A Writer's Playground

Monthly Activities for Kids by Linda Martin Andersen

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May is My Blog’s Birthday and Mine Too. What Else is Celebrated This Month?

Posted by lindamartinandersen on May 1, 2013


“May is My Blog’s Birthday and Mine Too” by Linda Martin Andersen

“A Writer’s Playground”

A place to find wordplay, writing, and monthly calendar activities for kids and those young at heart.

Think:  What does the word “May” bring to mind?  Mother’s Day, Teacher Appreciation, and Memorial Day.  What lesser known days bring you pleasure?  My younger grandson loves Batman.  I was excited to learn that May 1 is Batman Day.  I hope you find a listing that pleases you just as much.

Special Days in May:

  • Batman Day:  1  Who do you know who loves Batman?  Who or what was your super hero when you were younger?  How are these alike?
  • Mother Goose Day:  1  Who is Mother Goose?  What else do you know about her?
  • National Dance Day:  1  Do you like to dance?  What type dances can you do?
  • National Two Different Colored Shoes Day:  3–Have you ever done this on accident?  I have.  It’s embarrassing.  My shoes were close in color and the same style shoe.  One was black and one was navy.
  • International Firefighters Day:  4  Do you know a firefighter?  Thank him/her!
  • Star Wars Day:  4  Have you ever had a theme party?  Have you ever made costumes for the guests?  Check out more a Star Wars theme party on my friend’s blog.  http://joanyedwards.wordpress.com/2011/06/07/family-sewing-projects-jedi-robes-and-princess-leia-ponchos/
  • Cartoonist Day:  5  Who is your favorite cartoonist?  What makes  this art so funny?
  • No Socks Day:  8  I know an adult man, an attorney, who doesn’t wear socks.  I know a doctor who wears sandals all year?  Who do you know like this?
  • Windmill Day:  10  Have you ever seen a windmill?  Where was it?
  • Letter Carrier’s Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive Day:  11–What do you know about this event?  Have you ever participated in it?
  • Limerick Day:  12  What is a limerick?  Do you have a favorite?  Share it with someone.
  • Mother’s Day: 12  What will you do for your mom?  What does she do for you?  Thank her.
  • Biographer’s Day:  16  Name a biography.  Name an autobiography.  What’s the difference?  Name one you have read.
  • NASCAR Day:  17  Do you follow NASCAR?  Who is your favorite driver, if you do?  What number does he drive?  Can you describe his car?  Are there female drivers?  Share a NASCAR fact with someone.
  • O. Henry Pun-off Day:  18.  Who is O. Henry?  What is a pun?  Research and see what one has to do with the other.
  • Weights and Measures Day:  20  Where are weights used?  When are items measured?  What do you think this celebration is about?
  • Don’t Fry Day:  24  Why would this day be celebrated?  What foods do you eat fried that could be baked or grilled? 
  • Morse Code Day:  24  How is Morse Code used and when?  Can you tap out a short message? 
  • Cookie Monster’s Birthday:  25  Who is Cookie Monster?  What television program is he on?  What gift would you take cookie monster?  Why?
  • International Jazz Day:  25  Look for jazz CDs, books about jazz, jazz performances, etc.
  • Memorial Day:  27  Why is this day celebrated?  How will you celebrate?
  • Learn About Composting Day:  29  What is composting?  Who do you know who has a compost bin?
  • World No-Tobacco Day:  31  Do you know why this is celebrated?  Why would this goal be a good one to reach?  Do you think it is very likely?  Why or why not?

Special Weeks in May:

  • Be Kind to Animals Week:  5-11
  • National Wildflower Week:  6-12  Name flowers you have seen growing wild.
  • Reading is Fun Week: 12-18
  • National Etiquette Week:  13-17  What is etiquette?  Who has taught you etiquette?  Thank them.
  • National Backyard Games Week:  20-26  Name your favorite.  Share a story about it.

