This post contains calendar observances and themed activities for August 2014. If you’d like an updated calendar for any year, you can find it in my August Themed Activities for Kids. This calendar is different because the calendar observances with changing dates are added into the list of August dates, making it less likely that you’ll miss an event.
I love using unit studies and themed activities for holidays and calendar observances. You’ll find all my unit studies and holiday posts in my “Should You Use Unit Studies?” post. You might choose to plan unit studies based on your child’s interests. Many unit studies, such as a dinosaur unit or transportation unit, work well at any time of the year.
Some unit studies naturally fit best into specific seasons or months. And many others can be used at any time but are extra fun when combined with a holiday or calendar observance.
You’ll find more links for calendar observances in my “Enliven Your Homeschool with Some Calendar Fun” post. The post has links to resources for calendar observances for any level. I mainly focus here on August themes for preschoolers through early elementary, although you’ll find calendar observances here for any age.
Summer and Back-to-School Themes
Montessori-Inspired Kindergarten Readiness Activities
Montessori-Inspired Summer Playdough Activities
Montessori-Inspired Activities for Casey at the Bat
Top 10 Summer Themes for Preschoolers
Montessori-Inspired Kindergarten Readiness Activities
Summer Homeschool Fun at Camp Review
Back to School Pinterest Board
Start the School Year with a Celebration
30+ Free Printables for First Day of School Photos
Monthly Observances for August
Monthly observances can be used for themed activities throughout the month or for one or two weeks during the month.
- Admit You’re Happy Month
- American Adventures Month
- American Artist Appreciation Month – Montessori-Inspired Art Appreciation and Art Appreciation and Creation for Kids
- Black Business Month
- National Catfish Month
- Children’s Eye Health and Safety Month
- Children’s Vision and Learning Month
- National Eye Exam Month
- Family Fun Month
- Get Ready for Kindergarten Month – Montessori-Inspired Kindergarten Readiness Activities
- National Goat Cheese Month
- National Golf Month
- Happiness Happens Month – Go on a Smile Hunt with Your Child, August is Happiness Happens Month!
- National Immunization Awareness Month
- National Inventors Month
- Neurosurgery Outreach Month
- National Peach Month – Montessori-Inspired Fruit Unit
- National Sandwich Month
- National Spinal Muscular Atrophy Awareness Month
- Water Quality Month
- What Will Be Your Legacy Month – Help Your Child Create Unforgettable Cards and Gifts through Digital Scrapbooking and Digital Scrapbooking Software.
August Dates that Can Be Used for Themed Activities
Calendar observances are great for mini units or even units that might last the whole month.
- August 1-7: Simplify Your Life Week – It’s Time to Simplify (This is really more for parents than kids, but you could definitely include your kids!)
- August 1-7: National Clown Week – Circus Unit Study Pinterest Board
- August 1: Francis Scott Key Born, 1779 – Kids’ Patriotic Activities Pinterest Board
- August 2: First Lincoln Penny Issued, 1909 – Montessori-Inspired Activities Teaching about Money and Presidents, Montessori-Inspired President’s Day Activities, Free Presidents’ Day Printables and Montessori-Inspired Presidents’ Day Activities
- August 2: National Ice Cream Sandwich Day
- August 3: Friendship Day (1st Sunday of August) – Friendship Flower Activities
- August 3: International Forgiveness Day (1st Sunday of August)
- August 3: Sisters Day (1st Sunday of August)
- August 3, 2014: American Family Day (first Sunday in August )
- August 3: Watermelon Day – Montessori-Inspired Fruit Unit
- August 3-9: National Exercise with Your Child Week – Montessori-Inspired Movement Activities
- August 4: U.S. Coast Guard Day – Montessori-Inspired Ocean Unit, Montessori-Inspired Beach Language Activities, Montessori-Inspired Resources for World Oceans Day, Montessori-Inspired Ocean Math Activities, Shark Unit Study, Montessori-Inspired Turtle Activities, Ocean Unit Study Pinterest Board
- August 4: Barack Obama Born, 1961
- August 4: Australia Picnic Day (first Monday in August)
- August 5: Neil Armstrong Born, 1930 – Astronaut Unit, Montessori-Inspired Moon Unit
- August 5: Work Like a Dog Day
- August 6: Wiggle Your Toes Day
- August 7: National Lighthouse Day
- August 8: Happiness Happens Day – August is Happiness Happens Month!
