We Made It! Another year around the sun! Congrats, everyone; job well done. Now let’s do it again!
It is a new year. Time for new resolutions, new habits, and new goals. (My goal this year is to stop procrastinating so much. For example, this year, I will get my articles written at least a day before they are due.) You may be a little tuckered out from the holidays, but here are some (probably) new-to-you Days Worth Celebrating.
4th National Trivia Day- Trivia is excellent for sparking curiosity and gamifying learning. The tricky part is finding trivia where the answers are within reach. No one wants to play a game where they know NONE of the answers. If you can find a topic or a difficulty level suited for everyone, trivia can be a fun way to pass the time. Here’s a list of questions the whole family can enjoy and maybe learn a thing or two.
6th National Take Down the Christmas Tree Day- Just a friendly reminder that those lights will not wrap themselves. (But hey, maybe you want to stretch the holiday season for a few days longer. I’m not here to tell you what to do.) If you are anything like me, you despise tangled Christmas lights. Pro Tip: take a moment this year and wrap them around a piece of cardboard or a hanger instead of just rolling them up, and they will be much easier to deal with next year!
8th National Bubble Bath Day- Everyone needs a break now and then. A little self-care time so we don’t all go insane. Tell the family it’s National Bubble Bath Day, and you are required by law to observe it. Then draw yourself a bath and relax.
11th Learn Your Name In Morse Code Day- Hopefully, you are never trapped in a submarine needing to send an SOS to the outside world… but hey, you never know where the week might take you. This activity sounds like fun for the whole family. If everyone is enjoying it, why stop at just your names? The group could come up with secret knocks and learn …---…
14th Organize Your Home Day- This sounds amazingly overwhelming to me. I’m going to take some liberties here and pick just one room to organize that today. Or maybe I’ll take It down another notch and just organize my junk drawer. If even that sound daunting to you, it’s also International Kite Day, which might not be very productive, but it sure is a lot more fun.
16th Martin Luther King Jr Day (third Monday)- Dr. King's I have a Dream Speech is truly inspiring and worth listening to again and again. If you have kids on the younger side, this PBS video about King might be the perfect resource for today.
18th National Thesaurus Day- You might say I love Thesauruses. Or you could say I adore, treasure, cherish, prize, and/or fancy them. However you put it, I am crazy about Synonyms and the clever book that holds them.
19th National Popcorn Day- Lalala, I love popcorn. Sorry, just singing to myself about my one true love, popcorn. (shh, don't tell Thesaurus) How about today we try out new flavors or a new way to make popcorn? Normally microwave it? Try making it on the stovetop. Usually, eat your popcorn plain? Try out a whacky flavor or one of these 50(!) popcorn recipes.
25th National Opposite Day- I Hate Opposite Day! Or do I? Honestly, days like this make my inner child giggle. Oooo…. A Thesaurus might come in handy today.
27th National Geographic Day- Before we start… a serious question. Shouldn’t it be National National Geographic Day? I digress. Head over to National Geographic and check out their Kids section. It is full of crafts, factoids, and other fun things to explore with your kiddos!
28th National Kazoo Day- This could get noisy! I recently found this game online called Kazoo That Tune, and I frickin' dug it! You pick a card and play the song on the kazoo while others try to guess what you are playing. Purchase the premade version online, or make the same game at home. Just write down a bunch of songs everyone knows, take turns drawing from the pile, and Kazoo That Tune!
30th National Bubble Wrap Day (Last Monday of January)- Did you know Bubble Wrap was originally marketed as wallpaper?? Invented in 1957, the engineers first tried to sell it as wallpaper and then as greenhouse insulation. It wasn’t until 1961 that the product was first used to wrap products for shipping. By IBM! I don’t know; I found it fascinating and had to share. Anyway, If one wanted to celebrate Bubble Wrap Day, they could pick up a roll from Home Depot and pop away! I can think of worse ways to spend a Monday.
31st National Eat Brussel Sprouts Day- Heck… I mean, it's worth a try. It is also National Backwards Day. Getting the youngens to celebrate that one might be a little easier.