August means school days and family fun Freshly sharpened pencils, pointy-tipped crayons and yellow busses on the move point to the beginning of a new season for most of us, but don’t give up on summer just yet.
According to the calendar, summer hangs around for another bunch of weeks.
And down here in the south, the thermometer boasts of summer for sure, attempting to reach triple digits in the feels-like range more often than we’d like to see. Nevertheless, keep enjoying summer activities with the ones you love this August and make fun, family memories. Incorporate some of the wacky, zany holidays below to add zest and adventure to the remaining days of summer.
American Adventures Month – Take part in at least one more great American adventure before summer ends. In honor of our family’s recent vacation to Yellowstone National Park, enjoy some of these books about America’s great national parks. Some of these might even encourage you to start planning a trip to a national park for next summer’s vacation. Look for some of these books in the library and enjoy: National Parks of the USA by Kate Siber; USA National Parks: Lands of Wonder by DK Travel; The Art of the National Parks by Weldon Owen; A Weird and Wild Beauty: The Story of Yellowstone, the World’s First National Park by Erin Peabody; Where is Yellowstone by Sarah Fabiny and Discover Great National Parks series by Claire O’Neal.
Fishing Month – This celebration seems selfexplanatory, but just in case you’re wondering, make sure to plan a fishing trip with the family sometime this month. Take a picnic lunch and plenty of bait – artificial or natural – and see who can catch the most fish.
National Crayon Collection Month – Purchase a new package of crayons, an extra-large one, in preparation for a new school year. (You may want to purchase an extra box to donate to your child’s new teacher this year, just in case someone in the classroom couldn’t afford to purchase new crayons.) To celebrate the holiday and a fresh pack of crayons, join together as a family to make an abstract work of art. Stretch out a long strip of freezer paper. Use a black crayon to scribble a large design on the paper that looks like a tangled blob of string. Leave the spaces big enough to color inside. Then let each person use the new crayons to fill in all of the spaces in the scribble pattern. Be sure to read the names of each shade before coloring and share the color names with family members.
National Sandwich Month – Work together in the kitchen to make this recipe of homemade pimento and cheese. After creating the yummy recipe, make enough sandwiches for the entire family using fresh bread, toasted bread, bagels, or croissant rolls.
Go for a picnic at a local park, in the backyard or on the front porch. Talk about the upcoming school year and make wishes and plans for a great new year ahead.
Here’s the recipe: Using a mixer, combine six ounces of softened cream cheese, two cups each of grated sharp cheddar cheese and grated Monterey jack cheese, one cup of mayonnaise, one teaspoon garlic powder, one tablespoon Ranch powder and six tablespoons of drained, chopped pimentos. Mix until creamy; store in refrigerator.
National Farmers’ Market Week – Visit the Farmer’s Market together as a family. Purchase some fresh produce or fruit, homemade jams or jellies, or another yummy goodie.
Select enough for your family to enjoy and buy enough to surprise a neighbor or friend with a treat from the Farmer’s Market, too.
Make cool memories on the remaining warm – or hot – summer days and enjoy all of August with the ones you love. Continue making summer memories, even though school bells chime throughout the week. Enjoy the outdoors, take in a few more water activities and plan weekend getaways to enjoy as a family. And for all the homeschooling families and outside- the-home school families, have a blessed and wonderful school year.
Happy August.
Statesboro native Julie Lavender is the author of books for children and adults and enjoys making summer memories with her husband, kids, and grandkids.