August brings the last lazy days of summer and summer family fun. Read on to find out more about this month of special days and fun activities for families to do together. There are inks to crafts and recipes you can create with your children during August to bring out the inner chef, adventurer, and artist in your child.
8/2 It’s obvious what you do on National Coloring Book Day, but did you know that when you spend time coloring, you start to relax, it reduces stress and you feel a sense of achievement! So, today, National Coloring Book Day, throw a coloring party! Get some inexpensive coloring books and crayons, invite some friends over and color your stress away! To help reduce stress levels and to share some quiet time with your child(ren) break out the coloring books and crayons for National Coloring Book Day! There are some great free coloring pages on this website: https://www.crayola.com/featured/free-coloring-pages/ and https://mondaymandala.com/coloring-pages/
8/3 According to the Watermelon Board, watermelon is considered both a fruit and a vegetable. Like fruit, watermelon has seeds & juicy sweet flesh. A watermelon is also considered a gourd related to cucumbers and pumpkins and it is cleared from the field like a vegetable crop! So, eat your fruits and vegetables on National Watermelon Day!
8/4 Today we celebrate National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day! We have Ruth Graves Wakefield to thank for chocolate chips, we can also celebrate her on Chocolate Chip Cookie Day, because without her adding chocolate chunks to sugar cookie dough, who knows when the decadent simple treat would’ve been created!! Do you have a favorite family chocolate chip cookie recipe I know in my family, I have several recipes based on each of our family members cookie preferences? Some people like them crispy and crunchy and others like them soft and gooey. Do you make yours with butter, Crisco, or a combination of both? Whatever your preference, why not bake up a double batch, one for your family and one for your child’s class?
8/6 National Night Out is an evening in the United States and Canada where Civilians, organizations, and the Metropolitan Police Department join hands to enhance the relationship between neighborhoods and communities. They look at this as a wonderful way to bring everyone together for a positive cause.
Join your local police department in building police-community partnerships and help make your neighborhood safer, by attending a local National Night Out initiative. Neighborhoods host block parties, parades and other community events helping to bring the police and public together under positive circumstances.Come join in the fun with Somerville National Night Out and Bridgewater National Night Out!
8/6 American Family Day: the day encourages families to spend time with one another. Unlike some other familial holidays, the proclamation of the day discourages gift giving. Instead, the observance urges focusing on family relationships. Play games outdoors or go for a walk, pick up some fresh fruit together, visit grandparents and bring them a picnic lunch, take an art class together, tour a museum, try out a new recipe and get the whole family involved in the cooking.
8/7-8/9 8/9 Somerset County 4-H Fair: This year’s Somerset County 4-H Fair will be held August 7-8-9, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. at North Branch Park in Bridgewater. Parking and admission are free. Hosted by the Somerset County 4-H Association, the Fair is the highlight of the year for hundreds of 4-H club members. The 4-H Fair provides them with an opportunity to showcase the skills that they have acquired while in 4-H through a variety of exhibits, demonstrations and competitions. Since 1948, visiting the 4-H Fair for Free Family Fun has been a summertime tradition for generations of families in central New Jersey.
8/9 National Book Lovers Day! Each day for individuals who like to read, Book Lovers Day encourages you to relax and relax by having an enjoyable book. From shaded spots under arching trees to being hidden up warm in mattress, there is no better method to celebrate Book Lovers Day than the hours lost inside a book. Whether you stay in bed, hit the beach, or find the perfect spot under the shade of a tree, kick back and relax with your favorite book. You can enjoy…national book lovers’ day.
8/10 National S’mores Day! Summertime is finally here and with it comes camping and gathering around the firepit in the great outdoors. Originating right here in the U.S.A., the s’more has us salivating in anticipation of smashing those tasty, toasted marshmallows with a slab of chocolate between two graham crackers. Check out the History of National S’mores Day ! Check out several delicious smores recipes.
8/13 The Atlantic City Airshow is coming back to AC at 11:00 am! Bring the kids to watch some high-flying stunts while enjoying the scenery of the beach and ocean as military and civilian pilots conduct flying demonstrations high above the Atlantic Ocean. Be sure to bring binoculars to capture the action. Beach chairs and umbrellas are also welcome.
