National Day Themes in February - Week 1: Fun-Filled Activities for Speech Therapy
- shannon | speech hamster
- Feb 5
- 12 min read
Updated: 6 days ago
Even the shortest month of the year can seem long if you're behind in planning. Luckily, February’s National Days bring fresh themes to liven up your sessions and keep your students engaged. From silly celebrations to meaningful moments, these ideas add variety while reinforcing important speech and language skills.
Welcome to National Days in February Week 1. Whether you're exploring history on National Freedom Day (February 1), bundling up for National Sweater Day (February 4), or celebrating the magic of storytelling on World Read Aloud Day (February 7), these themed ideas might be just what you need to freshen up your sessions and bring new energy to your activities.
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Use the table below to explore some of the national days celebrated the first week of February. To avoid scrolling fatigue, use the quick links to view activity ideas and book suggestions for each theme.
or use these links to view:
February National Days Week 2 (February 8 - 14): coming soon
February National Days Week 3 (February 15 - 21)
February National Days Week 4 (February 22 - 28)
To view themes for all 12 months head over to 10 Reasons to Use National Day Themes for Easy Speech Therapy Planning.
*Free resource links listed here may change over time. Please check the source for current availability and terms.
February National Days Week 1
(Month-long observances: Black History, American Heart)
(themes in red are not yet completed)
Date | National Day |
Feb 1 | |
Feb 2 | |
Feb 3 | |
Feb 4 | |
Feb 5 | |
Feb 6 | |
Feb 7 |
February 1:
🕊️ National Freedom Day (February 1)
About: National Freedom Day is celebrated in the United States on February 1st. This day remembers when the 13th Amendment was signed in 1865, which ended slavery. It is a day to honor freedom and equality for all people.
Freedom Day Fact: National Freedom Day was established by Major Richard Robert Wright Sr., a former enslaved person. It is considered the first national observance celebrating freedom for all Americans.
Freedom Acrostic Poem: Have students think of words or create a poem using the letters in "FREEDOM".
Freedom Day Activities: Free* resources on Teachers Pay Teachers (3rd - 6th grade)
Popular Children's Books:
Henry's Freedom Box Written by Ellen Levine and illustrated by Kadir Nelson: The true story of Henry Brown, who mailed himself to freedom, perfect for sparking discussions on courage and determination. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
The Undefeated Written by Kwame Alexander and illustrated by Kadir Nelson: A powerful poem celebrating African American history, resilience, and freedom. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
February 2:
🦫 National Groundhog Day (Feb 2)
About: The first official Groundhog Day celebration in the U.S. was held in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, in 1887. According to folklore, if the groundhog sees its shadow, there will be six more weeks of winter; if not, spring will come early.
Fun Facts: Groundhogs can whistle when alarmed or searching for a mate, earning them the nickname "whistle-pigs". Groundhogs are also known as woodchucks.
Punxsutawney Groundhog's Club: Visit the official website. It offers a wealth of information and provides access to live streams and educational materials related to Punxsutawney Phil. You can also visit Punxsutawney Phil's YouTube Channel.
Open-Ended Coloring Activity: Panda Speech has a free Open-Ended Groundhog's Day Coloring Activity on TpT you can use with any of your students. View free* resources on TpT.
Groundhog's Day Resources: Discover these free* Groundhog's Day resources and activities for speech therapy on Teachers Pay Teachers.
Popular Children's Books:
Groundhog Gets a Say Written by Margery Cuyler and illustrated by Denise Bunkus: A story where the groundhog takes over Groundhog Day to explain facts about his life, blending fun with learning. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
Go to Sleep, Groundhog! Written by Judy Cox and illustrated by Paul Meisel: A whimsical tale about a groundhog who can't stay asleep and experiences the holidays he usually misses, perfect for sequencing and comprehension practice.📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
February 3:
🐦 National Feed the Birds Day (Feb 3)
About: Established in 2016, this day raises awareness about the challenges wild birds face in winter when food is scarce, encouraging people to provide food, water, and shelter to support their survival.
