Hi there, parents! I hope all of your little ones are loving life at their daycare, preschool, or kindergarten. Let’s all take a collective deep breath of appreciation that the heat is almost out of here and we can finally get started on those oh so fun fall activities! Autumn is a wonderful time to take advantage of the mild weather and gorgeous changes in natural scenery. Here are a couple of fun September days to get our kiddos involved with extra special activities.
Gather Your Teddies
Did you know that Sept. 9th is National Teddy Bear Day? I didn’t either. But, now we all do! What do we do with this information? Whatever your heart desires! But if you are having trouble thinking of something, here are a few suggestions.
The most popular way to celebrate National Teddy Bear Day probably is to have a teddy bear picnic. I LOVE this idea. I always get my son’s stuffies out, each wearing their own special birthday party hat for when he wakes up on his birthday.
We know the benefits of pretend play in young kiddos for their creativity and imagination. This is a way to encourage it even more.
You can plan this activity for a backyard, courtyard or public park. You could make it something special for you and your kiddo or kiddos. Or you could make it an event for those in your family or community! The options are limitless.
Get those picnic blankets out and whatever picnic snacks your little one is loving right now. You can make it as simple as one teddy, all the teddies or even all the stuffies.
You could also take this idea and tweak it, depending on what your kiddo loves right now. For example, do you have a little one who’s loving a tea party currently? Go with that, but make it extra big and fun. Even pull out the costumes, if you feel so inclined.
Another idea that I might be going with is a teddy bear Monster Truck Rally. My son received a kinetic sand monster truck arena toy for this most recent birthday. Can you imagine getting all his stuffies arranged around the arena to celebrate National Teddy Bear Day?
Ahoy, Mateys!
Next up on the list of fun September days you might never have heard of: Talk Like a Pirate Day on Sept. 19. I am incredibly excited to start planning what could become a tradition in the coming years.
No joke, my mother-in-law called me last night on her way to drop off my kiddo at home. She asked me to hide individual M&M’s around his room because he has a pirate map and is determined to find treasure. Of course, I jumped up, grabbed the M&M’s, and got to work. So, Talk Like A Pirate Day is right up my little gremlin’s alley, and I must go all out.
You can take this activity as far as you would like. You can get some bandanas and eye patches out, and have fun talking like Jack Sparrow. You also can create a scavenger hunt, if you feel so inclined.
Depending on the weather, you could use chocolate gold coins. Or just grab your change jar. You can hide the treasure outside or inside your home. You can create a special pirate treasure map or hide clues along with the treasure for a scavenger hunt.
What do pirates eat? I’m not sure, but try for a pirate themed lunch! Try rolling up some newspaper to make a telescope. The options are truly endless.
Simple Fun
I hope these two fun September days provide some extra fun for you and your kiddos without adding to your already full parent plate. Remember, it doesn’t have to be a huge extravaganza either. Kiddos get excited about a sticker at the bank. Anything you do to make an ordinary day just a little bit special, will be a hit.
Sophie Hamel is a freelance writer and works as a crisis responder. Her son is a three-year-old preschooler.
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