July 2014 Calendar Observances and Activities

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

Summer Themed Posts

Montessori-Inspired Summer Playdough Activities, Montessori-Inspired Activities for Casey at the Bat, Top 10 Summer Themes for Preschoolers, 20 Outdoor Phonics Activities, Summer Fun Pinterest Board

Monthly Observances for July

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

• Anti-Boredom Month – How to Create a Summer Bucket List for Your Family, Summer Fun Pinterest Board
• National Baked Bean Month
• Bioterrorism/Disaster Education and Awareness Month
• National Blueberry Month – Montessori-Inspired Fruit Unit
• Cell Phone Courtesy Month
• National “Doghouse Repairs” Month
• Family Reunion Month – How to Help Your Child Feel Comfortable Greeting Relatives
• National Grilling Month
• National Horseradish Month
• National Hot Dog Month
• National Ice Cream Month – Montessori-Inspired Natural Ice Cream in a Bag
• National Make a Difference to Children Month
• Mango and Melon Month – Montessori-Inspired Fruit Unit
• National Park and Recreation Month
• National Picnic Month
• Smart Irrigation Month
• Wild about Wildlife Month
• International Zine Month

July Dates that Can Be Used for Themed Activities

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

• June 28-July 27 (Started June 29 in North America): Ramadan
• July 1: Canada Day (July 1 except when July 1 is a Sunday; then it’s July 2)
• July 1: International Joke Day
• July 1: First American Zoo Opened in Philadelphia, 1874 – Montessori-Inspired Zoo Animal Unit, Montessori-Inspired Zoo Animal Unit (2012), Zoo Animal Unit Study Pinterest Board
• July 1: National Postal Worker Day – Community Helpers Unit Study Pinterest Board
• July 1: Creative Ice Cream Flavors Day – Montessori-Inspired Natural Ice Cream in a Bag
• July 2: First Zeppelin Flight, 1900
• July 2: World UFO Day
• July 2: I Forgot Day
• July 3: Compliment Your Mirror Day – Healthy Body Image: Appreciating Your Inner Beauty
• July 3: Stay Out of the Sun Day
• July 4: Independence Day (USA) – Child-Led Patriotism, Montessori-Inspired Fun with Golf Balls and Ping Pong Balls, Montessori-Inspired Patriotic Unit, Montessori-Inspired 4th of July Activities, Patriotic Practical Life and Math Activities, Kids’ Patriotic Activities (U.S.) Pinterest Board
• July 4: Independence from Meat Day – Creating Healthy Family Recipes
• July 4: National Country Music Day
• July 4: Sidewalk Egg Frying Day
• July 5: Graham Cracker Day
• July 5: Phineas Taylor Barnum (started the traveling circus) Born, 1810 – Circus Unit Study Pinterest Board
• July 6: Build a Scarecrow Day (first Sunday in July)
• July 7: Chocolate Day
• July 7: Father-Daughter Take a Walk Together Day– How to Help Each of Your Children Feel Special
• July 7: National Macaroni Day
• July 8: Liberty Bell Cracked, 1835 while being rung at the funeral of John Marshall
• July 9: National Sugar Cookie Day
• July 10: Teddy Bear Picnic Day – Montessori-Inspired Teddy Bear Activities, Kids’ Teddy Bear Activities Pinterest Board
• July 10: National Blueberry Picking Day – Montessori-Inspired Fruit Unit, Montessori-Inspired Food Art
• July 11: Cheer Up the Lonely Day – Kindness Projects Pinterest Board
• July 11: World Population Day
• July 11: E.B. White born, 1899 (For a thorough children’s author birthday calendar, see the right sidebar of Happy Birthday Author)
• July 12: Henry David Thoreau Born, 1817 – Finding Balance Pinterest Board
• July 12: Paper Bag Day – The paper bag manufacturing machine was patented
• July 12: Different Colored Eyes Day
• July 12: National Pecan Pie Day
• July 13: Go West Day (See 1865) – Little House on the Prairie Unit Study