May is…

  • Gardening for Wildlife Month–What do you plant or provide for wildlife in your yard?
  • Get Caught Reading Month–What would you get caught reading if someone knocked on your door today?  Five years ago?  For pleasure?  For assignments?
  • National Bike Month–What stories are special to you that contain a bike?  Why?
  • National Inventors Month–Create a list of your favorite inventors.  Ask friends to name their favorites.  Are any the same? What did these people invent?  Research more about them. 
  • National Photo Month–Take a photograph and share it with someone.  What is your favorite topic to photograph?
  • National Physical Fitness & Sports Month–What is your favorite type of exercise?  What sports do you enjoy participating in?  What sports do you enjoy watching?
  • National Smile Month–Research smile trivia.  Ask your friends questions using your research.  For example, is it true that it takes less muscles to smile than to frown?

3248268_orig[1]Copyright by Laura Reeves 2013.  http://www.reevesartworks.com/contact.html

  • National Youth Traffic Safety Month–What traffic safety rules do you know?  Which have helped keep you safe?  How?
  • Older Americans Month–Who would you list in this category?  What type things do you do with older Americans/people?  What else could you do together?
  • Young Achievers of Tomorrow Month–What achievement would you like to be known for in the future?  What are you doing to make that a reality?
  • National Family Month–(5/12-6/16)–What things does your family do together?  Do you have family meetings?  Do you plan together?  What does quality family time look like to you?  What can you do to improve family times?

*Thank you Brownie Locks.com for May celebration information.  For more May observances check out:  http://www.brownielocks.com/may.html

Thank you for visiting “A Writer’s Playground.” Please come again soon.  Bring a friend.

Copyright © 2013 Linda Martin Andersen

27 Responses to “May is My Blog’s Birthday and Mine Too. What Else is Celebrated This Month?”

  1. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!!!!

  2. Happy Birthday, Linda, and Linda’s blog!

  3. Thank you very much, Carol. You are so good to cheer me on.

  4. Joan Y. Edwards said

    Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday, Dear Linda and Linda’s Blog, Happy Birthday to you! I’m so proud of you! Wow! One whole year. It’s amazing all that you’ve accomplished in a year. Thanks for putting a link to my Jedi Robes and Princess Leia Ponchos. They were a fun family project. I love you, Linda Martin Andersen. Thanks for being my friend!
    Celebrate you.
    Never Give Up
    Joan Y. Edwards

  5. Joan,
    Thanks to good friends like you, my blog has celebrated its first birthday. You are welcome for the link to your very popular article about Star Wars birthday theme costumes. It was a very cool post. I hope many come by to read it or re-read it. It is timeless. Thanks for being my friend, too.

  6. Maureen Wartski said

    I think my favorite May day is “national dance day.” Mike and I both love dancing and have danced together for over50 years! Recently we started to master the Argentime tango… A real tough chsllenge!! Thanks for your usual fine post, Linda …

    • Maureen,
      Thanks for sharing about your favorite date to celebrate. i can imagine your movement on the dance floor as I read this. Dancing brings pleasure to the ones on the dance floor as well as to those who watch. Good luck with mastering the tango. Now that should keep anybody in shape!

  7. Your blog always makes me wish I were back in the classroom (well, maybe!) because of all the good info you pass along. And happy birthday you and your blog!

    • Linda,
      I understand exactly what you mean about wishing you were back in the classroom. I can relate. Thanks for commenting and complimenting the ideas expressed here. My blog and I plan to celebrate our birthdays “until the cows come home.” If you missed my post about the Cow Parade, I hope you’ll look for it. 😉 Come again soon.

  8. Happy birthday to you and your blog, Linda. What is your birthday? Mine is May 29th and I will be 72 years old. My step great grandson will turn 6 on the 4th and my mother-in-law will turn 96 on the 7th!

