Top Ten Recipients of August 2015 Happiness Happens Awards

 “Top Ten Recipients of August 2015  Happiness Happens Awards” by Linda Martin Andersen

 

Poster created at http://www.quozio.com  Happiness Happens Awards (selected by me for this site only)

August is…

• Happiness Happens Month–How does happiness happen?  What are some things that make you happy?  Which of the awards posted here is your favorite?  Why?
• What Will Be Your Legacy Month–What is a legacy?  Check out definition 2a here:  http://www.macmillandictionary.com/us/dictionary/american/legacy

Special Days in August:

• Respect For Parents: 1–How do you show respect for your parents?  Name ways they show respect for you. 
• Sandcastle Day: 1–What memories come to mind when you hear “sandcastle?”  Write or draw about that memory.  Where have you built sandcastles?  Have you ever built one in your backyard?  What materials would you need?
• Take A Penny/Leave A Penny Day: 2–Have you ever left a penny in a dish at a store or restaurant?  Have you ever taken one?    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Take_a_penny,_leave_a_penny
• Watermelon Day 3:–Do you eat watermelon with a fork, spoon, knife, or by biting into the slice?  Where do you like to eat watermelon?  Inside, outside, at a picnic, or anywhere?  Does your family buy watermelon by the slice, half, or whole melon?
• National Chocolate Chip Day: 4  What would you do with melted chocolate chips?  Sometimes people say, “It’s hot enough to fry an egg on a sidewalk.”  What image comes to mind if chocolate chips melted on the sidewalk instead?  Would you want to turn it into a cookie, sidewalk art, etc.  Would you taste it?  (not recommended, but then neither are mud pies)
• Hiroshima Day: 6–When I read of this special day, I thought of an author friend–Kathleen Burkinshaw.   Check out her website and you’ll know why.   https://kathleenburkinshaw.wordpress.com/
• Lighthouse Day: 7–Name three or more lighthouses.  Where are they located?  What lighthouses have you visited?  Which is your favorite and why?  Where have you seen lighthouse art?  On a mug?  On a keychain, on earrings, etc.  List three or more examples.
• Tomboy Tools Day: 7 I don’t hear girls called “tomboys” much anymore.  Do you know what the word means?  Why do you think the word might not be used so often today?  Write about a time you or someone you know was teased for “acting like a boy.”
• Twins Day: 7-9  How many twins do you know?  Do their names rhyme?  Are they identical or fraternal?  Name a favorite story, book, poem, or memory about twins.  
• Middle Child Day: 8  What’s it like to be in the middle of a huddle?  The middle of the car?  Other middles?  What do you think it would feel like to be a middle child in a family?  Are you a middle child?  Name some advantages and some disadvantages of being a middle child.
• Skyscraper Appreciation Day: 10  What cities do you think of with skyscrapers?  Have you ever ridden an elevator to the top of one?  What skyscraper stories can you tell?
• Smithsonian Day: 10  Where is the Smithsonian?  Name some of the buildings or displays found there.  What would you like to visit there?  How far is the Smithsonian from where you live?
• S’mores Day: 10 Have you ever eaten S’mores?  Have you ever prepared them to serve?  What makes this food special?  Is it one of your favorites?  Why or why not?
• Sewing Machine Day: 12 What is a treadle machine?  What is a portable sewing machine?  Name three items that can be made on a sewing machine.  Name five supplies used when sewing.  Have you ever sewed anything by hand?  On a sewing machine?  Tell about it.  Do you know what a Cricut machine is?  Name items it can create.
• Vinyl Record Day: 12 What is a vinyl record?  What is an album?  What piece of equipment is needed for these?  Have you ever seen any of these things?  Write about it.
• International Lefthander’s Day: 13  What is a” leftie?”  Who do you know who is one?  What might be more difficult to do if you’re a “leftie?”  Do you anyone who was forced to do things right handed?  Name a famous “leftie” if you can.  What does it mean to be ambidextrous?
• Cupcake Day: 17  Cupcakes have become popular recently.  Why do you think that might be so?  Have you ever seen cupcakes served instead of a wedding cake?  Tell a favorite cupcake memory.
• Senior Citizen’s Day: 21 What joy can you bring a senior citizen today?   How can you show a senior respect?  How can you give a senior recognition today?  What way can you share love and caring for a senior today?
• Be An Angel Day: 22 If someone says, “Be an angel and get me a glass of water,” what does that mean to you?  If someone says, “Be an angel and sit down,” what does that mean?  Give other examples.  See the definition for this idiom here:  http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/angel
• International Tongue Twister Day: 22 What is your favorite tongue twister?  Name others.  If I begin one, can you continue it?  Peter Piper picked a…   For more check here:  http://www.grandparents.com/grandkids/activities-games-and-crafts/tongue-twisters-for-kids
• Tug-of-War Day: 26 When was the last time you played tug-of-war?  Have you ever played at school?  Maybe for Field Day?  Can you name a TV show, movie, book, or story with a game of tug-of-war?  Tell about a time when you played this game.
• National Toasted Marshmallow Day: 30  Name your favorite toasted food.  What way do you like to eat marshmallows?  Do you like them in hot chocolate, on top of sweet potatoes, melted in rice krispie treats, tossed in fruit salad?  Other ways?  Name a favorite memory that includes a marshmallow treat.
• Pony Express Day: 30  Imagine you received a letter delivered by Pony Express.  Who do you think might have sent it?  How long do you think it would have taken to receive it? For more information check here:   http://www.nps.gov/poex/learn/historyculture/index.htm    Would you have wanted to be a Pony Express driver?  What caused the end of Pony Express delivery?