Fun Facts: 1. Some species of birds, like crows and pigeons, can remember and recognize friendly humans. 2. Hummingbirds are the only birds that can fly backward. Their wings move in a unique figure-eight motion, allowing them to hover and reverse in midair
Feed the Birds Activity: Download this free* Feeding the Birds fine motor activity, using craft sticks as worms. Write articulation targets or vocabulary words on the craft sticks. Have students choose a "worm", practice the word and feed it to their bird.
Bird Feeder Crafts: use Pinterest (or similar search engine) to find simple bird feeder crafts that can be incorporated easily into your speech-langage therapy sessions. (I'd post links but the sites are full of ads and that can be obnoxious).
Bald Eagle Mini Unit: Check out this free* bald eagle nonfiction reading and writing unit on Teachers Pay Teachers.
Popular Children's Books:
Feathers for Lunch Written by Lois Ehlert: This book follows a cat on the prowl, inadvertently teaching readers about various common birds and the sounds they make. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
How to Find a Bird Written by Jennifer Ward and illustrated by Diana Sudyka: A guide teaching young readers how to look and listen carefully to find birds in their natural habitats, encouraging patience, observation, and a love for nature. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
February 4:
🧥 National Sweater Day (February 4)
About: Established to encourage people to wear sweaters and lower their thermostats to conserve energy, making it a date focused on environmental awareness.
Fun Fact: The term "sweater" originated in the early 1800s, referring to garments worn during physical labor that induced sweating.
Sweater Matching Activities: Use this free* clipart from Educlips (on TpT) to create matching sweater pairs. Write articulation targets on the back of them and play a memory game: practice two words then flip them over to see if the sweaters match.
Design a Sweater: Use this free* sweater template from TpT and have students design their own sweater while practicing their speech/language targets. Use dice to determine how many words/targets to practice before choosing a color marker, pencil or crayon.
Winter Clothing Resources: Discover these free* winter clothing resources and activities for speech therapy on Teachers Pay Teachers.
Popular Children's Books:
Extra Yarn Written by Mac Barnett and illustrated by Jon Klassen: A young girl named Annabelle discovers a box of magical yarn that never runs out, transforming her drab town with colorful sweaters. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
Sweater Weather Written and illustrated by Matt Phelan: Papa Bear and his cubs get ready for a walk on a chilly day, but getting everyone into their sweaters turns into an adventure itself. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
📬 National Thank a Mail Carrier Day (February 4)
About: Honors the dedicated individuals who deliver our mail daily.
Fun Fact: The United States Postal Service was established in 1775, with Benjamin Franklin serving as the first Postmaster General.
Mailbox Mystery Riddles: Download the Mailbox Mystery Riddles and use them to review/introduce postal-themed vocabulary.
Letter Writing Activity: Use this outline to have students write a letter to their mail carrier or to talk about what they would write to their mail carriers:
Dear ___________, Thank you for delivering our mail every day! I appreciate ____________ (something specific they do). My favorite thing about getting mail is _____________. You are important because _____________.From, ___________
Mail Carrier Resources: Check out this free* mail carrier resource on Teachers Pay Teachers.
Popular Children's Books:
The Jolly Postman Written by Janet and Allan Ahlberg: This book follows a postman delivering letters to fairy-tale characters, combining storytelling with fun envelopes to open. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
A Letter to Amy Written by Ezra Jack Keats: Peter sends a special invitation through the mail, teaching about letters and friendship. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
Mail Duck: A Book of Shapes and Surprises Written by Erica Sirotich: A board book story where Mail Duck delivers packages filled with surprises, introducing shapes and mail vocabulary. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
February 5:
🌤️ National Weatherperson's Day (February 5)
About: National Weatherperson’s Day honors the work of meteorologists and weather forecasters. It commemorates the birthday of John Jeffries, one of the first weather observers in the U.S., born on February 5, 1744.
