October 21: Count Your Buttons Day

image from theguardian.com

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Button Mosaic

Materials:

• blocks of scrap wood
• lots of buttons
• plaster of Paris
• paint

Directions:

1. Children should draw a rough draft on paper of how they want their mosaic to look since the plaster of Paris dries quickly.
2. Prepare the plaster of Paris according to directions on the box.
3. Cover a wood scrap with plaster.
4. Make rough textures, curves, and bends in the plaster.
5. Place buttons where desired.
6. Let stand a few minutes.
7. Paint.

Source(s): Toolbox Training’s construction card set (activity F3). Also consider activity H1 from Toolbox Training’s book 100 Game Activities for Kids.

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Check out the full October calendar. It includes floating holidays, specialty weeks, and specialty months.

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October 20: Fruit Day

image from wakpaper.com

In honor of fruit day, the kids can make this easy no-bake fruit pizza!

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Fruit and Gelatin Pizza

Materials:

• Gelatin, any flavor - enough to cover 16 serving sizes
• Water
• Bowl
• Spoon
• Pizza pan
• Non-stick cooking spray
• Assorted fruits (strawberries, apples, bananas, oranges, pineapple, cantaloupe, watermelon, kiwi fruit)
• Knife
• Whipped topping

Directions:

1. Boil 2 ½ cups water in microwave; add to gelatin and stir until gelatin is completely dissolved - about 2 minutes.
2. Spray pizza pan with non-stick cooking spray.
3. Put pan in fridge to chill until firm - about 3 hours.
4. Remove pan from fridge when ready to serve.
5. Fill sink with about 1 inch warm water; carefully dip just the bottom of the pan into water for about 15 seconds.
6. Spread whipped topping over gelatin just before serving, leaving about an inch all around for the “crust.”
7. Top with cut-up fruit.

Source(s): Adapted from familycorner.com and featured in Toolbox Training’s book 100 Cooking Activities for Kids (activity D7). Also check out activities D1, D7, D8, E7, and I7.

Also check out activity G4 in 100 Art Activities for Kids and activity E7 in 100 Game Activities for Kids.

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Check out the full October calendar. It includes floating holidays, specialty weeks, and specialty months.

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October 19: Pasta Month

image from tlc.howstuffworks.com

In honor of pasta, kids can make their own macaroni jewelry.

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Macaroni Jewelry

Materials:

• macaroni
• cups
• water
• food coloring
• paper towels
• thread
• needle
• yarn

Directions:

1. Mix water and food coloring to create various colors.
2. Soak macaroni in colored water.
3. Let dry on paper towels.
4. Thread yarn through pieces of macaroni to make jewelry.

Source(s): This activity (J3) is from Toolbox Training’s book 100 Art Activities for Kids.

Also check out the construction card set (activity L1) and 100 Cooking Activities for Kids (activity J5).

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Check out the full October calendar. It includes floating holidays, specialty weeks, and specialty months.

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October Holidays and Activities

Listed below are interesting holidays, celebrations, important dates, and events for October. Icons indicate an activity from one of Toolbox Training’s 100 Activities series of books or activity card sets. Hover over the icon for specific references to exact activities. You can also click on links for additional information on dates. Many of these connect directly to activities on the Toolbox Training blog, but some are off-site links.

