February is the shortest month of the year. But it's certainly not short of reasons to celebrate! If you think the only holiday this month is Valentine's Day, read on to discover more family-friendly holidays and events this month!
ALL MONTH: FEBRUARY IS BLACK HISTORY MONTH
The list of influential African-Americans to learn about and celebrate goes on and on.
- Read about some who changed America in our list of BOOKS & MOVIES TO CELEBRATE BLACK HISTORY MONTH …AND ALWAYS.
- See 28 WAYS TO CELEBRATE BLACK AMERICANS' IMPACT
ALL MONTH: FEBRUARY IS FIND YOUR FAMILY FUN MONTH
Today (and every day this month!) is the day to find inexpensive fun! We have you covered with our Macaroni Kid Event Calendar, filled with FREE or low-cost local family-friendly events.
FEBRUARY 2: GROUNDHOG DAY
Forget Punxsutawney Phil! Atlanta has our own forecasting groundhog, General Beauregard Lee! With a 94% accuracy rate, if he sees his shadow, it's six more weeks of winter. Click HERE for info on where to watch him plus some cute snacks to celebrate the day!
Get the kids excited by reading Mr. Groundhog Wants the Day Off by Pat Vojta
FEBRUARY 3: NATIONAL BUBBLEGUM DAY
The largest bubble gum bubble ever blown was 50.8 centimeters (20 inches) in diameter. Chad Fell of Haleyville, Alabama blew the bubble with three pieces of Dubble Bubble on April 24, 2004 at Double Springs High School in Winston County, Alabama. Grab some gum and see if you can beat his record!!
FEBRUARY 4: HOMEMADE SOUP DAY
Nothing warms you up on a cold day like a nice bowl of homemade soup! Try some of our favorites from Macaroni Kid EATS! Click HERE for some yummy recipes.
FEBRUARY 9: NATIONAL PIZZA DAY
Celebrate one of America’s all-time favorite foods. In fact, 350 slices are eaten every second! Whether it is thin crust, Chicago-style, deep dish or anything in between, pizza is an American favorite! This summer we ran a recipe for family style GRILLED PIZZA, but you could easily just cook it in your oven. Or for something really different, try easy PIZZA WAFFLES, BREAKFAST PIZZA OR PIZZA CASSEROLE!
FEBRUARY 11: SUPERBOWL LVIII SUNDAY
We'll be there for the commercials, the food, and, oh yeah, the game itself. Football games just aren't the same without wings. This year put a twist on those messy wings with these fabulous BUFFALO CHICKEN MEATBALLS.
Today is also the day for Animal Planet's 20th annual Puppy Bowl! Turn in on Sunday, Feb. 11 at 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT. The three-hour event will feature 70 adoptable puppies from 22 animal shelters and rescue organizations. Martha Stewart and Snoop Dogg will be hosting the canine sports spectacular again this year while throwing the ultimate tailgate party. All of the puppies and kittens that have participated in Puppy Bowl previously have wound up being adopted and hopefully this year's roster will find their forever families too!
FEBRUARY 13: MARDI GRAS
laissez les bon temps rouler = Let the good times roll! Primarily celebrated in New Orleans and Mobile, this french-creole celebration is a week filled with fun and tradition that culminates on Fat Tuesday (which is "Mardi Gras" in French). Fat Tuesday is the day before Ash Wednesday and the beginning of the religious season of Lent. Some of the activities that take place during Mardi Gras are parades and festivals, and it's typical to see people dressed in flamboyant and/or silly costumes.
Read SEVEN WAYS TO CELEBRATE MARDI GRAS AT HOME WITH KIDS. A traditional food is King Cake. See the recipe HERE.
FEBRUARY 14: VALENTINE'S DAY
I don't want expensive flowers or a date night when Valentine's Day rolls around... I just want some family fun! Check out our SEVEN WAYS TO CELEBRATE VALENTINE'S DAY WITH YOUR KIDS!