Special Weeks in August:

• Simplify Your Life Week: 1-7 Name a way to simplify your life.  Is it something you can do?  Why or why not?
• Exercise With Your Child Week: 2-8  Name a time you and your parents exercised together.  What were you doing? Did you enjoy it?  Would you do it again?
• National Farmers’ Market Week: 2-8  Does your town have a local Farmer’s Market?  Do you buy fresh fruits and vegetables there?  Have you learned to eat something new from the market?
• Weird Contest Week: 10-14 Name a weird contest.  I was in a $1.98 Beauty Pageant once as an adult at a school fundraiser.  Contestants were not supposed to spend over $1.98 on their costumes.  The object wasn’t to be beautiful.  It was to have fun.
• National Aviation Week: 15-21  Orville Wright’s birthday was August 19.  This celebration falls on the week of his birthday.  Do you remember what this famous person did?  Two hints:  he had a brother.  Check the name of the special week for your second clue.

For more August celebrations, check here:  http://www.brownielocks.com/august.html

I hope you’ll leave a comment.  Thanks for stopping in.  Come again soon and bring a friend.  Please remember that children 13 and under need an adult to comment for them. Thank you! 

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January 2013 Activities

“January 2013 Activities” 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 “January” bring to mind?  New Year’s Resolutions, winter wonderlands, snow days with snowmen and snowball fights, icicles, frozen ponds, ice skating, coats, hats, scarves, mittens,and gloves.  Warm fires and hot chocolate.  What else?  Check the lists below and expand your thoughts about January.

Special Days in January:

Copyright Law Day: 1  What are some examples of copyright violation?  Have you ever been unsure whether something was a copyright violation?  What did you do?  How could you check?  Who could you ask? 

Ellis Island Day: 1  Where is Ellis Island?  Why is it famous?  Do you know of ancestors in your family who passed through there?  Do you know why they came to America?  Do you know when?

Global Family Day:  1  A day of peace and sharing.  Families often share food with the needy.  What way can you and your family celebrate with peace and sharing?

New Year’s Day:  1  What traditions does your family observe on January 1–New Year’s Day?  Do you eat certain foods for good luck?  What foods do you eat?  Research New Year’s traditions in other countries.  Is New Year’s on a different day?

