July Holidays to Celebrate

Sunshine, fireworks, and backyard BBQs aren’t the only things heating up July—this month is also packed with some of the quirkiest and fun “National Days” you’ve probably never heard of. From honoring the humble hot dog to celebrating the joy of mechanical pencils, July’s offbeat holidays are are sure to bring summer fun and smiles!

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Below you’ll find a bunch of fun ideas to go along with the quirky July holidays to celebrate—perfect for sprinkling a little extra joy into your summer! Pick a few favorites or choose one each week to add to your activity calendar or jar (if you keep one). Be sure to download the free planning page for July halfway down my homepage! Cue the confetti, let’s go!

July Holidays – Week 1

• 7/1 National U.S. Postage Stamp Day – Stuff like this makes for fun table conversation with your kids – Do you know what the most famous postage stamp in American history is? Visit this website for the answer!
• 7/1 National Creative Ice Cream Flavors Day – What’s the most creative Ice cream flavor you’ve ever had? I visited an ice cream shop in Mt. Airy, NC recently, and they had Moonshine Ice Cream! I chose something else, but that’s possibly the oddest flavor I’ve ever seen.
• 7/2 Made in America Day – Support American-made products and the individuals who create them – today and every day! Here’s a great website to help you find your favorite products!
• 7/3 International Drop a Rock Day – For the last seven years, thousands of people around the world go on a rock hunt while thousands more make what is being searched for. Both makers and searchers have one thing in common — they have fun and share kindness. Check out Rock Painting 101 for ideas and tips!
• 7/4 Independence Day – Download this free activity pack from Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers. It’s terrific for children and teens as part of your 4th of July unit study!
• 7/4 Sidewalk Egg Frying Day – Sidewalks aren’t really the best frying pans. However, people in Oatman, Arizona, have a solar egg frying contest every 4^th of July. Check out this interesting article if you’ve ever said, “it’s hot enough to fry an egg”.
• 7/5 Mechanical Pencil Day – Did you know the mechanical pencil was patented in 1822? Check out the history of the mechanical pencil that actually begins before that! Have you got a favorite? These are mine!

July Holidays – Week 2

• 7/7 World Chocolate Day – Now this is a day worth celebrating every day! Learn more about one of life’s best indulgences here.
• 7/8 National Freezer Pop Day – Have you ever tried to make them yourself? Homemade looks pretty easy and much healthier than the traditional mesh bag of artificial color that I grew up on. Plus, homemade Popsicles are a fun kitchen activity to do with your kids!
• 7/10 Blueberry Picking Day – I don’t have to go far to pick blueberries. I have a huge bush outside my kitchen window that supplies us with plenty! Before our blueberry bush, local blueberry picking was always a favorite activity when the kids were little!

July Holidays – Week 3

• 7/14 Shark Awareness Day – This would be the perfect day to take a trip to the nearest aquarium to see sharks up close. They are truly amazing, and crucial for maintaining marine ecosystems.
• 7/15 World Youth Skills Day – Even as a homeschooling mom, “adulting” skills sometimes fell through the cracks when competing with academics and other extracurriculars. Take the time to teach them things before they are on their own. You can use a book, or come up with your own list!
• 7/16 National Hot Dog Day – Learn a little history while piling on those toppings! I’m more of a plain Jane when it comes to condiments, but I got a little adventurous once in Chicago, and fell in love with the Chicago Dog (hold the tomato)!
• 7/16 World Snake Day – Our Journey Westward has a super snake unit and podcast! Check it out here!
• 7/17 World Emoji Day – Emojis have definitely changed how we communicate! Check out this video for a brief history and explanation – and find out why the calendar emoji is what it is!
• 7/19 National Words with Friends Day – This is one of my favorite new pastimes! Do you play? I’ve learned new words, strategy, and how to lose – but I’m getting better!
• 7/19 Stick Out Your Tongue Day – In most countries sticking out your tongue would be considered a bit rude, but in Tibet it’s a way of greeting! What other odd customs can you find in other countries? The homeschool teacher in me wants to create a mini unit study on this!

July Holidays – Week 4

• 7/20 National Moon Day – Ohhh, here’s an idea – get a box of Moon Pies, grab a free lesson for your elementary kiddos from Journey Homeschool Academy, and practice all that they learned with their very own Moon In My Room! (We had one of these, and it’s so cool!)
• 7/20 National Ice Cream Day – Two ice cream related days in one month? That’s fine with me. Have you ever tried the ice cream in a bag experiment? Home Science Tools has a recipe, as well as the science behind it!
• 7/22 World Brain Day – I complete a brain workout every day with an app called Elevate. You teens will likely love it too!
• 7/22 National Rat Catcher’s Day -I included this one because of the interesting story behind it. Gather around and read the Pied Piper of Hamelin today!
• 7/25 Carousel Day – Did you know that carousels were highly recommended by early nineteenth century American physicians as an aid in circulating the blood? Read dozens of fun facts and history about the carousel here.
• 7/26 National Day of the Cowboy – celebrate the fabled men and women who helped to tame America’s Wild West by attending a rodeo, or learning more about cowboy culture. The Westward Expansion looks to be a fantastic unit study, and the projects are amazing!

July Holidays – Week 5

• 7/27 Sleepy Head Day – This quirky Finnish tradition began in the medieval period to wash off the evil of laziness. Check out even more history here!
• 7/29 International Tiger Day – Make a Henri Rousseau tiger collage!
• 7/30 Paperback Book Day – Penguin paperbacks were published in England back in 1935 on this date, and the best way to celebrate is to curl up with your favorite paperback book in the shade!
• 7/31 National Mutt Day – I’ve got the best mutt ever! Her name is Sunny, and she is absolute sunshine! When we first got her, I got a DNA testing kit, and found that she was part Golden Retriever, Chow, Collie, Beagle, and Great Pyrenees!

July Birthdays

Birthdays are special and worth celebrating, even when it’s for someone who lived long ago. This month, we’ve got such a variety – from the the inventor of the Rubik’s Cube to the writer of Harry Potter! Maybe you’ll curl up with Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea for a quick summer read, or introduce your kids to Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White for the first time. Summer is a fantastic time to take lots of photos thanks to George Eastman, the inventor of the Kodak camera. I love the Who Was series, and the Lives Of series to learn more about a notable person from the past, and of course the local library!