Of course, if you think I need some chocolate also, you cannot go wrong with some decadent hand-painted truffles from The Chocolaterie in downtown Duluth!
End the day reading PETE THE CAT: VALENTINE'S DAY IS COOL by James Dean. (Johns Creek Books & Gifts has a large selections of Pet the Cat books and toys)
Tell the ones you love something special with a Valentine Countdown:
- Create a large heart from colored paper with the words "I love you because..." printed on it and tape it to their bedroom door, the fridge, the bathroom mirror or where ever you'd like.
- Next, prepare smaller hearts for each day of your "countdown." Then, each night leading up to Valentine's Day (February 14th), write a special message for them to find the next morning.
Create memories. Share love. Encourage smiles. There's no better way to start the day.
FEBRUARY 17: RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS DAY
No reason to complicate it. Random acts of kindness can be so simple: Pay for the person behind you in the drive-thru line. Give your garbage collector, mailman or UPS driver a cold drink. Compliment a coworker, your husband, your child or your friend, on a job well done. Send a thank you note to health care workers, local fire and police departments or any military personnel.
“Remember there’s no such thing as a small act of kindness. Every act creates a ripple with no logical end.” (Scott Adams)
FEBRUARY 16-19, 2024: ANNUAL GREAT BACKYARD BIRD COUNT
People from around the world count the birds they see for at least 15 minutes on one or more days of the count. If you have a smartphone, they recommend you using the Merlin Bird ID app to enter your first bird. Merlin covers bird species from 7 continents. It is FREE and easy to use. Click HERE for instructions.
Click for more information about the GREAT BACKYARD BIRD COUNT.
February is also National Bird Feeding Month. Kids will love watching the birds eat from the Birdfeeders they have made! Both of these feeders are easy to make: MILK CARTON FEEDER or COOKIE CUTTER FEEDERS. You can also just string Cheerios or Fruit Loops onto pipe cleaners, twist to form a loop and hang them on the trees!
FEBRUARY 19: NATIONAL PRESIDENT'S DAY
Presidents Day was started to recognize George Washington's birthday, but has been expanded to be a federal holiday honoring all American presidents. Great ways to celebrate include watching The Presidents on the History Channel, reading a book about a president that you admire (Great selection at Johns Creek Books & Gifts), learning to name all of the presidents in order (click HERE for list) , or maybe dreaming about becoming president yourself by reading SOFIA VALDEZ, FUTURE PREZ by Andrea Beaty.
FEBRUARY 20: NATIONAL LOVE YOUR PET DAY
This is Daisy! Every day is National Love Your Pet Day to her! Spend today pampering your pet with some extra TLC and reap the benefits, such as stress relief and lower blood pressure. More households have dogs than cats, but it's close and there are quite a few who prefer birds, reptiles, fish or rats. So, whoever your pet companion is, give them a little extra love today!
FEBRUARY 27: NATIONAL RETRO DAY
Yep, this really is a holiday, founded to take a look back at how life was before social media, the internet and smartphones became a necessity of our daily lives. Turn them all off (including the tv) and spend the day interacting with your children. Kids LOVE to see photos of their parents when they were young. Today is the perfect opportunity to dig them out and show what you looked like when you were your child's age or a teenager rocking some bell bottoms and platform shoes or maybe a leather jacket and a single glove were more your style. Don't stop with photos. Put on some oldies and teach your kids the dances that were popular when you were in high school. My kids loved learning to swing dance! This is also a great time to talk about how everyday life was different. Which things that we take for granted today, were not yet invented when you were young? My kids still don't understand why I say "hang up the phone". (LOL!) For an extra bonus, invite the grandparents over to join the discussion!! Whatever your retro is, wear it, drive it, or play it on Retro Day!
FEBRUARY 29: LEAP DAY
Hip hip hooray! It's Leap Day. It only comes around once every four years, so you've gotta celebrate! Party old school with a game of leapfrog. Or hop out to a local indoor play place for some leaping around.
Read how to explain it to your kids and some fun tips to make the day extra special HERE
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