- August 8: Dollar Day (US dollar was created in 1786)
- August 9: Book Lover’s Day – How to Help Your Child Treasure Books, Montessori-Inspired Ideas for Enjoying Books with Your Child or Students
- August 9: Smokey Bear’s Birthday, 1944 – Community Helpers Activity Trays and Sensory Tubs, Free Fire Safety Printables and Montessori-Inspired Fire Safety Activities, Community Helpers Pinterest Board.
- August 10: World Lion Day
- August 10: Shark Week Starts on The Discovery Channel – Shark Unit Study
- August 10: Lazy Day
- August 10: National S’mores Day
- August 11: Don Freeman Born, 1908 (For a thorough children’s author birthday calendar, see the right sidebar of Happy Birthday Author) – Montessori-Inspired Teddy Bear Activities
- August 11: Play in the Sand Day – Simple Excavation Sensory Tubs
- August 11: Son and Daughter Day – How to Help Each of Your Children Feel Special
- August 12: Middle Child’s Day
- August 13: International Lefthanders Day
- Auugst 14: V-J Day
- August 14: World Lizard Day
- August 15: Relaxation Day
- August 15: Transcontinental Railroad Completed, 1869.
- August 16: National Tell a Joke Day
- August 16: Roller Coaster Day
- August 16, 2014: International Homeless Animals Day (third Saturday in August)
- August 17: Davy Crockett Born, 1786
- August 18: Bad Poetry Day – Montessori-Inspired Poetry Activities
- August 19: National Aviation Day (Orville Wright Born, 1871) – Montessori-Inspired Transportation Unit
- August 19: National Potato Day – Montessori-Inspired Vegetable Unit
- August 20: National Lemonade Day – Montessori-Inspired Food Preparation for Preschoolers, Kids’ Food Fun Pinterest Board
- August 20: World Mosquito Day – Montessori-Inspired Insect Unit
- August 20: Bill Clinton Born, 1946.
- August 21: National Senior Citizens Day – Kindness Projects Pinterest Board
- August 22: Be an Angel Day – How to Help Your Kids Develop Compassion through Service Projects, Simple Ways to Make a Difference in the World
- August 22: National Tooth Fairy Day (and/or February 28) – Montessori-Inspired Dental Health Unit
- August 23: Mexico Gained Its Independence, 1821 – Montessori-Inspired Spanish Activities, Montessori-Inspired Snowman Spanish Color Activity, Montessori-Inspired Little Passports Activities – Mexico, Montessori-Inspired Color Tablets, Yarn Balls, and Spanish Colors, Free Spanish Printables and Montessori-Inspired Spanish Color Activities, Foreign Language for Kids Pinterest Board, Kids’ Cinco de Mayo Activities Pinterest Board
- August 23: Ride the Wind Day – Free Kite Printables and Montessori-Inspired Kite Activities
- August 24: National Waffle Day
- August 24: Mount Vesuvius Erupted, 79 A.D.
- August 25-31: Be Kind to Humankind Week – Kindness Projects for Children and Adults of All Ages
- August 26: Women’s Equality Day (anniversary of women getting the right to vote – the signing of the 19th Amendment, 1920)
- August 26: National Dog Day – Montessori Care of Pets, Montessori-Inspired Pet Activities
- August 27: Mother Teresa Born, 1910 – How to Help Your Kids Develop Compassion through Service Projects, Simple Ways to Make a Difference in the World
- August 28: Dream Day (Martin Luther King Jr. gave his “I Have a Dream” speech, 1963) – Montessori-Inspired Respect for Diversity
- August 30: National Toasted Marshmallow Day
- August 31: Maria Montessori Born, 1870 – About Montessori, Montessori Resources, ABCs of Montessori
- August 31: Trail Mix Day – 100-Piece Trail Mix in Montessori-Inspired 100th Day of School Activities
Have a happy August! 🙂
Free Printable July Calendar from iMom
Learn more about Montessori at Home or School: How to Teach Grace and Courtesy!
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Mandatory stuff that everyone should have a look upon.. keep it up
Also Friendship day is around the corner,Do check it to get stuff related to this special day!
This is amazing! Thank you for this calendar for August…I’m already thinking of some great ideas. 🙂
I always love seeing what you find for the months. Of course you are missing two of the important August days in our house–my birthday and anniversary. Thank you for sharing at Sharing Saturday!
Thank you for putting this list together Deb! It must have taken quite a lot time!
Thanks for joining “A Teachable August Linky Party” Deb!!