10 Reasons to Use National Day Themes for Easy Speech Therapy Planning

Turn your "winging it" into "winning it" with these simple (and fun) activities your students are sure to love.

You know those days when planning feels like a distant dream, and you’re just trying to make it through each session with something—anything—that keeps your students engaged?

We’ve all been there. When time is short, and you feel like you’re winging it more often than not, leaning into quirky "National Day" celebrations can be a lesson planning life-saver.

[Search Themes]

From National Popcorn Day (January 19) to National Dice Day (December 4), these unexpected themes can spark fresh, low-prep speech and language activities that make your sessions both fun and functional.

Why these quirky National Day themes are a goldmine for speech language pathologists (and support easy speech therapy planning):

1. Built-In Themes for Planning Each day offers you a ready-made theme, like National Pancake Day (September 26) or National Bobblehead Day (January 7). Themes inspire creative activities without the need for extensive brainstorming, saving you precious time.

   
   

2. Engaging and Fun Celebrating fun days like National Pizza Day (February 9) instantly grabs kids' attention, making therapy something they look forward to. Engagement equals better participation.

   
   

3. Real-World Connections National Day themes often connect to kids' interests or experiences, creating natural opportunities for you to build vocabulary and discuss relatable topics.

   
   

4. Rich Vocabulary Opportunities Each daily celebration introduces new words and concepts. For instance, on National Ice Cream Cone Day (September 22), you can explore words like "scoop," "cone," "single", "double" and "sprinkles".

   
   

5. Flexibility Across Goals From articulation and expressive language to social skills and fluency, you can adapt these daily themes to suit a variety of therapy goals. For example, a social skills group might role-play ordering ice cream on National Sundae Day (November 11).

   
   

6. Multi-sensory Experiences National days often involve props, crafts, or even snacks. For National Teddy Bear Day (September 9), you can bring in stuffed animals to practice prepositions like "on," "under," and "beside."

   
   

7. Conversation Starters Celebrating National Pet Day (April 11) sparks natural conversations about pets kids have or wish they had, promoting expressive language skills such as conversational turn taking, asking/answering questions and most importantly, engagement.

   
   

8. Fosters Collaboration Highlighting national days within mixed groups or classrooms provides opportunities for collaboration. You can collaborate with teachers on a thematic lesson, like celebrating Earth Day (April 22) with a recycling activity.

   
   

9. Cultural Awareness National holidays provide opportunities to discuss traditions, fostering understanding and inclusion of different cultural practices and perspectives.

   
   

10. Easily Accessible Resources Many websites and social media platforms share creative ideas and activities for celebrating daily holidays and celebrations, making it easy for you to find inspiration.

    
    

Turn “I Forgot to Plan” into “Best Session Ever”!

Next time you're short on planning time or looking for a fresh take on the same ol' same ol', let national days be your secret weapon. Whether it's celebrating National Tooth Fairy Day (February 28) with fun vocabulary riddles or using National Talk Like a Pirate Day (September 18) for language-rich role-playing, these quirky themes can add excitement and structure to your sessions with minimal prep.

Let's Make This Easy For You

Over time, you will find separate blog posts for each week of the month, listing popular national days along with activity ideas, links to (mostly) free resources, and book suggestions to consider using in your speech therapy sessions.

Bookmark this post and check back for new additions each week! Turn your "winging it" into "winning it" with simple (and fun) activities your students are sure to love.

Search For Fun National Days by Month

Use these quick links to view the National Days included in each week of the month

January	February	March
April	May	June
July	August	September
October	November	December

January National Days

(January links are not yet live - blog post still under construction)

Week 1	Week 2	Week 3	Week 4+
January 1 - 7	January 8 - 14	January 15 - 21	January 22 - 31
New Year's Day	Argyle Day	Hat Day	Grandpa Day
Polar Bear Plunge Day	Bubble Bath Day	Appreciate a Dragon Day	Polka Dot Day
Apple Gifting Day	Word Nerd Day	Book Publishers Day	Pie Day
Motivation & Inspiration Day	Static Electricity Day	Kid Inventors' Day	Compliment Day
Science Fiction Day	Save the Eagles Day	Forest Day	Peanut Butter Day
Drinking Straw Day	Learn Your Name in Morse Code Day	Thesaurus Day	Opposite Day
Chocolate Covered Cherry Day	Thank You Day	Brew a Potion Day	World Environmental Education Day
Spaghetti Day	Hot Tea Day	Good Memory Day	Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day
Trivia Day	Work Harder Day	Popcorn Day	Chocolate Cake Day
World Braille Day	4th Graders Day	Elementary School Teacher's Day	Lego Day
Bird Day	Rubber Ducky Day	Inauguration Day	Puzzle Day
Whipped Cream Day	Sticker Day	Martin Luther King Jr Day (2025)	Draw a Dinosaur Day
Apple Tree Day	Int'l Kite Day	Penguin Awareness Day	Backwards Day
Bean Day	Dress Up Your Pet Day	Grandma Day	Hot Chocolate Day
Technology Day		Hug Your Puppy Day	Scotch Tape Day
Bobblehead Day
Old Rock Day

