September brings the beginning of a new school year, new friends and new routines. Read on to find out more about this month of special days and fun activities for families to do together. There are links to crafts and recipes you can create with your children during September to bring out the inner chef, adventurer, and artist in your child.
9/2 Observed on the first Monday in September, Labor Day is a Federal Holiday in the U.S. celebrating the achievements of the American Workers. Celebrate Labor Day while educating your children about the contributions of workers all over the country. Create these “Thank You” cards and deliver them to local facilities.
9/5 While the origins of National Cheese Pizza Day unclear, this simple food is easy to make with very few ingredients! An easy day to celebrate, all you do is indulge with your favorite cheese pizza. Love cheese pizza? Ever make it at home? This easy recipes calls for English muffins, sauce, and cheese! Your child(ren) can make it and you can bake it! njfamily best pizza
9/6 National Read a Book Day calls all book lovers to indulge in their favorite hobby, guilt-free. Why should we engage with reading a book? It will bring new worlds to life; books enlighten us and transport us on exciting adventures. https://www.nationaldaystoday.com/national-read-a-book-day/
9/7 National Play Outside Day– What are the 8 benefits to playing outside: Playing outdoors is a freeing activity. It frees us from routines, enclosed spaces, and frames of mind. The outdoors fills us with energy. Whether it’s the fresh air, sunshine, or physical activity, we perk up and become motivated to accomplish things. It clears the cobwebs from our brains. We sometimes get stuck on a topic, project, or issue and are unable to resolve it. A change of scene often brings clarity we didn’t have before. Outdoor play provides terrific physical activity for our bodies. Our hearts pump fresh oxygen to our limbs and brains. We experience new sights and sounds. Children get to experience the world around them. As a social activity, playing outside encourages positive interactions. When you play outside every month, it becomes habit-forming – and this is one good habit to have! It stimulates the imagination. Outdoor play almost has no boundaries. Your yard can be a kingdom, or the playground can be a mountain to scale.
9/9 National Teddy Bear Day! U.S. Teddy Bear Day is celebrated on September 9 annually, a day set aside for everyone to bring out all their teddy bears to thank them for their companionship, the wonderful moments we’ve had with them, and all the days and nights they’ve comforted us. Teddy bear gets its name from former U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt, who was affectionately known as “Teddy” (though he loathed being referred to as such). The name was inspired by an incident that occurred during a bear hunting expedition in Mississippi in November 1902. Here are some fun Teddy Bear Facts! Here are a few Teddy Bear Activities!
9/8 Grandparents Day, “It’s a day when we stop to honor grandparents and grand friends for their contributions to our families, neighborhoods and communities.” On the first Sunday after Labor Day, we celebrate National Grandparents Day. Grandparents and children have a special connection that is proven to both make grandparents live longer and make children more emotionally resilient. Grandparents Day is an opportunity to treasure that connection and spend some quality family time together. Here are a few fun Grandparent Day Projects for you to have fun with along with Pinterest Grandparents Day!
9/12 Milk Shake Day – The milkshake has been around since the late 19th century and was originally made as an alcoholic beverage! Today’s modern milkshake is a sweet, non-alcoholic beverage made with milk and ice cream. Today, on Chocolate Milkshake Day, make your milkshake chocolate, it’s easy to do! In the lazy hazy days of summer, there is nothing better in my opinion then a good old-fashioned chocolate milkshake, especially on chocolate milkshake day!
9/16 Play-Doh was originally manufactured as a wallpaper cleaner in the 1930’s. The product was reworked in the 1950’s as a product for children when a classroom began using the cleaner as a modelling compound! In 2003, Play-Doh was placed on the Toy Associations “Century of Toys” list. Here are several homemade playdough recipes to make your own Playdough. National Play Doh Day kids activities blog play-dough
9/16 National Cleanup Day is held in conjunction with World Cleanup Day. Let’s work together keeping the earth clean and have some fun getting rid of litter in the parks and streets. You can have fun and clean up litter at the same time! What would happen if everyone picked up one piece of litter on National Cleanup Day? Here are several fun facts about National Cleanup Day!
