National days can be a creative way to liven up your speech therapy sessions for February. Add some variety to your planning and see what quirky (and not-so-quirky) days are being celebrated this month.
This post is an extension of 10 Reasons to Use National Day Themes for Easy Speech Therapy Planning, which offers links to each month of the year and some of the national days associated with the month.
Welcome to February! Whether you're celebrating Pizza Day (Feb 9), Tooth Fairy Day (Feb 28), or need a quick idea for a session, these themed days may spark inspiration and get your creative juices flowing.
Use the table below to explore some of this month's national days and use the quick links to view activity ideas and book suggestions for each theme.
This blog post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a commission if you make a purchase through them, with no extra cost to you.
*Some of these activity ideas include external links to other sites (e.g., YouTube, Teachers Pay Teachers, etc). At the time of this post, most of these links lead to free activities, resources, or search results for free resources. If links lead to paid resources, I will include this icon: ($).
(This blog is still under construction: completed days = Feb1- 4, 17 - 29)
February National Days
Month-long observances: Black History, American Heart
Specific weekday observances: President's Day, 3rd Monday in February
Date | National Day | Quick Links to View Activities |
Feb 1 | Freedom Day >> | |
Feb 2 | Groundhog Day >> | |
Feb 3 | Feed the Birds Day >> | |
Feb 4 | Sweater Day >> | |
Thank a Mail Carrier Day >> | ||
Feb 5 | Weatherperson's Day | Take me to this section |
Feb 6 | Chopsticks Day | Take me to this section |
Pay a Compliment Day | Take me to this section | |
Feb 7 | Send a Card to a Friend Day | Take me to this section |
World Read Aloud Day | Take me to this section | |
Feb 8 | Kite Flying Day | Take me to this section |
Feb 9 | Pizza Day | Take me to this section |
Feb 10 | Umbrella Day | Take me to this section |
Feb 11 | Inventor's Day | Take me to this section |
Make a Friend Day | Take me to this section | |
Feb 12 | Hug Day | Take me to this section |
Lost Penny Day | Take me to this section | |
Feb 13 | Apology Day | Take me to this section |
Mardi Gras | Take me to this section | |
Feb 14 | Valentine's Day | Take me to this section |
Feb 15 | Gumdrop Day | Take me to this section |
World Hippo Day | Take me to this section | |
Feb 16 | Innovation Day | Take me to this section |
Feb 17 | Random Acts of Kindness >> | |
Feb 18 | Thumb Appreciation Day >> | |
Feb 19 | Chocolate Mint Day >> | |
Feb 20 | National Comfy Day >> | |
Love Your Pet Day >> | ||
Muffin Day >> | ||
Feb 21 | Language Day >> | |
Feb 22 | Be Humble Day >> | |
Single Tasking Day >> | ||
Feb 23 | Tootsie Roll Day >> | |
Feb 24 | Tortilla Chip Day >> | |
Feb 25 | Let's All Eat Right Day >> | |
Quiet Day >> | ||
Feb 26 | Tell a Fairy Tale Day >> | |
Feb 27 | Int'l Polar Bear Day >> | |
Strawberry Day >> | ||
Feb 28 | Pancake Day >> | |
Science Day >> | ||
Tooth Fairy Day >> | ||
Feb 29 | Leap Day >> |
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: Coming Soon
February 6: Coming Soon
February 7: Coming Soon
February 8: Coming Soon
February 9: Coming Soon
February 10: Coming Soon
February 11: Coming Soon
February 12: Coming Soon
February 13: Coming Soon
February 14: Coming Soon
February 15: Coming Soon
February 16: Coming Soon
February 17:
💖 National Random Acts of Kindness Day
About: Established in 1995 by the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation in Denver, Colorado, this day promotes spontaneous acts of kindness to spread positivity.
Fun Fact: Studies show that witnessing kindness boosts your mood, even if you weren’t directly involved. (random: something happens or is chosen without a special plan or pattern.)
Kindness Bingo: Engage students with a bingo game that encourages various kind acts. View these free* resources on Teachers Pay Teachers.
Kindness Tree: Create a classroom tree where students add leaves describing acts of kindness they've performed or witnessed. View free* resources on TpT.