National Motivation and Inspiration Day:  2  Does setting goals or celebrating victories motivate you?  What inspires you?  Does someone you know encourage you to keep going?  Do you have a strong personal drive to reach your goals even when nobody is urging you on?  Can motivation and inspiration be the same? Why or why not?

Drinking Straw Day:  3  Have you ever used a silly straw, a flexible straw that bends, a straw from a fast food restaurant?  What color straws have you used?  Have you ever made bubbles with a straw?  Have you ever used one as a pea shooter or to blow food around on your plate?  Time to confess.  Nobody’s perfect.  We’ve all been at least a “little bad” before.  Finish these expressions about “straw.” 1. _______ or final straw  2. Straw that broke the _______’s back.  3. _______or clutch at straws.

National Chocolate Covered Cherry Day:  3  When I was a child, all the grandchildren got a box of chocolate covered cherries and a couple of dollars taped on top as a present from a grandmother.  Have you ever gotten chocolate covered cherries?  Have you ever given them?  As a teacher, I received boxes from students occasionally.  Do you like chocolate covered cherries or are they too sweet for you?  What would you expect this day to be like? 

Tom Thumb Day:  4  What country is this fairy tale from?  How long ago was it written?  What details can you tell about Tom Thumb’s clothing and his size?  Was he popular or unpopular?  Why?  Look for a copy of this story.

World Braille Day:  4  Name places you have seen words in braille.  Do you know anyone who reads braille?  Research and locate at least one school that teaches braille.  Research organizations that help serve the blind.  Name books written about a character who is blind.  Can you name a nursery rhyme with blind characters?

Three Kings Day:  6  What holiday is this associated with?  Why?  What is another name for these kings?  Locate their story.  Where did you find it?

Harlem Globetrotter’s Day:  7  Have you ever been to a Harlem Globetrotter’s basketball game?  If not, I’d recommend it.  Perhaps you’ve watched them on television.  What tricks do you remember?  If you’d like to see some videos of their plays check here:  http://www.harlemglobetrotters.com/   What’s their theme song?

Bubble Bath Day:  8  Have you ever taken a bubble bath?  Draw a cartoon with one bubble talking to another.  What might they say?  Would you be willing to share your conversation below?

Rubber Duckie Day:  13  Do you know the Rubber Duckie song?  Have you ever floated rubber ducks in bath water?  Have you ever played Pick Up Ducks at the fair or carnivals?  Have you ever been to a Rubber Duckie charity race down a river?  How else could you enjoy a rubber duckie?

Dress Up Your Pet Day:  14  Have you ever dressed up a pet?  If so, what type pet and how was it dressed?  How about at Halloween?  See Tracy Campbell’s blog post that’s a tribute for a dragon dog (Halloween) here:  http://tracycampbell.net/blog/?p=2217  Be sure to check out Tracy’s art for sale too. 

Appreciate a Dragon Day:  16  Name a book with a dragon character that you’ve read.  I’d like to recommend Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin.  Tell about a favorite dragon scene. Have you ever tried to draw a dragon?  Look for dragon images or check out drawing books to help, if needed.  What would you take with you if you had to slay a dragon?  Who would win–you or the dragon?  How?

Cable Car Day:  17  Have you ever ridden in a cable car?  Where were you?  What city do you think of when someone mentions cable car?  Do you know any rice advertisements that have included a cable car?  Pinpoint a cable car location on a map or globe.

Kid Inventors’ Day:  17  This date was Benjamin Franklin’s birthday.  He was an inventor, even as a boy.  At 12, he invented swim fins for his hands.  What would you like to invent and why?  Research kid inventors. 

Winnie the Pooh Day:  18  Where is the setting for Winnie the Pooh stories?  Who is the boy who is a friend of Pooh?  How many other characters can you name from the series?  Which is your favorite?  Which one are you most like?  Which one are you least like?  Would your recognize the music for the theme song without the words?  Name an expression Pooh says.

