December 2014 Calendar Observances and Activities

This post contains calendar observances and themed activities for December 2014. If you’d like an updated calendar for any year, you can find it in my December Themed Activities for Kids. This calendar is different because the calendar observances with changing dates are added into the list of December 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 December themes for preschoolers through early elementary, although you’ll find calendar observances here for any age.

December Themes

Hundreds of December Holiday Activities for Kids

Monthly Observances for December

Monthly observances can be used for themed activities throughout the month or for one or two weeks during the month.

• Bingo Month
• National Drunk and Drugged Driving Prevention Month
• National Eggnog Month
• Worldwide Food Service Safety Month
• National Fruitcake Month
• Safe Toys and Gifts Month – Best Gifts for Kids: Montessori Baby and Toddler Toys
• Spiritual Literacy Month
• National Write a Business Plan Month
• Write a Friend Month

December Calendar Observances with Changing Dates

• Advent Begins (4 Sundays before Christmas) November 30, 2014 – How to Use Godly Play at Home During Advent, December Family Activities, 50+ December Family Activities, 40+ Christmas Countdown Activities, Christmas Countdown Activities {with Lots of Free Printables}, Montessori-Inspired Nativity Activities
• Hanukkah – Sunset of December 16-24, 2014; December 6-14, 2015 – Montessori-Inspired Hanukkah Activities,  Montessori-Inspired Little Passports Activities – Israel (includes Hanukkah activities and free printables), Kids’ Non-Christian Religious Holiday Activities Pinterest Board.

December Dates that Can Be Used for Themed Activities

Calendar observances are great for mini units or even units that might last the whole month.

