebrated in Minnesota
9. Moldy Cheese Day
Count from Sesame Street Birthday
10. National Cake Decorating Day
International Top Spinning Day
National Bring your Teddy Bear to School or Work Day
11. Eleanor Roosevelt Birthday
12. Farmer's Day (Farm/Harvest Here)
World Egg Day
Thanksgiving Day in Canada
First Aerial photo taken in 1860
13. International Newspaper Carriers Day
Iron Man Competition
International Skeptics Day
Navy birthday
14. Grover of Sesame Street's Birthday
Be Bald and Be Free Day
15. National Grouch Day
National Poetry Day
16. Bosses Day
Dictionary Day
World Food Day (See below)
17. Black Poetry Day
Sweetest Day (The third Saturday each October)
18. Alaska Day--1867
Little Orphan Annie's Birthday-1922
Puerto Rico became American colony
19. Star Spangled Banner first sung
20. Guggenheim museum opens in N.Y.-1959
Mickey Mantel's birthday
Monster Mash (song) Day- 1962
World Toy Cameral Day
21. Mother-in-law Day
22. National Nut Day
23. National Mole Day
T.V. Talk Show Host Day
24. National Bologna Day
United Nations Day
25. National Denim Day
Pablo Picasso Birthday-1881
26. Hilary Rodham Clinton-s Birthday
Frankenstein Friday
International Red Cross organized-1863
27. Theodore Roosevelt's Birthday-1858
National Make a Difference Day
28. Plush Animal Lovers Day
Statue of Liberty's Birthday
National Chocolate Day (See below)
29. Internet Day
30. National Candy Corn Day (See below)
Haunted Refrigerator Night
31. Halloween (Foods and Games)
Books for Treats Night and National Knock-Knock Jokes Day
National Magic Day
National UNICEF Day Click here for website
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SOME IDEAS FOR 'DOING THE DAYS' OF OCTOBER
OCTOBER 2 is WORLD SMILE DAY!
This year, on October 2, 2009 we celebrate the eleventh World Smile Day ®. As ever the theme for the day is "Do an act of kindness. Help one person smile." As always, the image that leads the way on this day is the smiley face.
Get involved on this special day by organizing events and activities at your school, business or organization. Recognize members of your community for their acts of good will and kindness. Spread the word. If each of us becomes a World Smile Day® Ambassador and help just one person smile that day - the world will be a better place. Harvey Ball (the artist who created the 'SMILEY FACE' believed that each of us, as individuals, can make a difference in this world. World Smile Day® is the day when all our individual acts can make the world a better place.
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THE BIGGEST SMILE
This is not a game, but a great group activity to see who can give the biggest smile!. (Prizes or not--your choice) One at a time measure people's smiles with a ruler (or measuring tape). This is fun. You can also measure the zany faces!
You can take photos as you do this as people are smiling BIG!
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PLAY THROWING THE SMILE! (Circle Game)
In this game, players are forbidden to smile, but --giggling and laughing will abound anyway.
1. Players sit in a circle, making sure they can see everyone else. One player who is "It" starts the game by smiling widely, while all the other players are somber. "It" then uses their hand to wipe the smile off their face and throw it to another player--- who has to catch the smile with their hand -- and then put it on.
2. The new "It" can wipe off the smile to throw to someone else--(though he/she will probably choose to make funny smile faces at everyone for a minute or two before relinquishing the happy role.) Meanwhile, all other players must sit stone-faced. One smirk and they're out.
TIPS:
The youngest players are the least successful at winning this game (they simply can't stop themselves from laughing), but they also tend to enjoy it the most.) Cassie/Mi. Adapted from: familyfun.go.com
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Each year OCT. 16 is WORLD FOOD DAY: Talk with the children in your program about world hunger and consider hosting a food drive for a food bank in your community. To find a food bank near you, click here. It is intended to increase awareness of world hunger and take steps to combat it. However, this can be done any time of the year!
Establish a length of time for the food drive and have the youth in your program make posters to hang around program site to promote the food drive. Ask parents to get involved by helping transport the food from your site to the food bank.
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NATIONAL CHOCOLATE DAY- OCTOBER 28TH
Have some fun with Hot Chocolate (See bottom of page) and/or play CHOCOLATE FACE! Place a piece of chocolate candy in your mouth and see how long it takes to melt! No sucking and chewing it! The one to keep the chocolate in their mouth the longest is the winner. A nice way to celebrate Chocolate Day!