Kindness Jar: Create a Kindness Jar filled with 20 simple acts of kindness ideas for students to draw and discuss ways they would complete the act of kindness.
Popular Children's Books:
Kindness is Cooler, Mrs. Ruler Written by Margery Cuyler and illustrated by Sachiko Yashikawa: Mrs. Ruler encourages her students to perform acts of kindness, leading to a classroom celebration. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
Have You Filled a Bucket Today? Written by Carol McCLoud and illustrated by David Messing: This heartwarming book uses 'bucket filling' as a metaphor for kindness, encouraging children to perform daily acts of kindness to fill both others' and their own buckets.📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
February 18:
👍 National Thumb Appreciation Day
About: While not widely recognized, this day celebrates the importance of thumbs in daily activities.
Fun Fact: The thumb is responsible for about 40% of hand function. Opposable thumbs are a key factor in human evolution, allowing for tool use. (opposable: capable of moving toward and touching the other digits on the same hand).
"Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down" Opinions: Present silly scenarios (e.g., "Would you eat ice cream with ketchup?") and have students vote with a thumbs-up or down, then explain their reasoning using complete sentences.
Thumb-Related Verbs: Practice verbs by describing what they can do with their thumbs (e.g., press, grip, snap, hitchhike, paint).
Thumbprint Art: Students create art using their thumbprints, enhancing fine motor skills and creativity. View these free* thumbprint art resources on TpT.
Thumb Wrestling: Organize friendly thumb wrestling matches while practicing speech/language targets. Want them to create hypotheses about the outcome? View this free* Thumb Wars Experiment on TpT.
Popular Children's Books:
Thumbs Up, Brown Bear Written by Michael Dahl and illustrated by Oriol Vidal: As Little Brown Bear grows older, he needs to learn to stop sucking his thumb. Although it's challenging, he discovers some enjoyable tricks to help him adapt. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
Tom Thumb Written by Eric Carle: Part of a 4 part collection: A beautifully illustrated and simplified version suitable for preschool and early elementary students. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Real Aloud]
Hand, Hand Fingers Thumbs Written by Al Perkins and illustrated by Eric Gurney: This board book introduces early learners to hands, fingers, thumbs, and drums through musical monkeys. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
February 19:
🍫🌿 National Chocolate Mint Day (February 19)
About: National Chocolate Mint Day, recognized by the U.S. National Confectioners Association, celebrates the chocolate and mint flavor combination. This pairing dates back to the 16th century when Europeans added mint to chocolate beverages. It gained significant popularity in the 1940s with the creation of the York Peppermint Pattie.
Fun Fact: The Girl Scouts introduced Thin Mint cookies in 1951, which have become their best-selling cookie variety.
Taste, Test, Describe: Bring in mint chocolate treats (e.g., chocolate mint Kisses, Thin Mints, Andes mints, York Peppermint Patties, or mint chocolate chip cookies).
Would You Rather? - Mint Chocolate Edition: Ask fun questions like, "Would you rather eat mint chocolate chip ice cream or a Thin Mint cookie?", "Would you rather brush your teeth with chocolate-flavored toothpaste or mint-flavored toothpaste?", "Would you rather only eat chocolate or only eat mint for a whole day?", etc. View and download Would Your Rather? - Mint Chocolate Edition.
Word Challenge: See how many words your students can create from "Chocolate Mint Day". Table of words provided in the Chocolate Mint Day Word Challenge worksheet.
Chocolate Mint Articulation Trials: Use real or paper chocolate mint candies as tokens for articulation drill tasks.
Popular Children's Books:
Curious George Goes to a Chocolate Factory Written by Margret & H. A. Rey: Curious George explores a chocolate factory, leading to a series of adventures. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
If You Give a Mouse a Brownie Written by Laura Numeroff and illustrated by Felicia Bond: A mouse's request for a brownie leads to a chain of events, each connected to the next. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
February 20:
🐶 National Love Your Pet Day (February 20)
About: National Love Your Pet Day celebrates the joy pets bring to our lives. Its origins are unclear, but it gained popularity in the early 2000s through social media trends.
Fun Fact: About 67% of U.S. households own a pet.