1	World Vegetarian Day Homemade Cookies Day Day for the Elderly (International) World Habitat Day
2	Custodial Worker Day Name Your Car Day Peanuts comic strip first published (1950) World Farm Animals Day Spiritual leader Mahatma Gandhi’s Birthday (1869)
3	First airing of children’s TV show Captain Kangaroo (1955)
4	First space vehicle launched (1957) Toot Your Flute Day
5	Do Something Nice Day Story Telling Day World Teacher's Day
6	German American Day Thomas Edison shows first motion picture (1889) Photocopying patented (1942)
7	Bald and Free Day Frugal Fun Day
8	Children's Day
9	Curious Events Day Fire Prevention Day Leif Erikson Day Moldy Cheese Day First two-way telephone conversation (1876) Sewing machine patented (1955)
10	Angel Food Cake Day
11	It’s My Party Day Take Your Teddy Bear to Work Day First lady Eleanor Roosevelt's Birthday (1884)
12	School Celebration Day Farmer's Day Moment of Frustration Day Emergency Nurses Day
13	Happy Birthday to the “Happy Birthday” song; originally published as “Good Morning to All” (1893)
14	Dessert Day
15	Grouch Day Poetry Day
16	World Food Day Boss Day Dictionary Day School Librarian Day
17	Black Poetry Day Wear Something Gaudy Day
18	Puerto Rico became U.S. Colony (1898)
19	Star-Spangled Banner first sung (1814) Evaluate Your Life Day
20	Fruit Day
21	Babbling Day Count Your Buttons Day Tater tots trademarked (1958)
22	Clean Up the Earth Day (6 months after Earth Day) Nut Day
23	TV Talk Show Host Day Mole Day Canned Food Day
24	United Nations Day Bologna Day
25	Artist Pablo Picasso's Birthday (1881) Denim Day Punk-for-a-Day Day
26	Make a Difference Day Mule Day International Red Cross organized (1863)
27	Navy Day President Teddy Roosevelt's Birthday (1858) Nintendo hand-held video game trademarked (1992)
28	Statue of Liberty officially accepted on behalf of U.S. by President Grover Cleveland (1886) Plush Animal Lover's Day Chocolate Day
29	Hermit Day Frankenstein Day Internet Day (International) Stock Market Crash (1929)
30	Candy Corn Day Mischief Night Ballpoint pen patented (1888)
31	Halloween Magic Day Increase Your Psychic Powers Day

Floating Holidays: Child Health Day (1st Monday) World Smile Day (1st Friday of October) Jewish holiday Yom Kippur begins at sundown on 10/1/06, 9/21/07, 10/8/08 Jewish holiday Sukkot begins at sundown on 10/6/06, 9/26/07, 10/13/08 Columbus Day (2nd Monday) Sweetest Day (3rd Saturday) Daylight Saving Time Ends (last Sunday) Specialty Weeks: 1st week: Bank Teller Appreciation Week Customer Service Week Get Organized Week (1-7) Human Service Professional Awareness Week Newspaper Week Pickled Pepper Week 2nd week: Chili Week Fire Prevention Week Pet Peeve Week School Lunch Week Squirrel Awareness Week 3rd week: Business Women's Week Consumers Week Forest Products Week Getting the World to Beat a Path to Your Door Week Kids Care Week Pharmacy Week Teen Read Week Veterinary Week Wolf Awareness Week 4th week: Magic Week Peace, Friendship, and Good Will Week School Bus Safety Week World Rainforest Week Specialty Months: Adopt a Dog Month/Adopt a Shelter Pet Month AIDS Awareness Month American Magazine Month Apple Month Breast Cancer Awareness Month Car Care Month Caramel Month Child Health Month Christmas Seal Campaign Month Clergy Appreciation Month Clock Month Communicate with Your Kid Month Computer Learning Month Consumer Information Month Cookie Month Cosmetology Month Country Music Month Crime Prevention Month Dental Hygiene Month Depression Education & Awareness Month Dessert Month Dinosaur Month Diversity Awareness Month Do-It Yourself Month Domestic Violence Awareness Month Drum Month (International) Eat Country Ham Month Energy Awareness Month Family History Month Fantasy Month Fire Prevention Month Hunger Awareness Month Lupus Awareness Month Orthodontic Month Pasta Month Pharmacy Month Pickled Pepper Month Pizza Month Polish American History Month Popcorn Popping Month Pork Month Pretzel Month Roller Skating Month Sarcastic Month Seafood Month SIDS Awareness Month Stamp Collector Month UNICEF Month Vegetarian Awareness Month World Chocolate Awareness Month Youth Against Tobacco Month

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Check out other months or return to activity calendar page.

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