[back to monthly table]

February National Days

Click on the week below to view the blog post dedicated to those themes

(themes in red are not yet finished)

Week 1	Week 2	Week 3	Week 4
February 1 - 7	February 8 - 14	February 15 - 21	February 22 - 29
Freedom Day	Kite Flying Day	Gumdrop Day	Be Humble Day
Groundhog Day	Pizza Day	World Hippo Day	Single Tasking Day
Feed the Birds Day	Umbrella Day	Innovation Day	Tootsie Roll Day
Sweater Day	Inventor's Day	Random Acts of Kindness	Tortilla Chip Day
Thank a Mail Carrier Day	Make a Friend Day	Thumb Appreciation Day	Let's All Eat Right Day
Weatherperson's Day	Lost Penny Day	Chocolate Mint Day	Quiet Day
Pay a Compliment Day	Apology Day	National Comfy Day	Tell a Fairy Tale Day
Send a Card to a Friend Day	Valentine's Day	Love Your Pet Day	Int'l Polar Bear Day
		Muffin Day	Strawberry Day
		Language Day	Pancake Day
			Science Day
			Tooth Fairy Day
			Leap Day

[back to monthly table]

March National Days

Click on the week below to view the blog post dedicated to those themes

Week 1	Week 2	Week 3	Week 4+
March 1 - 7	March 8 - 14	March 15 - 21	March 22 - 30
Pig Day	Proofreading Day	Everything You Do is Wrong Day	Goof Off Day
Share a Smile Day	Meatball Day	Panda Day	Puppy Day
World Compliment Day	Mario Day	St. Patrick's Day	Chocolate Covered Raisin Day
Old Stuff Day	Napping Day (Monday after Daylight Savings Day)	Global Recycling Day	Waffle Day
National Anthem Day	Plant a Flower Day	Read to Me Day	Make Up Your Own Holiday Day
Day of Unplugging	Earmuff Day	Let's Laugh Day	Wear a Hat Day
Grammar Day	K9 Veterans Day	World Storytelling Day	Scribble Day
Snack Day	Celebrate Scientists Day	Int'l Color Day	Something on a Stick Day
Cheese Doodle Day	Children's Craft Day	World Down Syndrome Day	Int'l Mermaid Day
Learn What Your Name Means	Learn About Butterflies Day		Pencil Day
Dentists Day	National Pi Day		Crayola Crayon Day
Oreo Cookie Day
Cereal Day
Sock Monkey Day

[back to monthly table]

April National Days

Click on the week below to view the blog post dedicated to those themes

Week 1	Week 2	Week 3	Week 4+
April 1 - 7	April 8 - 14	April 15 - 21	April 22 - 30
April Fool's Day	Zoo Lovers Day	Rubber Eraser Day	Earth Day
Fun Day	Unicorn Day	Pajama Day	Jelly Bean day
Greeting Card Day	Farm Animals Day	Bat Appreciation Day	Picnic Day
One Cent Day	Pet Day	Animal Cracker Day	Bucket List Day
Int'l Children's Book Day	Hamster Day	Hanging Out (the laundry) Day	Bus Drivers Day
DIY Day	Scrabble Day	Look Alike Day	World Penguin Day
Find a Rainbow Day	Dolphin Day	Kindergarten Day	Pretzel Day
Inspiring Joy Day	Gardening Day	Tea Day	Gummi Bear Day
Int'l Carrot Day			Tell a Story Day
Dandelion Day			Superhero Day
Peeps Day			Zipper Day
Library Day			Tie Dye Day
Geologists Day

[back to monthly table]