9/17 National Apple Dumpling Day-With fall fast approaching, this food holiday comes at the height of apple harvests. Apple dumplings are an easy dessert to make. Simply peel and core apples, season them with cinnamon and sugar and wrap them up in a prepared pastry dough. Then bake the apple until tender. The flavor is like an apple pie. Check out this amazing old fashioned apple dumpling recipe!
9/18 Air Force’s Birthday – Once part of the U.S. Army, the Air Force was created as a separate entity in 1947. The U.S. Army Air Force was heavily used in WWII and because of its success, the creation of the Department of Defense and separate Air Force was created. Let’s celebrate the Air Force’s birthday today! Come celebrate with us! The National Museum will have events throughout the weekend that include open aircrafts, family-centered activities, special Veteran speakers and more.
9/23 National Pot Pie Day-If you’re craving comfort food, warm homemade chicken pot pie always hits the spot. Warm up the home with a toasty meal of pot pies. Enjoy some creamy gravy, vegetables and tender chicken with this yummy double crust chicken pot pie recipe.
9/24 It’s National Cherries Jubilee! beloved dessert with little known heritage, Auguste Escoffier is credited with the invention of Cherries Jubilee. Based on her love of cherries, it’s said that Escoffier created this sweet and sour treat as a tribute to Queen Victoria for her Diamond Jubilee celebration in 1897. Cherries Jubilee is a dessert whose sauce is made of cherries, a warmed liquor and is served over vanilla ice cream then you flambé it (set it on fire!) Have you ever had a cherries jubilee? Cherries Jubilee is delicious and easy to make, but the whole flambé thing makes it a little dangerous and scary for some kids, but this Cherries Jubilee cookie recipe looks scrumptious! (If you make them, feel free to share!)
9/25 National Family Day-puts the spotlight on the people that make our lives meaningful. Families come in many forms and sizes and under different circumstances, but what they all share is unconditional love and support for those growing on the same family tree. From nuclear family units to extended clans, families can drive us crazy and make life worth living. Take some time today to appreciate the special folks in your life — give them a call, take them out to lunch, or send them a note to let them know you’re thinking of them!
9/25 National Quesadilla Day-encourages us to pull a chair up to the table and eat some authentic Mexican food. While it’s not a sandwich or a taco, the quesadilla satisfies snack cravings while also completing a meal. Just gather up your favorite ingredients for a quesadilla night. Be sure to include the most essential ingredient – family. What is a quesadilla? A quesadilla is Mexican dish that consists of a heated, filled, and folded tortilla. Quesadillas originated in central and southern Mexico, and they were first made with corn tortillas and filled with Oaxaca cheese. (The name quesadilla is a combination of tortilla and queso, which means cheese in Spanish). Over the years, other fillings, such as cooked meats and vegetables, found their way into quesadillas. And in Northern Mexico and the US, flour tortillas become the quesadilla standard. Check out some basic recipe! Check out some easy chicken quesadilla recipe.
9/27 Branchburg Annual County Fair-Over 26 Years as Branchburg’s Largest Annual Community Event! Since 1997, The Branchburg Country Fair has been annually bringing families from Branchburg & its surrounds to Branchburg, NJ’s White Oak Park. This daylong “hometown” fair is packed with fun-filled activities for all ages. Games, activities, food, crafters, entertainment, fireworks and more! People look forward to gathering with their families, friends & neighbors. It’s a day where cherished memories are made.
9/29 The VFW was established on September 29, 1899, by veterans of the Spanish-American war. This group of combat veterans promote patriotism, goodwill, youth scholarships, provide military assistance and volunteer in local communities. Let’s celebrate them today on VFW Day!
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!
https://www.kangarookidschildcare.com/
For additional things to do within Somerset County, check out the Somerset County tourism page weekly! https://visitsomersetnj.org/