Fun Fact: The word "meteorology" comes from the Greek word meteoron, meaning "thing high up."
Weather Vocabulary: Use My Kind-er Classroom's free Weather Vocabulary Cards for vocabulary visuals. Print duplicates to play memory games. Add numbers to the back side of each card for students to complete the same number of speech targets or language tasks. Use the cards for a Pictionary - type game.
Weather Unit: Itty Bitty Speech offers a full Weather Preschool Language Unit to add to your resource toolbox (to include a free Boom Cards version).
Weather Word Articulation Game: Place articulation target words inside cloud, sun, and raindrop shapes. Students pick a shape and practice the word multiple times before adding it to a "weather map" display.
Rainy Day Articulation: Speechie Adventures offers free Rainy Day Adventure Worksheets that includes pages for 9 different speech sounds (TpT). You could also craft a large rain cloud on poster board and cut out raindrops for students to write their target words, practice them, then add them to the poster.
Create a Daily Weather Report: Students describe the day's weather using full sentences, temperature words, and adjectives (sunny, cloudy, chilly). Give them a whiteboard to draw what they are describing. Or browse these free Weather Chart resources on TpT.
Following Directions/Movement Breaks: Use the Primary Prep's Weather Themed Printable Movement Dice Cards (TpT) for following directions. Glue the pictures to each side of a square tissue box and use as a dice. Use as movement breaks during your speech sessions.
Guess the Weather Riddle: Give clues about different weather types and have students answer using complete sentences or question formats.
I fall from the sky but I’m not a bird. I can be cold and wet, but sometimes I sparkle. You might need an umbrella when I’m around. What am I? (Rain)
I am bright but you can’t look right at me. I warm your face and light your day. When I hide, the world feels dim. What am I? (Sun)
I cover the ground all soft and white. You can catch me on your tongue if you try. Bundle up — I mean it’s cold outside. What am I? (now)
I rumble and grumble across the sky. I follow flashes of bright, scary light. You might hear me after a storm begins. What am I? (Thunder)
I’m soft, puffy, and float way up high. Sometimes I look like animals in the sky. On rainy days, I turn dark and gray. What am I? (Cloud)
You can't see me but you can feel me. I can make leaves dance and kites fly. Sometimes I’m a breeze, and sometimes a gust. What am I? (Wind)
I swirl and twist, touching both sky and ground. I’m strong and spinning, and not safe to be around. People watch out for me when storms are near. What am I? (Tornado)
I fall softly, often overnight.I sparkle in the morning sunlight. But don't step on me — I can be slippery. What am I? (Frost)
I come in colors after rain is through. Look up high — you might see red, yellow, and blue. I stretch across the sky like a magical bridge. What am I? (Rainbow)
I am thick and make it hard to see. I float low to the ground and cover trees. You’ll want to drive slow when I’m around. What am I? (Fog)
Popular Children's Books:
Come On, Rain! – Written by Karen Hesse and illustrated by Jon J. Muth: A poetic story about a little girl and her friends eagerly awaiting a cooling summer rainstorm. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs – Written by Judi Barrett, illustrated by Ron Barrett: In the town of Chewandswallow, food falls from the sky like rain, snow, and storms. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud] 🛒 [Free Resources on TpT]
Like a Windy Day – Written by Frank Asch, illustrated by Devin Asch: A young girl imagines herself becoming the wind, racing through trees and across rooftops. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
February 6:
🙏🏽 National Pay A Compliment Day (February 6)
About: This day is all about spreading kindness with simple, sincere words. It encourages people of all ages to notice the good in others and speak it out loud, helping to build confidence, strengthen friendships, and create a positive atmosphere wherever you go.
Fun Fact: Receiving a compliment activates the same reward center in the brain as receiving money.