• December 1: Rosa Parks Day (also celebrated on February 4) On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat.
• December 1: Jan Brett Born, 1949 (For a thorough children’s author birthday calendar, see the right sidebar of Happy Birthday Author)
• December 1: Eat a Red Apple Day – Montessori-Inspired Apple Unit, 30+ Apple Sensory Tubs, Free Apple Printables and Montessori-Inspired Apple Activities, Apple Unit Study Pinterest Board
• December 1: World Aids Awareness Day
• December 2: David Macaulay Born, 1946
• December 2: National Fritters Day
• December 2: Artist Georges Seurat born, 1859 – Montessori-Inspired Art Appreciation, Art Appreciation and Creation for Kids, Kids’ Art Appreciation Pinterest Board
• December 3: National Roof Over Your Head Day
• December 3: International Day of Persons with Disabilities – Montessori-Inspired Special Needs Support
• December 3: First successful heart transplant, 1967 – Montessori-Inspired Heart and Circulatory System Activities, Human Body Unit Study Pinterest Board.
• December 4: National Cookie Day
• December 4: National Dice Day
• December 4: Santa’s List Day
• December 4: Wear Brown Shoes Day
• December 5: Walt Disney Born, 1901
• December 5: Bathtub Party Day
• December 6: Saint Nicholas Day
• December 6: Ira Gershwin Born, 1896
• December 6: Mitten Tree Day – Free Mitten Printables and Montessori-Inspired Mitten Activities
• December 6: Put on Your Own Shoes Day – Montessori-Inspired Activities for Care of Self
• December 7: International Civil Aviation Day – Montessori-Inspired Transportation Unit
• December 7: Letter Writing Day
• December 7: National Cotton Candy Day
• December 7: Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day
• December 8: Inventor Eli Whitney Born, 1765
• December 8: National Brownie Day
• December 8: Take It in the Ear Day
• December 9: Christmas Card Day – Christmas Around the World: Scotland (includes two Montessori-Inspired Christmas card activities), Montessori-Inspired Christmas Cards and Crafts, Kids’ Christmas Activities Pinterest Board
• December 25: National Pumpkin Pie Day
• December 9: National Pastry Day
• December 10: Human Rights Day
• December 10: Emily Dickinson Born, 1830 – Montessori-Inspired Poetry Activities
• December 11: National Noodle Ring Day
• December 11: UNICEF Established, 1946
• December 11: Pilgrims Landed on Plymouth Rock, 1620
• December 12: Poinsettia Day
• December 13: St. Lucia Day
• December 13: Ice Cream Day – Montessori-Inspired Natural Ice Cream in a Bag
• December 13: National Cocoa Day
• December 13: Violin Day – Montessori-Inspired Music Appreciation, Montessori-Inspired Music Appreciation: Peter and the Wolf, Montessori-Inspired Music Appreciation: Swan Lake, Montessori-Inspired Music Appreciation: Carnival of the Animals, Montessori-Inspired Activities for the Tortoise and the Hare, Montessori-Inspired Activities for Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel, Montessori-Inspired Music Appreciation: The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, Montessori-Inspired Activities for Casey at the Bat, Montessori-Inspired Music Appreciation: My Name is Handel, Montessori-Inspired Music Unit Studies, Free Nutcracker Printables and Montessori-Inspired Nutcracker Activities, Kids’ Music Activities Pinterest Board
• December 14: South Pole Reached, 1911 – Montessori-Inspired Arctic and Antarctic Unit, Montessori-Inspired Continent Activities – Penguins of Antarctica, Kids’ Winter Activities Pinterest Board
• December 15: Bill of Rights Day
• December 15: National Lemon Cupcake Day
• December 16-24: Hanukkah – Montessori-Inspired Hanukkah Activities,  Montessori-Inspired Little Passports Activities – Israel (includes Hanukkah activities and free printables), Kids’ Non-Christian Religious Holiday Activities Pinterest Board.
• December 16: Ludwig van Beethoven’s Birthday, 1770 – Montessori-Inspired Music Appreciation
• December 16: National Chocolate Covered Anything Day
• December 16: Boston Tea Party Anniversary, 1773
• December 16-24: Las Posadas
• December 17: National Maple Syrup Day
• December 17: Dickens’ A Christmas Carol published in 1843
• December 17: Wright Brothers Day – Montessori-Inspired Transportation Unit
• December 18: Bake Cookies Day
• December 18: Flake Appreciation Day
• December 18: Wear a Plunger on Your Head Day
• December 19: Look for an Evergreen Day – Activity of the Week – Montessori-Inspired Decorating the Christmas Tree Activity, Free Christmas Tree Printables and Montessori-Inspired Christmas Tree Activities, Kids’ Christmas Activities Pinterest Board
• December 19: Oatmeal Muffin Day
• December 20: Go Caroling Day
• December 20: Games Day
• December 21: Winter Solstice (shortest day of the year) – Montessori-Inspired Snowman Color Activities, Montessori-Inspired Snowman Letter Activities, Montessori-Inspired Winter Activities, Montessori-Inspired Winter Playdough Activities, Montessori-Inspired Winter Math Activities, 25+ Snow-Themed Sensory Tubs, Free Mitten Printables and Montessori-Inspired Mitten Activities, Kids’ Winter Activities Pinterest Board.
• December 21: National Flashlight Day – Building a Flashlight from Montessori at Home
• December 21: Look on the Bright Side Day
• December 21: Humbug Day
• December 21: Forefather’s Day
• December 22: U.S. Golf Association Founded, 1894
• December 23: Roots Day
• December 23: Festivus
• December 24: Christmas Eve
• December 24: National Eggnog Day
• December 25: Christmas – Activity of the Week – Montessori-Inspired Decorating the Christmas Tree Activity, Activity of the Week – Gift Wrapping Work, How to Use Godly Play at Home During Advent, December Family Activities, Turning Christmas Crafts into Montessori-Oriented Activities, Montessori-Inspired Christmas Activities, 50+ December Family Activities, Montessori-Inspired Christmas Activities (Part 2), Holiday Manners, How to Prepare a Special Kids’ Table for Holiday Gatherings, Homeschool Christmas, Montessori-Inspired Christmas Playdough Activities, 40+ Christmas Countdown Activities, Montessori-Inspired Christmas Crafts, Montessori-Inspired Nativity Activities, Christmas Around the World: Scotland, Montessori-Inspired Christmas Activities and Free Christmas Printables, 40+ Christmas Sensory Tubs, Montessori-Inspired Christmas Scavenger Hunt, Montessori-Inspired Kids’ Gift Wrapping Activities, Hundreds of December Holiday Activities for Kids, Christmas Countdown Activities {with Lots of Free Printables},Using Variations of Elf on the Shelf to Encourage Kindness, Montessori-Inspired Christmas Cards and Crafts, Montessori-Inspired Set-Ups for Christmas Playdough Activities, Christmas Gingerbread Man Fine-Motor Activity or Craft, Montessori-Inspired Christmas Craft – Painted Wooden Ornaments, Free Christmas Tree Printables and Montessori-Inspired Christmas Tree Activities, Using Kindness Elves to Encourage Kindness {Ideas and Free Printables}, Free Nutcracker Printables and Montessori-Inspired Nutcracker Activities, Montessori-Inspired Christmas Activities with Spielgaben {Free Printables}, 20+ Christmas Phonics Activities, Kids’ Christmas Activities Pinterest Board
• December 25: National Pumpkin Pie Day
• December 26: Boxing Day
• December 26: National Whiners Day
• December 26-January 1: Kwanzaa – Montessori-Inspired Study of Africa, Montessori-Inspired Continent Activities Using Replicas – Africa, Montessori-Inspired Little Passports Activities – South Africa, Africa Educational Resources Pinterest Board.
• December 26: National Candy Cane Day
• December 27: Make Cut Out Snowflakes Day – Montessori-Inspired Little Passports Activities – Russia (with snowflake ballerinas activity)
• December 27: National Fruitcake Day
• December 28: Card Playing Day
• December 29: Pepper Pot Day
• December 30: National Bicarbonate of Soda Day
• December 31: Artist Henri Matisse born, 1869 – Montessori-Inspired Art Appreciation, Art Appreciation and Creation for Kids, Kids’ Art Appreciation Pinterest Board
• December 31: Make Up Your Mind Day
• December 31: Unlucky Day
• December 31: New Year’s Eve – Starting and Nurturing New Year’s Traditions, Preparing for New Year’s Family Celebrations, Montessori New Year’s Celebration, Kids’ New Year’s Activities Pinterest Board

Have a happy holiday season!

Free Printable October Calendar from iMom

Photo at Top of Post by Dmitry Travnikov.

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