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 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 6-22: 2026 WINTER OLYMPICS
Strap on your skis and get ready for all the winter sports action, excitement, and emotional moments families love about the Winter Olympics. Plus fabulous views of the Italian Alps?
📺Get Pumped Up For the Games With These 17 Great Olympic Movies
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.
🧑🍳Try easy PIZZA WAFFLES, BREAKFAST PIZZA OR PIZZA CASSEROLE!
FEBRUARY 8: SUPERBOWL LX 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.
🍗 Fabulous BUFFALO CHICKEN MEATBALLS replace messy wings
🎯 Game Day Just Got Better: Free Scavenger Hunt Printable for Families
🥇 Top Dips By State & Your Snack Playbook for Football's Biggest Night
Today is also the day for 🐶Animal Planet's 21st annual Puppy Bowl! Turn in on Sunday, Feb. 9 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. 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 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!
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. Get some funny ideas at
Create memories. Share love. Encourage smiles. There's no better way to start the day.
FEBRUARY 13-16, 2026: 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 16: NATIONAL PRESIDENTS' 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 17: LUNAR NEW YEAR
Lunar New Year, also known as Chinese New Year or the Spring Festival, is celebrated by millions worldwide as a time for cultural traditions, family gatherings, and wishes for good fortune in the year ahead.
While the date shifts every year based on the moon (usually landing between late January and mid-February), the heart of the celebration stays the same. What started centuries ago as a sacred time to honor ancestors and deities has grown into a massive, weeks-long festival filled with family reunions, legendary feasts, and cultural performances that light up cities across the globe, including right here in our own community.
Here is the "need to know" for this year's festivities:
- Welcome to the Year of the Horse: The Chinese zodiac follows a 12-year cycle, with each year represented by a different animal. In 2026, the cycle brings us to the Horse, the seventh animal in the zodiac order.
- What to Expect: Think bright red decorations (for good luck!), traditional lion dances, and plenty of "red envelopes" for the kids.
FEBRUARY 17: MARDI GRAS
A winter holiday also called Carnival, Mardi Gras is a weeklong celebration 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. This annual tradition that takes place around the City of New Orleans and is specifically centered around the city's famous French Quarter and the food which is a rich part of the culture. It's a final chance to indulge in rich foods and enjoy extravagant parties, parades, music, and costumes, rooted in ancient European traditions.
FEBRUARY 17- MARCH 19: RAMADAN
Ramadan is observed worldwide as a month of prayer, reflection, community, and fasting from sunrise to sunset. Ramadan lasts about a month, from one sighting of the crescent moon to the next. Even if your family does not celebrate this holiday, it's fun and educational to learn why others do.
🌙 Learn WHAT IS RAMADAN AND 5 WAYS TO CELEBRATE WITH KIDS through books, movies, crafts, and food!
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 20: NATIONAL LOVE YOUR PET DAY
This is my dog, 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!
🦴 Give them some extra love with some HOMEMADE TREATS.
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!
Have a great February!
To stay in the KNOW - Sign up for our FREE weekly newsletter HERE!
Receive information about family-friendly events in/around Duluth, Norcross, Suwanee, Johns Creek, Peachtree Corners & beyond.
Have an event you'd like submitted to our calendar for consideration? Submit an event HERE.
Want to tell over 10,000 families in this area about your business?
Email beckys@macaronikid.com for advertising information.
Tell a friend about DNJC MK! More subscribers help us get more fun Giveaways from our sponsors for your family!
Don't forget to be social with us on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram.