Thesaurus Day:  18  Have you ever used a thesaurus online?  Do you own a hard copy of one?  When might a thesaurus be helpful.  If you have one, turn to an entry and see what it says.  What would you tell others about it?

Popcorn Day:  19  Have you ever seen popcorn grow?  What do you know about it?  Will any kind of corn pop or only certain ones?  Research and share what you learn.  Which do you think is more popular:  popcorn or potato chips?  Research to find out.  Baseball games, Cracker Jacks, and a song have a special connection to popcorn.  Do you know the song?

Inauguration Day:  21  Will you watch the inauguration?  If so, is it a school assignment or something of interest to you? Name a special inauguration event/happening.  How do you think this one will be remembered?

Martin Luther King Day:  21  Will you attend any special festivities for this day?  If so, what kind?  What fiction books have you read about the years of Civil Rights marches?  What nonfiction ones have you read?  I recently read We’ve Got a Job by Cynthia Y. Levinson.  I’d recommend it.

National Pie Day:  23  Can you name a kind of pie for most letters in the alphabet?  Which is your favorite?  Do you want it topped with ice cream, whipped topping, or plain?  Have you ever seen someone get a pie in the face?  Where were you?  Could you tell us about it in the comment section below?

Belly Laugh Day:  24  When have you had a belly laugh?  Who do you think is more likely to bring one on:  a friend, a comedy act, a silly movie, a pie in the face, or a funny face?  Others?  Finish these expressions:  1.  Laughter is the best _______ 2.   Laughed so hard you nearly _______ a gut?  (What does this mean?)  3. Laughed so hard I almost _______my pants. 4.  Laughed until I _______ (tears).

National Compliment Day:  24  What was one of the nicest compliments you ever received?  What was one of the nicest ones you ever gave?  Do you think you give or receive more compliments?  Do you ever pass on compliments you hear others make?  Why or why not? 

A Room of One’s Own Day:  25  Have you ever had a room of your own?  If you could re-decorate with a hefty budget what would you change about your room?  If you must share a room, think of a way to make it more “your own” without taking over.  What would you change?

Holocaust Memorial Day:  27  Name books you have read about the Holocaust.  What other titles would you like to read?  Have you visited a Holocaust memorial?  Is a traveling one coming to your area?  The Anne Frank exhibit will be in my hometown of Fayetteville, North Carolina from March 18-April 21, 2013.  http://www.visitfayettevillenc.com/blog/liberty-point-blog/2012/10/23/fayetteville-is-the-east-coast-destination-for-national-traveling-anne-frank-exhibits/ Other events are coordinated with this special exhibit.  Check and see if your area is holding similar events.

National Puzzle Day:  29  Do you love puzzles?  Which type?  Crossword, word search, jigsaws, others?  How many jigsaw puzzle pieces do you prefer?  Have you ever put a puzzle together online?  Check this out:  http://thejigsawpuzzles.com/Puzzle-of-the-Day/Bern-Switzerland-jigsaw-puzzle

Seeing Eye Dog Day:  29  Do you know anyone with a seeing eye dog?  Do you know anyone who trains service dogs?  Do you know of other services for the blind such as reading to them?  The Lions Club provides services in my hometown.  What about yours?

Inspire Your Heart with Art Day:  31  How could you inspire your heart with art?  Do you visit art museums regularly?  What about exhibits at colleges in your area or local festivals.  Artists have blogs and websites that you might enjoy visiting.  What about receiving a poem a day from a poet?  I subscribe to Joy Acey’s blog post. You might like to also.   See here:  http://poetryforkidsjoy.blogspot.com/  Search for art that inspires your heart.

Special Weeks in January:

New Year’s Resolution Week: 1-4:  Will you make at least one?  I resolve to…

Universal Letter Writing Week:  8-14:  Write a letter.  Will you write a business letter or a friendly letter?  Look for a template.  Maybe you have one on your computer programs or you can Google a sample.