Directed Drawing Activities: Use sequenced drawing cards within your speech and language activities to draw common pets. Watch this How to Draw Pets YouTube video or sign up for the Speech Hamster Newsletter to download the free printable Drawing Pets Articulation Practice Companion Activity.
Find My Pet Articulation Boom™ Cards: Browse these digital resources ($) OR subscribe to the Speech Hamster Newsletter and grab this freebie for 3 element clusters.
Resources on TpT: Check out these free* pet-themed resources for speech therapy.
Popular Children's Books:
Strictly No Elephants Written by Lisa Mantchev and illustrated by Taeeun Yoo:
This charming story highlights friendship and inclusion as a boy and his pet elephant create a space for everyone. It encourages discussions on feelings and community. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
Some Pets Written by Angela DiTerlizzi and illustrated by Brendan Wenzel: A lively rhyming book that introduces various types of pets, celebrating their uniqueness with vibrant illustrations. Great for building vocabulary and animal descriptions. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
Harry the Dirty Dog Written by Gene Zion and illustrated by Margaret Bloy Graham: A classic tale about a mischievous dog who gets so dirty his family doesn't recognize him. Perfect for sequencing activities and describing actions. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
🧁 National Muffin Day (February 20)
About: National Muffin Day was started by Jacob Kaufman and Julia Levy to raise awareness for homelessness by donating muffins and raising funds.
Fun Fact: The first muffins were made in Wales, Great Britain in the 11th century. The word "muffin" probably comes from the French word "moufflet," which means soft bread.
Phonological Awareness: Ask students to say the sound that begins each of the following muffin-related words: muffin, bake, cinnamon, mix, dough, taste, cherry, cake, sugar, blueberries, flour, sweet, and crumbs. How many other muffin-related words can they add to the list?
Counting Syllables: Clap and count the syllables in these muffin-themed words: muffin (2), blueberry (3), chocolate (3), banana (3), strawberry (3), cinnamon (3), bakery (3), vanilla (3), pan (1)
Muffin Liner Matching: Download this National Muffin Day freebie on TpT. Cut out the images and glue them to the bottom of 12 muffin liners. Add to muffin tin. Take turns finding matches by turning over two liners. Encourage articulation practice by rolling a dice into each liner and practicing that number of words before turning them over.
Popular Children's Books:
If You Give a Moose a Muffin Written by Laura Numeroff and illustrated by Felicia Bond: If you give a moose a muffin, he'll want some jam to go with it, which sets off a chain reaction of requests and activities. Eventually, he gets hungry again and remembers the muffin, bringing the story full circle.
📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
If You Give a Puffin a Muffin Written by Timothy Young:
When Puffin is given a muffin, he understands that he's part of another picture book and caught in a faulty rhyming scheme. Overwhelmed by his emotions, chaos erupts as he attempts to flee the storyline. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
Muffin and Cupcake Written by Mimi Michaels and illustrated by Karen Hope Moss: A story celebrating differences: Muffin and Cupcake, friends since their batter days, grow to be different but share the same inner sweetness.
📖 [Amazon Link]
🛋️ National Comfy Day (February 20)
About: National Comfy Day was created to celebrate self-care, relaxation, and comfort, encouraging people to take a cozy break from their busy lives.
Fun Facts: Soft blankets can trigger the brain to release serotonin, boosting mood. Warm colors like yellow and orange can promote feelings of coziness.
Comfy Corner Story Time: Set up a cozy area with pillows and read-aloud books, then have students retell the stories.
Comfy Objects Scavenger Hunt: Place soft items around the room (e.g., stuffed animal, pillow, slippers, sleep mask, socks, sweater, soft bean bag, hot water bottle, heating pad, fleece scarf, hat or sweater). Take turns describing items to be found (e.g., it's soft and keeps you snug and warm on a cold night, you can hug this soft, plushy item).
Describing Activity: Place soft items in a bag individually. Ask students to reach into the bag, use descriptive words to identify what they feel, and attempt to guess the item. Once revealed, they can also describe the item's function.
