October Fun Learning Holidays
Looking for ways to supplement your homeschool curriculum? How about short unit studies to explore a variety of topics? These fun holidays are a great way to celebrate and provide engaging learning opportunities for your kids. Here’s my list of October homeschool mini-unit study ideas using fun holidays.
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What to Celebrate in the Month of October
Every month has designated awareness holidays. Take advantage of these holidays to introduce your kids to a new experience or get them to try something new. Also, if your child wants to dig in, use these holidays to spend additional time focused on a particular area of interest.
Let’s look at some of the monthly awareness themes for the month of October that you can use to supplement your homeschool curriculum.
I’ve compiled a YouTube playlist containing most of the video links included in this article. Bookmark this page to come back and find the unit study, activity, and article links, and visit the Must Love Lists YouTube playlist for monthly video links.
Computer Learning Month
Here are a few ways you can celebrate computer learning month. Some of these options may be best suited for middle school or high school students, but your child will certainly benefit from increased competency with a variety of computer programs.
- learn a few keyboard shortcuts
- discover some cool hidden Windows computer tricks
- start learning to code (Scratch, Codecademy, Code.org, Tynker.com, kidsforcode.org, Khan Academy, Create & Learn, freecodecamp.org, W3 Schools Online)
- learn a few tricks in specific software (Microsoft Excel, Word, or Outlook; Google Docs, Sheets, or Slides, etc.)
- watch a beginner tutorial for a new software you’d like to learn (Airtable, Adobe Photoshop, Inkscape, Canva, or Trello)
Bat Appreciation Month
Learn about seven different kinds of bats with this free bat unit study from Simple Living Creative Learning.
All About Bats for Kids (YouTube – Free School)
Fun Facts about Bats (YouTube – Rob Mies)
National Bake and Decorate Month
Encourage your kids to develop their baking skills this month. Choose a recipe to try each week, maybe a muffin recipe, a cookie recipe, a cake recipe, and a quick bread recipe like banana bread.
Learn about the physics and chemistry behind baking, and which items can be substituted for others.
The Physics of Baking (YouTube – HarvardX)
The Chemistry of Cookies (YouTube – TedEd)
How to Cookie with Science (YouTube – Reactions)
For kids who are really interested, Every Common Cookie Substitution, Alteration, and Mistake is a great video detailing the different results when individual ingredients are changed slightly.
Read: List of Favorite Make-Ahead Mixes
Photographer Appreciation Month
This photography unit study includes a list of famous photographers your student can learn about.
You student may enjoy doing a 30-day photography challenge this month.
25 Famous Photographers in History: article briefly describing each artist and what they are known for
The World’s Most Powerful Photographs (YouTube – BuzzFeed): I’ll note that there are a few photos that could disturb a sensitive child. Nothing graphic, but brief images of prisoners of war, funeral procession, etc.
National Week Holidays for October
Next up are the national awareness weeks to use as homeschool learning opportunities during the month of October.
National Fire Prevention Week: Week of October 9th
National Fire Prevention Week is the longest-running national public health observance in our country. It is recognized during the week of October 9th as a commemoration of the Great Chicago Fire, which started on October 8, 1871.
Watch this excellent Kitchen Fire Safety video from Ventura County Fire Department.
Include your kids in the following activities related to fire prevention and safety:
- planning escape routes in care of a fire
- choosing a family meeting spot outside
- checking indoor smoke alarms
- holding a practice fire drill
- microwave and oven safety tips
- safe usage of matches, lighters, candles (age-appropriate)
- campfire safety
Your kids can learn about the job of a fire prevention officer with the U.S. Forest Service.
Nuclear Science Week: 3rd week of October
Learn about the many uses of nuclear science in the fields of physics, energy, and medicine.
This article, What is a Nuclear Scientist?, provides a description of the various job categories available in the field.
Read about famous nuclear scientists and their major contributions to the field. Students who are interested may wish to do further research into one or more of these scientists. A quick Google or YouTube search will turn up plenty of resources to learn more.
Nuclear Facts for Kids provides a list of the most relevant information about nuclear science in language accessible to kids.
Older students may enjoy this nuclear science quiz from the folks at How Stuff Works.
National Day Holidays for October
Now we’re on to the individual day holidays for the month of October. Choose a few to incorporate into your homeschool for a variety of learning and fun.
Ship in a Bottle Day: October 4
Learn about the history of the ship in a bottle and create your own using a two-liter soda bottle.
How I Make a Ship in a Bottle (YouTube)
Leif Erikson Day: October 9
This Viking Unit Study from Our Journey Westward includes a great book list, vocabulary, and a variety of activity suggestions your kids will have fun with.
Leif Eriksson – The First European in North America (YouTube)
National Train Your Brain Day: October 13
Watch The Learning Brain on YouTube for an animated overview of the brain works and how to improve learning.
Try a few of the following activities to train your brain:
- jigsaw puzzle
- brainteasers
- riddles
- crossword puzzle
- sudoku
- chess
- memorize a poem
- play a memory game
Dictionary Day: October 16
For a quick, humerous look at the beginnings of dictionaries, watch The History of English – The Age of the Dictionary (YouTube – OpenLearn).
Where do new words come from? – (YouTube – TedEd)
How Do Words Get Added to the Dictionary?
Play dictionary games such as Word Race or Silly Sentences with these ideas from Scholastic.
National Nut Day: October 22
This article from Canadian Living provides detailed information about a variety of nuts.
What is the Healthiest Nut? (YouTube – Plant Based Science London)
The Crazy Secrets of the Cashew (YouTube – True Food TV)
How Do Peanuts Grow? (YouTube – Traveling Mom)
How Almonds Are Harvested (YouTube – Localish)
World Opera Day: October 25
What’s a Squillo and Why Do Opera Singers Need It? (YouTube – TedEd)
Behind the Scenes at the Metropolitan Opera (YouTube – New York Times)
Portland Opera has some really great activities that can be used for kids from elementary through high school to learn about opera.
Lesson Plans and Educator Resources from LA Opera
Read: Planning a Homeschool Theme Day (Theater Thursday)
National Civics Day: October 27
This holiday was instituted to celebrate the importance of civic education. The date was chosen to commemorate the publication of the Federalist Papers on October 27, 1787.
Federalist Papers: Foundational Essays by Hamilton, Madison, and Jay (YouTube – Daily Dose)
How is Power Divided in the United States Government (YouTube – TedEd)
Visit Annenberg Classroom for free resources to teach the Constitution, including video content, online games, interactive timelines and more.
You’ll find additional games and lessons at icivics.org.
Read: 250 Positive Personality Traits to Describe Your Child
Visit my homeschool resources page for monthly unit study ideas, projects, and homeschool planning help!
How to Use Fun Holidays for Unit Studies in October
The key to using fun holiday lists like this in your homeschool is to keep it simple. Don’t try to celebrate every single holiday or awareness theme. You and your kids will be overwhelmed.
One way to implement these supplemental learning activities is to keep a list of fun holidays. Then, note down the ones you celebrate with the year and what you did. Next year, come back to the list and pick another one or two to celebrate.
There are a lot more “national days” you could choose to celebrate that are not included in this list, many of them focused on food. It’s fun to choose a few of these as well to add in treats here and there or as a way to have your kids try new foods.
Find additional October fun holidays that aren’t necessarily learning-related in these two articles.
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