National Vocation Awareness Week: 14-20:  What career would you like to learn more about?  Research it or interview someone who holds that job. 

Hunt for Happiness Week: 20-26:  Finish this expression:  1. _______ (gems) hunt  2. _______(employment) hunt 3.  _______ _______(Spring holiday) hunt (outdoors).  Give examples of how to hunt for happiness.

No Name Calling Week: 21-25:  Why do you think we call others names?  What could we do instead?  Do you have a brother or sister?  How long do you think the two of you could get along?  Would you be willing to test yourself?  What could you do to reward yourself, if you do not call names for a set period of time?

World Leprosy Week: 27-2/2:  Do you know what leprosy is?  Do you know how you get it?  Do you know how to get well?  Name countries where this disease has been found recently.  Name a book which mentions leprosy. 

National Cowboy Poetry Gathering Week:  28-2/2:  If you’d like to read a book of cowboy poetry, I recommend you take a look at this one:  Cowboys by David L. Harrison and illustrated by Dan Barr.  List three cowboy words you would include in a poem of your own.

US National Snow Sculpting Week: 1/30-2/3:  Have you ever made snow sculptures? What shape would you attempt?   See photographs from Colorado here:  http://www.gobreck.com/events/international-snow-sculpture-championships/2012-image-gallery  What other states have snow sculpture competitions?  What other countries?

January is…

• Be Kind to Food Servers Month.  Consider making cards for school cafeteria workers.  Make a card for a favorite waitress or waiter. 
• Book Blitz Month.  How many books can you read this month for pleasure?  Consider reading the same title as a good friend and discuss it afterwards. 
• Get Organized Month.  Name one organizing goal you can set for yourself or one project you can accomplish this month.
• International Brain Teaser Month.  What do you think of when you hear brain teaser?  Check out this link at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences:  http://kids.niehs.nih.gov/games/riddles/index.htm
• National Child-Centered Divorce Awareness Month.  Do you have a friend whose parents are going through a divorce?  Are your parents?  What can you do for someone who is sad about a divorce in their family?  Have you ever read tips in a health book? Ask a librarian for suggested books on this topic. 
• National Clean Up Your Computer Month.  Do you know how to defrag your computer?  Ask a parent or teacher to show you how.  Do you know how to create folders?  Do you know how to empty your trash bin?  What other ways can you clean up your computer? 
• National Hot Tea Month.  What country to do think of when hot tea is mentioned?  Do you know any hot tea etiquette from Victorian Days?  Here is a site that discusses Victorian rules of etiquette for different occasions.  http://www.logicmgmt.com/1876/etiquette/atteas.htm
• National Mentoring Month.  What is a mentor?  Have you ever had someone mentor you?  What mentoring experiences have you had?
• National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month.  Does this exist today?  Discuss this topic with an adult.  Ask for safety tips you should know.
• National Poverty in America Awareness Month.  What examples of poverty in America have you seen?  In what ways can you help those in poverty or those who are homeless?  In what ways do you help?
• National Skating Month.  What kinds of skating can you name?  What kinds have you tried?  Consider a different type this month.
• National Soup Month.  Brainstorm different types of soup.  How many letters of the alphabet did you name?  Have you ever eaten alphabet soup.  What words did you spell in your bowl?
• Self-Love Month.  What ways can you show self-love?  Define narcissist.  What is the difference in these two?
• Shape Up US Month.  What do you think this month is about?  Is it about about getting physically fit or taking care of things that need to be done?  Could it be both? 

*Thank you Brownie Locks.com for January celebration information.  For more January observances check out:  http://www.brownielocks.com/january.htm

Let’s talk:  Choose one or more of the conversation starters above and leave a comment. 

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

Coming soon:  A guest blog by Joyce Hostetter, children’s book author.

Copyright © 2013 Linda Martin Andersen