As we move into November, the holiday season is starting. There are less “holidays” as the larger ones take on more significance. In keeping with Thanksgiving, many holidays focus on family and the good feelings we get from each other.
Monthly observances can give you everything from ideas for activities to service projects.
Steps
1. November printable.
Download the Enrichment Project printable of November monthly observances in the United States. These are observances that occur all month long. For November, these include:
- Aviation History Month
- Family Stories Month
- Hunger Awareness Month
- I am so Thankful Month
- National Adoption Awareness Month
- National Healthy Skin Month
- National Home Care Month
- National Inspirational Role Models Month
- National Model Railroad Month
- National Peanut Butter Lovers Month
- Native-American Heritage Month
Review the printable to find what monthly themes you can incorporate into your own activities.
2. Your own list.
Start your own list of November monthly observances, including ideas to help celebrate them. Expand on the list provided or create your own from scratch to meet the needs of your audience or group.
3. Theme.
Any monthly observance can be a theme for your meeting or event. We give thanks in November for our families, friends and those who were here before us. We can use our monthly theme for sharing stories or participating in activities of our ancestors. Alternatively, both aviation history and model railroading are a great break from the season to try something new. How can you build a theme around your chosen observance?
Start planning
4. Meetings, parties and events.
You can plan a meeting, party or event based on a monthly celebration theme. You might want to do one or more activities based on your observance. You may choose to focus an entire event around it. Don’t limit yourself to the stated themes. Instead of talking about healthy skin, do one or more spa activities. Feature a series of inspirational role models and how their achievements affect us today. Of course, Native American crafts and activities are always popular.
5. Create and design.
Use the November observances as a way to focus your creative energy. When you’re unable to come up with an idea, these can give you a jumping off point to start brainstorming. Some things you might create include:
- Art
- Blog posts
- Club activities
- Crafts
- Ebooks
- Games
- Gifts
- Podcasts
- Printables
- STEM
- Videos
6. Education.
Create your own curriculum and learn the way you want. Find out about local Native Americans and if there are locations you can go to explore their world. The printables and educational support for the Thanksgiving holiday are overwhelming – from listing what you’re thankful for to coloring sheets and more. Find support for your chosen observance.
7. Sharing.
Sharing your ideas with others not only encourages participation but may bring greater variety into your activities. You can share:
- Cultural observations
- Hobbies
- Interests
- Recipes
- Religious observances
Explore ways to share with others in your community or group.
8. Service.
You can plan service around a monthly observance. For example, make your spa day for younger kids to show them how to take care of their skin. You can also look into home care and visit with local shut-ins. I’m sure you can even find people in your neighborhood who depend on home care that would love to see a new face. A huge one is hunger awareness – from collecting non-perishable items to working in food kitchens, there’s a lot to be done. Look through the observances and find one or more that allow you to bring service into your monthly activities.
9. Communicate.
Use monthly observations in your communications. You can share your thoughts and ideas to move people to action. From blog posts to emails to newsletters, keep your communication fresh by incorporating these observances in your writing.
10. Brainstorm.
Brainstorm ways to incorporate observances into your own community or group. This might be a one-time event or a series for a group, club or community.
Continue the search
11. Explore offerings online.
Pick a monthly observance (or more) and start your online research. What is available online that you can download and use? Be sure to keep track of where you get the information so you can refer back to this resource.
12. Search for even more!
How have other people celebrated the month theme you chose? Talk to them to find out what they did. Ask about what worked, what didn’t and what they might change to make it better.
Can you incorporate their ideas into your own project? If not, what adjustments can you make?
Supplements Available
NOTE: If you have additional observances you’d like added, please let me know.
Sites to Explore
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:November_observances
- www.butlerwebs.com/holidays/default.htm
- giftedkids.about.com/od/Monthly-Observances/a/Month-Long-Observances-In-November.htm
- www.nsc.org/news_resources/Resources/Pages/NSCSafetyCalendar.aspx
- library.thinkquest.org/2886
- www.brownielocks.com
- www.thenibble.com/fun/more/facts/food-holidays.asp
- www.gone-ta-pott.com
- www.tfdutch.com/foodh.htm
- www.welcoa.org/observances
- www.holidayinsights.com/moreholidays
- www.mhprofessional.com/templates/chases/index.php
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