    • Hi Sarah,
      How cool that we share the same birthday month. Mine is the 6th and I’ll be 60…time flies. Thanks for sharing the ages of the others in your family who have birthdays this month. I hope your birthday is extra special. You are certainly extra special to me. I will spend an afternoon with family visiting and sharing cake and ice cream. Fun! What do you have planned?

  9. Kathleen said

    Linda, Happy Blog Anniversary!! AND Happy Birthday my friend! I love that my wedding anniversary is also Cookie Monster day–I loved him when I was little!!

    • Kathleen,
      Thank you for the good wishes! How will you celebrate your anniversary/Cookie Monster Day? You should definitely do something “Sesame Street,” but what? Let me know if you think of something. Great to hear from you, my friend.

  10. Not fair, Linda, you didn’t let us know the “exact” date of your birthday.
    But do you hear me singing, “Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday, dear Linda. Happy Birthday to you.”
    Love your list of special items to note for May.
    And congratulations on your blog’s birthday too. “Happy Birthday, dear blog.” 🙂

    • Hi Tracy,
      The blog’s birthday is the 1st. Mine is the 6th. Being taught how to set up a blog was a birthday gift from a friend last year. Getting the blog up and running was my gift to myself. It was a good birthday. This one will be too. I’m glad you enjoyed the list of celebrations for the month. Thanks for being a faithful follower.

  11. Hi Linda,
    I’m so glad you gave yourself that gift and that you had a wonderful friend to help you out. And thanks for spilling the beans that MONDAY is your BIRTHDAY. 39, right? 🙂

  12. Tracy,
    I’m glad I gave myself that gift too. I’m also glad we connected.

    Someone else asked me about being 39. I’m afraid that’s just a few years shy of the correct number. Thanks for making me smile.

  13. Thanks again!

  14. Happy Birthday, Linda, my friend! With your calendar I can celebrate all month, especially Morse Code day. (It plays a minor part in my sci-fi novel.) One question, when you use the term “on accident” on the 3rd, is that correct? Shouldn’t it be “by accident”? I heard this term “on accident” starting to be used in 2000 when we moved to Alaska, but not sooner. I thought it maybe was a region thing, but now in VA, kids from 25 years of age on down are using it. Is our language changing?

  15. Juliana, when you get your book published, consider posting about Morse Code Day and other important events from your book. I think people find those posts and I’ll be glad to post and link about your book, if this blog continues along in that direction.

    Good eye about “on accident.” I hear children say it all the time and I guess I picked it up without realizing it. Hmmm…Here’s an article about it. http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2013-02-13/features/ct-tribu-words-work-grammar-questions-20130213_1_grammar-gripes-accident-mignon-grammar-girl-fogarty . Others are available through Google searches.

    Thanks for the birthday wishes. You’re a good friend and blog follower. I appreciate you!

  16. Since today is your official birthday–HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LINDA!!!! 🙂

  17. Susan Williams said

    Linda, Happy Belated Birthday to both you and your blog. Your blog is wonderful and so interesting, helping us learn about some things we didn’t even know existed.

    I have just started reading the autobiography of Sonia Sotomayor, the first Hispanic woman appointed to the Supreme Court in 2009. She is really an inspiration to all girls and women, making us realize that we can overcome obstacles to become anything we want to be, if we just have enough dedication and perspiration. She overcame her childhood of juvenile diabetes, an alcoholic father, and an overburdened mother to become one of the most important persons in our country.

    The title of the book is “My Beloved World.” And anyone who has had to help a child find an AUTObiography rather than a BIOgraphy to read for an assignment will surely welcome this book.

    • Susan, how wonderful of you to give a mini review of the autobiography about Sonia Sotomayor, first Hispanic woman appointed to the Supreme Court. I’m glad you are enjoying reading it and feel it would inspire many young readers, especially females. You always share such informative details. Thanks for your faithful following and contribution. I’m so glad you are a regular at “A Writer’s Playground.”

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