Popular Children's Books:
Llama Llama Red Pajama Written and illustrated by Anna Dewdney: Mama Llama returns to comfort Baby Llama, explaining that she is always near even if she's not in the room. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
The Rabbit Listened Written and illustrated by Cori Doerrfeld: When something sad happens, Taylor feels lost. The animals in the story each suggest solutions. Then the rabbit arrives and simply listens, which is exactly what Taylor needs. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
Too Purply Written by Jean Reidy and illustrated by Geneviève LeLoup: A little girl searches for the perfect outfit—not too scratchy, stiff, or tight—until she finds the most comfortable clothes for her. [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
Froggy Gets Dressed Written by Jonathan London and illustrated by Frank Remkiewicz: Froggy wants to play in the snow, but he keeps forgetting different pieces of clothing. A fun book that introduces warm, comfy clothing choices for winter. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
February 21:
🗨️ National Language Day (February 21)
About: Celebrated worldwide to honor linguistic diversity and promote multilingualism.
Fun Fact: Over 7,000 languages are spoken worldwide.
Word Sort: Write out words (nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs) on sticky notes and have students sort them by parts of speech or by syllable count.
Build a Sentence Challenge: Provide word cards (nouns, verbs, adjectives) and have students create silly or meaningful sentences.
Mystery Word Bag: Place objects or pictures in a bag. Students pull one out and describe it using 3-5 clues before peers guess the word.
Popular Children's Books:
Alma and How She Got Her Name Written by Juana Martinez-Neal: A young girl named Alma believes her name is too long. Her father explains the significance of each part, connecting her to family history and helping her embrace her identity. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
The Word Collector Written and Illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds: This story follows a boy who loves collecting words and discovering their beauty. When his collection spills, he realizes the power of sharing words and how they can inspire others. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
Say Hello! Written by Rachel Isadora: This story follows a young girl named Carmelita as she walks through her diverse neighborhood, greeting people in different languages. Through her journey, she discovers the many ways people say "hello," celebrating cultural diversity and language. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
February 22:
🌿 National Be Humble Day (February 22)
About: National Be Humble Day encourages humility and kindness. Its exact origin is unknown, but it promotes selflessness and gratitude.
Fun Facts: Studies show humble people have stronger relationships. Humility is considered a key trait of effective leaders. (humble: being kind, respectful, and thinking of others first without bragging)
Humble or Not? Sorting Activity: Use this Humble or Not Sorting Activity to help students identify humble and boastful behaviors through real-life scenarios. It can be used in individual or group settings to promote social skills, discussion, and self-awareness.
Synonym Search: Identify and discuss synonyms for words like humble, kind, and generous to build vocabulary.
Discussion Prompts: Use prompts like “How can you tell when someone is humble?” or “How do you feel when someone brags?” to support vocabulary and social emotional learning.
Popular Children's Books:
The Lion and the Mouse Written by Jerry Pinkney: A wordless story about gratitude and seeing beauty in everyday life. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
Last Stop on Market Street Written by Matt de la Peña and illustrated by Christian Robinson: A story about gratitude and seeing beauty in everyday life. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
🧩 National Single Tasking Day (February 22)
About: Created to promote focus and productivity by encouraging people to complete one task at a time.
Fun Fact: It takes about 23 minutes to refocus after being distracted.
Task Completion Challenge: Give students one task (e.g., naming objects or describing a picture) and time them to maintain focus.
Following Directions Game: Provide multi-step directions to build listening and attention skills. View this collection of Following Directions for Linguistic Concepts ($) on Teachers Pay Teachers. Visit goblin.tools "Magic To Do" page and explore how to break tasks down into smaller parts.
Popular Children's Books:
What Do You Do with a Problem? Written by Kobi Yamada and illustrated by Mae Besom: A story that follows a child learning to tackle a problem step-by-step, building resilience and problem-solving skills, lending itself for discussions on how "worry" can distract our focus. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
Interrupting Chicken Written and illustrated by David Ezra Stein: A humorous story about a little chicken learning to listen and focus during story time, making it perfect for discussions on "interrupting" and the difficulties of single-tasking. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
February 23:
🍬 National Tootsie Roll Day (February 23)
About: National Tootsie Roll Day honors the creation of the iconic candy, first made in 1907 by Leo Hirschfield, named after his daughter’s nickname, “Tootsie.”
Fun Facts: Tootsie Rolls were the first individually wrapped penny candy. Over 64 million Tootsie Rolls are made daily.