Compliment Cards: Create cards with prompts to help students think of genuine compliments for their peers. [View Compliment Prompts]
"Speech Sound" Vocabulary for Compliments: Have students brainstorm descriptive words beginning with their speech sound(s) that could be used within a compliment. [View Complimentary Words for Articulation]
Boom Cards: Little Notes of Positivity: a nice freebie for choosing complimentary words about someone and placing the words into a jar.
Resources on TpT: Check out these free* resources about compliments on Teachers Pay Teachers.
Popular Children's Books:
The Kindness Book Written by Todd Parr: Showcases various ways to be kind, including giving compliments. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
Have You Filled a Bucket Today? Written by Carol McCloud and illustrated by David Messing: A book that teaches the value of kindness through the metaphor of filling someone's invisible bucket with care and positivity. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud] 🛒 [Free Resources on TpT]
February 7:
🙏🏽 National Send a Card to a Friend Day (February 7)
About: This day encourages taking a moment to connect with a friend through a handwritten or handmade card, a small gesture that can brighten someone's day and help build children's communication and social skills.
Fun Fact: Handwritten notes are proven to boost both the sender’s and receiver’s mood.
Articulation:
Game-based Activity: Each student picks a target word card. Roll dice to determine how many times to practice the word. After reaching 50 repetitions, students can each design a mini card with a message using their target word(s) to take home and read to a family member for extra practice.
Opening Cards: Place target word cards inside a folded blank card and insert them into envelopes. Hide around the room and have students search for the cards, open them, and practice their target words.
Language:
Vocabulary: Introduce words like "message", "handwritten", "signature", "thoughtful", "personalize", and "gratitude".
Following Directions: Give students a step-by-step activity for making a card and see how well they listen.
Sequencing: Have students describe the steps for making and sending a note or a card.
Syntax: Students fill in sentence starters: "If I wrote a thank-you card to my teacher, I would say _____."
WH Questions: What kinds of cards do people send? Who could you send one to? Where do you send cards? Where do you take cards to send? When would you send one? How would you send one? Why would you send one?
Craft Ideas
DIY Pop-Up Cards: Use construction paper to create fun greeting cards with a pop-up design. Have students follow the directions from this young person on YouTube: How to Make a Pop Up Card using paper, scissors, glue, markers.
"Secret Message" Notes: Write messages in white crayon and give to a friend. Have them reveal the note by coloring over it with markers.
Greeting Card Collage: Cut out images from old cards and magazines to create a mixed-media card.
Popular Children's Books:
I Wanna Iguana – Written by Karen Kaufman Orloff, illustrated by David Catrow: A boy and his mother write letters back and forth as he tries to convince her to let him have an iguana, showing the power of persuasive writing. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
Dear Dragon – Written by Josh Funk and illustrated by Rodolfo Montalvo: George and Blaise, pen pals who share everything about their lives, are unaware that George is human and Blaise is a dragon. What will happen when they meet face-to-face? 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
Can I Be Your Dog? – Written by Troy Cummings: A homeless dog sends letters to different houses, hoping to find a family, offering a heartwarming look at perseverance and kindness. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
Wrapping Up February Week 1 with Fun & Creativity
Who knew the first week of February had so much to offer? With Groundhog Day (February 2), Thank a Mail Carrier Day (February 5), and Pay a Compliment Day (February 6) among the many celebrations, Week 1 will give you plenty of ways to spark creativity in speech therapy. Keep the momentum going—there’s more fun ahead!
See More National Day Themes for February:
February National Days Week 2 (February 8 - 14): coming soon
February National Days Week 3 (February 15 - 21)
February National Days Week 4 (February 22 - 28)
Quick Link to View All 12 Months: 10 Reasons to Use National Day Themes for Easy Speech Therapy Planning (each month's themes are noted at the end).
Hi! I'm Shannon, creator of Speech Hamster. If you have found the information in this blog post useful, there's more where that came from! Subscribe to the Speech Hamster Newsletter to gain access to the Free Resource Library; a hub containing a host of National Days downloadable resources and so much more!
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