All About
August
By Sandy Fleming
It's August, and the sounds
of the school bell are getting ever closer. Enjoy these last few
weeks of precious time with your children before the hectic routines
of the school year set in. Here are some day- brighteners and
ideas for keeping the fun rolling throughout the month.
August is Peach Month --
a great time to enjoy this wonderful fruit. Kids of all ages will
enjoy reading (or hearing) James and the Giant Peach
by Roald Dahl. This wonderful fantasy mostly takes place INSIDE
a giant peach, with lots of lovable characters to
intrigue your young friends.
Three states -- Colorado,
Missouri and Hawaii -- celebrate their birthdays this month as
well.
August 1 is Friendship
Day. Why not use some time today to write friendship notes or
make cards for friends near or far away? Perhaps your family or
group can think of someone to visit who may be lonely.
August 2 marks the anniversary
of the date the first penny was issued in the United States. How
many of the copper treasures can you find in your home? Here are
some activities to do with pennies: Use them as weights to see
how strong of a boat you can build from foil. Try a Penny Olympics!
Have a contest to see who can stack them the highest or who can
be first to stand one on its edge. Try to set a record for rolling
pennies the farthest distance or over and around obstacles. Have
a penny flipping contest to see who flips heads or tails the most.
Put pennies in a container and see who can lift the most. After
you're done playing with them, stack the pennies in groups of
ten, roll them in bank wrappers and deposit them into your savings
account or donate them to your favorite charity. You'll be surprised
at how fast they can add up!
August 3 is National Watermelon
Day. Enjoy some of this cool, refreshing fruit and have some math
fun at the same time. Weigh and measure the watermelons to see
just how big they really are. Keep track of the number of seeds
in each serving, then make a graph to see how everyone's count
compares to the others. And if you'd like a very cold refresher,
use a melon-baller to make small pieces, then freeze them on a
cookie sheet. The frozen fruit is wonderful!
August 6 is Wiggle Your
Toes Day. If you want a daffy diversion, try out lots of different
textures to wiggle in. Some ideas include sand, bubbles, water
of various temperatures, pudding, mini-marshmallows and homemade
play-dough. Spread out large pieces of newsprint or other paper,
then wiggle all of those toes in thick tempera paint. Walk on
the papers to make a colorful footprint mural or posters. Don't
forget to have the artists sign their prints!
August 7 is Sea Serpent
Day. That's a great time to unleash the creative side in your
charges. Have them draw their best sea monster, then write an
adventure story about a day in the sea serpent's life.
The Smithsonian Institution
was founded on August 10, 1846. Do a little research at your local
library or on the Internet to find out what is collected at the
Smithsonian. The answers may surprise you! After you've checked
out the real thing, try setting up your own mini-museum in a corner
or on a table. What should you put in it? How will it be displayed?
Now, design a brochure or informational pamphlet to tell others
about your museum.
Philo Farnsworth was born
on August 19, 1906. Who was he? He was one of the pioneering inventors
of the television! And where would we be without TV today? Bone
up on the history of TV in his honor. Perhaps your children or
group can write a script for a new TV show. Kids can base the
script on a favorite book or story, or come up with an original
creation. Be sure to include all of the stage directions so the
actors can get the story across just as the author envisions it!
August 26 is National Cherry
Popsicle Day! Enjoy a sweet treat as the summer winds down. You
can even make your own popsicles by freezing cherry Kool-Aid in
a small container. A drinking straw cut in half can make a stick.
Fruit juice makes a healthy snack; try freezing cherry juice with
just a hint of sugar. Delicious!
And finally, August 26
is More Herbs and Less Salt Day. We've all heard how a diet that
is high in salt is unhealthy. This is a great opportunity to try
different herbs and spices. Gather a variety of spices that your
family does not use regularly and have a few "sniff"
tests. Which ones smell the best? Any ideas about what foods would
be good with them? Can you find a new recipe to try that includes
a new and different spice? ENJOY!