8/13-15-Kangaroo Kids Meet the Teacher for the next school year 2023-2024 at 5:30-6:00 pm. This is an opportunity to Meet Your Child’s teacher for the 2024-2025 School Year! You can also tour their room. Parents are welcome to visit or arrange an individual time to meet the teachers and tour the classroom if you are not available on the scheduled dates. 8/13-Kindergarten, 8/14-PreK and 8/15-Waddlers.
8/15 We have C. Goodfellow to thank for National Lemon Meringue Day! She founded the dessert; her own cooking school and is the inventor of lemon custard! Served as a dessert, the lemon meringue pie is a baked pie made with a shortbread pastry, with a lemon curd filling and a fluffy meringue topping. Have you ever made your own lemon meringue pie? It’s not hard to do but does take a little time. You can use a short cut and buy a pre-made frozen pie shell to cut down the time! 😉
8/16 On National Airborne Day, we honor the U.S. Airborne Forces and the first parachute jump on August 16, 1940. During WWII, the U.S. Army conducted the first parachute jump during combat! President George Bush created National Airborne Day in 2001.
8/18 National Fajita Day-It’s a day to celebrate the authentic taste of the Southwest with the fiesta of flavor known as the fajita. Throw in some awesome black beans or even add a little hot sauce, guacamole, sour cream, or cheese. Enjoy some delicious fajitas with the family.
8/19 August Moon Festival-The August Moon is the brightest moon of the year, so much so that it almost rivals the sun, almost though.
8/21 Started in 2009 by a group of beekeepers, World Honeybee Day honors honeybees and beekeepers. The concept behind this day is to bring together beekeepers & bee associations to connect with communities to advance beekeeping. While honeybees can be intimidating, they create something very tasty for us to eat and cook with! Honey! Create this simple thumbprint craft with your little one(s)
8/21 To honor our population over the age of 60, President Ronald Reagan issued a Proclamation creating National Senior Citizen Day! To quote his Proclamation, “For all they have achieved throughout life and for all they continue to accomplish, we owe older citizens our thanks and a heartfelt salute. We can best demonstrate our gratitude and esteem by making sure that our communities are good places in which to mature and grow older.” On National Senior Citizen Day, we should spend time to appreciate those grandparents and older adults in our lives for all they have done for us and society. On National Senior Citizens Day take some time to let the older adults in your life know that you appreciate them. Perhaps take some time to make these colorful placemats for your local senior center to use!
8/24 In honor of the anniversary of the waffle iron, National Waffle Day is observed on August 24th. Waffles are created by heating waffles between two iron plates which give the waffle it’s unique characteristics. Belgian waffles originated in the U.S. at the New York World’s Fair in 1964. Do you prefer your waffles as breakfast food or a dessert? How do you like your waffles. I love homemade buttermilk waffles while my younger children love the frozen boxed variety! I prefer them as breakfast food while my husband prefers them as dessert with ice cream! If you have never tried to make waffles before, it’s super simple, the hardest thing about making a waffle is waiting for the timer to go off on the waffle iron or the toaster!
8/25 National Banana Split Day-National Banana Split Day recognizes the sweet ice cream treat served with a banana, whipped cream, and various toppings. To make a banana split, cut the banana lengthwise and place it in the dish. Then add scoops of vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry ice cream between the slices of banana. Each scoop gets a topping; add crushed pineapple to the strawberry, drizzle chocolate syrup over the vanilla, and add strawberry topping to the chocolate. Finally, garnish with whipped cream and maraschino cherries.
8/31 Today, National Trail Mix Day, honors this healthy snack. Traditionally, trail mix consists of granola, nuts & dried fruit. Many hikers take it with them as an easy, lightweight, nutritious, and portable snack. Whether you make your own or buy it pre-made, it is a great meal on the go! Need a quick healthy snack recipe that your kids can make by themselves for themselves and the family? Reach for trail mix ingredients you likely have in your pantry already. Put out bowls of different nuts, small crackers, cereal, pretzels, dried fruits, and small chocolates for your child to make a trail mix that they like! They will feel proud they were able to make a recipe without help!
Here are great websites that detail fun & often free things to do in New Jersey every month! Call ahead and make sure the activities are happening before you head out for your day!