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NATIONAL CANDY CORN DAY-OCTOBER 30TH
1. PLAY BINGO using candy corn as markers.
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2. PLAY CANDY CORN RELAY GAME
Designate a starting line and a finish line.
Set out a bowl full of candy corn for each player at the starting line and an empty bowl at the finish line.
The players must use a large spoon to scoop candy corn out of the full bowl and then carry it to the empty bowl and fill it.
They cannot spill any candy corn or use their hands!
If any candy corn falls off the spoon, they must immediately pick it up and bring it back to the back to the starting line bowl and start over with that scoopful.
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THIS IS NATIONAL POPCORN MONTH!
1. POPCORN SNACKS: Make regualr popcorn or check out the fun Popcorn recipes in the Fall and Winter Food Category. (And ideas in the POPCORN THEME PAGE)
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2. POPCORN ART: Put out a bag of popped popcorn along with construction paper and art supplies-challenge children to come up with some creative art using the popcorn!
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3. POPCORN RELAY RACE – All it takes are two big bowls of popcorn and some small cups per team. Have kids run and get a cupful of popcorn and transfer it to the bowl across the room. The first team finished wins. Because of potential popcorn mess, this would be good played outside! The critters can eat what isn't’ swept up! (Play in gym if you’re brave!)
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4. STICKY POPCORN GAME
The children begin by " popping " around the gym as pieces of sticky popcorn, searching for other pieces of popcorn.
When two pieces of popcorn meet, they stick together.
Once stuck together, they continue to pop around together, sticking to even more pieces, until they end up in a big popcorn ball.
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5. POPCORN-A DRAMA GAME All players find themselves a spot and squat down. The facilitator talks the group through the exercise.
“Everyone is a piece of corn, the floor is a big pan, and we’re going to make popcorn. --- We slowly start heating the pan”… As the pan gets hotter, the corn starts to `pop`. A player `pops` by jumping up, clapping hands above their head, and saying `pop`. Make sure the `popping` starts gradually, `popping` is a group thing, and in the end, `popping` should stop.
- Variation: Forget to take the pan off the fireplace, and have the popcorn start burning.
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6. POPCORN VOLCANO ERUPTION
1. Spread out a large clean sheet on the floor and have the kids sit outside the edge.
2. Set a popcorn maker in the center, and prepare popcorn according to directions. Do NOT put the lid on the popcorn maker!
3. Watch the "volcano" erupt and shoot "hot lava" all over the sheet.
4. Make sure that everyone stays away from the popper while it's on, so the kids don't get sprayed with hot oil or kernels. _______________________________
OCTOBER IS WORLD CHOCOLATE MONTH AND PAJAMA MONTH--Plan one event to celebrate both!
Help kids plan a comfy Cocoa Party! You could add a movie (an old favorite or something just released.) Make popcorn (It's popcorn month!) or have cookies (It's cookie month!) and set up a hot chocolate bar where everyone can add marshmallows, chocolate sprinkles, and whipped cream to cups of cocoa.
Extension Idea: Add a PAJAMA PARTY! (It's Pajama Month!) Have kids wear PJ's and lounge on pillows and blankets as they watch a movie. (Don't forget favorite stuffed animals! The 28th is Plush Animal Lover's Day!)
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October 31 is not only Halloween- but National Knock-Knock Jokes Day
Click and have some fun with Knock-Knock Jokes--Kids of all ages love them!
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WHAT IS HALLOWEEN?
Halloween is celebrated on the night of October 31st, by children dressing in costumes and going door-to-door collecting sweets or money.
The word itself, "Halloween," actually has its origins in the Catholic Church. It comes from a contracted corruption of All Hallows Eve. November 1st, "All Hollows Day" (or "All Saints Day"), is a Catholic day of observance in honor of saints.
The origin of Halloween dates back 2000 years ago to the Celtic celebration of the dead. A Celtic festival was held on November 1st, the first day of the celtic New Year, honoring the Samhain, the Lord of the Dead.
Celtic ritual believed that the souls of the dead returned on the evening before November 1st. The celebration included burning sacrifices and costumes.
Irish, Scots and other immigrants brought older versions of the tradition to North America in the 19th century and by the late 20th century, many other Western countries have embraced Halloween as a part of American pop culture.