May National Days

Click on the week below to view the blog post dedicated to those themes

Week 1	Week 2	Week 3	Week 4+
May 1 - 7	May 8 - 14	May 15 - 21	May 22 - 31
May Day	Give Someone a Cupcake Day	Chocolate Chip day	Sherlock Holmes Day
School Principals Day	Alphabet Magnet Day	Straw Hat Day	Lucky Penny Day
Int'l Harry Potter Day	Clean Your Room Day	Drawing Day	World Turtle Day
Space Day	Eat What You Want Day	Love a Tree Day	Scavenger Hunt Day
Two Different Colored Shoes Day	Hospital Day	Bike to School Day	Towel Day
Star Wars Day	Frog Jumping Day	Pizza Party Day	Paper Airplane Day
Bird Day	Dance Like a Chicken Day	No Dirty Dishes Day	Cellophane Tape Day
Weather Observers Day		Plant Something Day	Hamburger Day
Cinco de Mayo		Be A Millionaire Day	Paperclip Day
Astronauts Day		World Bee Day	Creativity Day
Nurses Day		Waitstaff Day	World Parrot Day
Teacher Appreciation Day

[back to monthly table]

June National Days

(Weeks and Themes in RED are not yet posted)

Week 1	Week 2	Week 3	Week 4+
June 1 - 7	June 8 - 14	June 15 - 21	June 22 - 30
Flip a Coin Day	Best Friends Day	International Surfing Day	International Being You Day
Dinosaur Day	Dragonfly Day	Megaladon Day	World Rainforest Day
I Love My Dentist Day	Meal Prep Day	Father's Day	Pink Day
Egg Day	Ballpoint Pen Day	World Sea Turtle Day	Flamingo Day
Cheese Day	Frosted Cookie Day	Global Garbage Man Day	International Fairy Day
Hot Air Balloon Day	Making Life Beautiful Day	Eat Your Vegetables Day	Catfish Day
Gingerbread Day	Say "Hi" Day	International Picnic Day	Canoe Day
Eyewear Day	Superman Day	Go Fishing Day	Day of Joy
Doughnut Day	Weed Your Garden Day	Juneteenth	Bingo Day
Chocolate Ice Cream Day	Flag Day	Watch Day	Sunglasses Day
		American Eagle Day	Food Truck Day
		Go Skateboarding Day	Camera Day
		Seashell Day	Log Cabin Day

[back to monthly table]

July National Days

(July links are not yet live - blog post still under construction)

Week 1	Week 2	Week 3	Week 4+
July 1 - 7	July 8 - 14	July 15 - 21	July 22 - 31
Creative Ice Cream Flavors Day	Blueberry Day	Gummi Worm Day	Hammock Day
World UFO Day	Sugar Cookie Day	I Love Horses Day	Sprinkle Day
Int'l Plastic Bag Free Day	Don't Step on a Bee Day	Pig Appreciation Day	Vanilla Ice Cream Day
Independence Day	Kitten Day	World Snake Day	Self Care Day
Graham Cracker Day	Swimming Pool Day	World Emoji Day	Hot Fudge Sundae Day
Fried Chicken Day	Cow Appreciation Day	Sour Candy Day	Merry Go Round Day
Build a Scarecrow Day	French Fry Day	Football Day	Aunt and Uncle Day
	Rock Day	Fortune Cookie day	Take Your Houseplant for a Walk Day
	Shark Awareness Day	Lollipop Day	Parents Day
	Be Nice to Bugs Day	Junk Food Day	Soccer Day
			Tree Day
			Wing Day
			Int'l Day of Friendship
			Paperback Book Day
			Avocado Day

[back to monthly table]

August National Days

(August links are not yet live - blog post still under construction)

Week 1	Week 2	Week 3	Week 4+
August 1 - 7	August 8 - 14	August 15 - 21	August 22 - 31

[back to monthly table]

September National Days

(September links are not yet live - blog post still under construction)

Week 1	Week 2	Week 3	Week 4+
September 1 - 7	September 8 - 14	September 15 - 21	September 22 - 30

[back to monthly table]

October National Days

(October links are not yet live - blog post still under construction)

Week 1	Week 2	Week 3	Week 4+
October 1 - 7	October 8 - 14	October 15 - 21	October 22 - 31

[back to monthly table]

November National Days

(November links are not yet live - blog post still under construction)

Week 1	Week 2	Week 3	Week 4+
November 1 - 7	November 8 - 14	November 15 - 21	November 22 - 30

[back to monthly table]

December National Days

(December links are not yet live - blog post still under construction)

Week 1	Week 2	Week 3	Week 4+
December 1 - 7	December 8 - 14	December 15 - 21	December 22 - 31

[back to monthly table]