The end of September ushers in a new season to celebrate with the family. Make sure to notice the changes in the season (even if the thermometer numbers remain the same!) and plan to enjoy lots of fall activities with the family as summer days begin to slip away. Create some unique family celebrations to enjoy this month and include the wild and crazy celebrations below, too. Make incredible memories with those you love to treasure for a lifetime!
➤ National Indoor Plant Week — Have fun with this cactus craft to make a table decoration that will help celebrate the week. Trace around a small saucer onto green construction paper. Make six circular shapes for each cactus. Cut out the circles and draw four or five vertical lines on each circle. Fold each circle in half to make a crease, then unfold. To complete the three-dimensional cactus plant, glue the six circles together in a fan-like shape. Apply glue to the back right half of one circle; attach the back left half of another circle. Attach another circle next, continuing until all six circles are joined, forming a circular, fan shape. Cut out a star shape from bright pink construction paper. Carefully glue the star-shaped flower on top of the cactus plant. Embellish the center of the star with a yellow craft pom-pom. Add the cactus plant to the table as a centerpiece, and don’t forget to water the live, indoor plants in the house this week!
➤ National Truck Driver Appreciation Month — Be thankful for the hard-working truck drivers who deliver, in some fashion, practically everything we see or eat or use on a daily basis. Play a game each time you’re in the car this month, looking for 18-wheelers and other delivery trucks. When someone spots a truck on the road, that person has to imagine and share what the trucker is delivering. For example, someone might say, “The truck driver is delivering pineapples to porcupines in Pennsylvania.” The sillier the delivery, the better! Get creative and have fun!
➤ Farm Animal Awareness Week — If possible, visit a farm sometime this month and take in the sights and sounds (and smells) of the farm animals. Stop by the library or book store after leaving the farm and take home some great farm animal books to read together. Look for some of these books: "Click, Clack, Moo: Cows that Type" by Doreen Cronin; "A Birthday for Cow" by Jan Thomas; "Cows in the Kitchen" by June Crebbin; "No Moon, No Milk" by Christ Babcock; "The Story of Ferdinand" by Munro Leaf; "The Little Red Hen" by Paul Galdone; "Daisy Comes Home" by Jan Brett; "Where, Oh Where, is Rosie’s Chick" by Pat Hutchins; "Robert the Rose Horse" by Joan Heilbroner; "Horses" by Gail Gibbons; "G is for Goat" by Patricia Polacco; "Once Upon a Goat" by Dan Richards and Eric Barclay; "The Three Billy Goats Gruff" by Jerry Pinkney; "Sheep Go To Sleep" by Nancy Shaw; and other fun farm animal books.
➤ National Food Bank Day — This one is pretty easy to figure out how to celebrate! As a family, head to the grocery store and shop for canned fruits and vegetables and staple items like rice and grits and instant potatoes. Collect and pay for as many goodies as your family can afford to share with others in need, and then deliver the items to the local food bank.
When you gather for a family meal this month, be sure to pray for those with food challenges and ask God to show you other ways to help those in the community who are struggling to make ends meet.
➤ Grandma Moses Day — Google “Grandma Moses” and you’ll find info about Anna Mary Robertson Moses who started a memorable career as an American folk artist at the age of 78. It’s never too late to start a new hobby or achieve a lifelong dream! Pick a night this month to have a family painting party. Lay out large sheets of white construction paper and a selection of paints. Get creative with utensils and offer paint brushes, new toothbrushes, foam shapes for printing, green leaves, sponges, and any other creative means you can think of.
Once all the paintings are dry, hang them clothesline-style in the den or family room and have a family art show.
Find lots of ways to enjoy a new season with those you love. Create and collect memories this month to make it a super-September with the family.
Statesboro native Julie Lavender, author of "365 Ways to Love Your Child: Turning Little Moments into Lasting Memories," loves making memories with her hubby, four now-adult kiddos and one sweet grandchild.