• July 13: Barbershop Music Appreciation Day
• July 13: Embrace Your Geekness Day
• July 14: Bastille Day – Montessori-Inspired Little Passports Activities – France
• July 14: Tape Measure Day
• July 15: Cow Appreciation Day – Montessori Grammar Farm,Montessori-Inspired Corn Unit, Montessori-Inspired Farm Unit, Safari Ltd. Farm TOOBS and Keys, Free Farm Printables and Montessori-Inspired Activities Using Farm Replicas and Printables, 40+ Farm Sensory Tubs, Inexpensive, Simple-to-Prepare Montessori Grammar Farm, Farm Unit Study Pinterest Board
• July 16: World Snake Day
• July 16: Fresh Spinach Day – Montessori-Inspired Vegetable Unit, Kids’ Food Fun Pinterest Board
• July 17: Disneyland Opens, 1955
• July 17: Sewing Machine Patented, 1790 – Montessori-Inspired Sewing Activities
• July 18: Mandela Day – (affiliate link) Free Montessori Helper Mandela Day Materials
• July 18: Astronaut John Glenn Born, 1921 – Astronaut Unit
• July 20: Moon Day – First Landing on the Moon, 1969 – Astronaut Unit, Montessori-Inspired Moon Unit, , Astronomy Unit Study Pinterest Board
• July 20: National Ice Cream Day (3rd Sunday in July) – Montessori-Inspired Natural Ice Cream in a Bag
• July 20: International Chess Day
• July 20: National Lollipop Day
• July 22: Pied Piper of Hamelin Day
• July 22: Hammock Day
• July 23: National Vanilla Ice Cream Day – Montessori-Inspired Natural Ice Cream in a Bag
• July 23: National Mosquito Day – Montessori-Inspired Insect Unit
• July 24: Amelia Earhart Born, 1897 – Montessori-Inspired Transportation Unit, Transportation Unit Study Pinterest Board
• July 24: Cousins Day – Kids’ Family Tree Activities Pinterest Board
• July 25: Culinarians Day – Montessori-Inspired Food Preparation for Preschoolers, Kids’ Food Fun Pinterest Board
• July 25: Thread the Needle Day – Montessori-Inspired Sewing Activities
• July 26: Jan Berenstain born, 1923
• July 26: Aunt and Uncles Day – Kids’ Family Tree Activities Pinterest Board, How to Help Your Child Feel Comfortable Greeting Relatives
• July 27: Bagpipe Appreciation Day
• July 27: Take Your Pants for a Walk Day
• July 27: Parents’ Day (4th Sunday of July) – How to Help Each of Your Children Feel Special, Parenting Pinterest Board
• July 28: Beatrix Potter Born, 1866
• July 29: NASA Established, 1958 – Astronaut Unit, Montessori-Inspired Astronomy Activities, Montessori-Inspired Star and Constellation Unit, Montessori-Inspired Moon Unit, Montessori-Inspired Solar System Activities and World Space Week Blog Hop, Montessori-Inspired Astronomy Units, Astronomy Unit Study Pinterest Board
• July 29: International Tiger Day – Montessori-Inspired Little Passports Activities – India; Montessori-Inspired Continent Box Activities with Animal Figures and Landmarks – Asia
• July 29: National Lasagna Day
• July 30: Paperback Book Day – Montessori-Inspired Dr. Seuss Activities, Montessori-Inspired Eric Carle Activities, How to Help Your Child Treasure Books, Simple Tips for Organizing Your Homeschool Library, Montessori-Inspired Ideas for Enjoying Books with Your Child or Students, Montessori-Inspired Activities for the Tortoise and the Hare, , Montessori-Inspired Activities for Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel, Free Mitten Printables and Montessori-Inspired Mitten Activities, Literature-Based Activities Pinterest Board
• July 30: National Cheesecake Day
• July 31: Mutt’s Day – Montessori Care of Pets, Montessori-Inspired Pet Activities
• July 31: First US Patent Issued – Granted to Samuel Hopkins, 1790.

Have a wonderful July! 🙂

Free Printable July Calendar from iMom

Learn more about Montessori at Home or School: How to Teach Grace and Courtesy!

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