Tootsie Roll Fill-in-the-Blank Story: Download this Tootsie Candy Activities resource to access a fill-in-the-blank story or use the following prompt in ChatGPT (edit prompt where needed): Create a mad-lib style fill-in-the-blank story with a tootsie roll theme, including at least eight fill-in-the-blanks for nouns, verbs, and adjectives. The story needs to be written at a 3rd grade reading level.
Tootsie Candy Trials: Download this Tootsie Candy Activities resource to access the 50 Tootsie Candy Trials worksheet for articulation practice or any other activity that includes repeated practice.
Popular Children's Books:
Tootsie Roll Coloring Book (24 pages) Written by Ivan Brown: Filled with illustrations of all the favorite Tootsie Roll brands, including Tootsie Roll, Tootsie Roll Pops, Blow Pop, Sugar Daddy, Charleston Chew, Junior Mints, and more! 📖 [Amazon Link]
February 24:
🌮 National Tortilla Chip Day (February 24)
About: National Tortilla Chip Day celebrates the crispy, salty snack popular in Mexican cuisine. Rebecca Webb Carranza reportedly popularized tortilla chips in the 1940s as a way to use leftover tortillas.
Fun Fact: The tortilla chip is the official state snack of Texas and is typically made from corn, salt, and oil.
Crunchy Rhymes: Have students name rhymes for words like chip (e.g., dip, flip, sip), corn (e.g, horn, born, torn), crunch (e.g., punch, punch, lunch), and snack (e.g., back, track, sack).
Tortilla Chip Theme Activities: Cut out yellow triangle "chips" from construction paper. Have students write out target words on each triangle. Place them in a bowl or bag and take turns taking a "chip" and practicing the words. Make a "game over" spicy chip for extra fun? Who can collect the most chips before it gets too spicy?
Articulation Chip Practice: write sound specific target words on each "chip".
Crunchy Rhyme Challenge: Write out tortilla themed words and have students come up with words that rhyme? (chip: dip, sip, flip, corn: torn, born, horn, crunch: lunch, punch, crisp: wisp, lisp, heat: neat, eat, feet, spice: nice, dice, twice.
Corny Compound Words: write out words that can form compound words and have students choose "chips" until they find two that form a word. Then have them pull two chips to create silly words!
Vocabulary Words: Use words from Dragons Love Tacos or Chicks and Salsa. Write the word on one chip and the definition on another. Mix them all up and have students match the word "chip" to the definition "chip".
Popular Children's Books:
Dragons Love Tacos Written by Adam Rubin Written and illustrated by Daniel Salmieri: A humorous story about dragons and their love for tacos, perfect for practicing sequencing and vocabulary. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
Chicks and Salsa Written by Aaron Reynolds and illustrated by Paulette Bogan: A fun farmyard tale where animals throw a fiesta. Filled with descriptive language and playful scenes. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
February 25:
🥦 National Let's All Eat Right Day (February 25)
About: Honors the birthday of Adelle Davis, a pioneer in the nutrition movement.
Fun Fact: Bananas are berries, but strawberries aren’t berries! Botanically, bananas fit the berry definition, but strawberries do not because their seeds are on the outside.
Eat the Rainbow Word List Activities: Use these Word List Activities and have students brainstorm and write down names of healthy foods that start with the first letter of each color of the rainbow: Red = radish, Orange = orange (ha), Yellow = , Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet (or Purple) OR are the same color as the colors of the rainbow.
Unhealthy vs. Healthy Food Sort: Gather all of your picture cards of foods (you know you have those old boxes of flashcards somewhere) and have students sort them into healthy/unhealthy categories (or by fruits/vegetables, etc).
Popular Children's Books:
Good Enough to Eat Written and Illustrated by Lizzy Rockwell: An informative book that teaches children about nutrition in a fun and easy-to-understand way. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
Which Food Will You Choose? Written by Clair Potter and illustrated by Ailie Busby: A book designed to encourage picky eaters to venture beyond ''beige'' and discover an entirely new vibrant world of food. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
🤫 National Quiet Day (February 25)
About: A day to encourage people to enjoy silence and reflect.
Fun Facts: Quiet helps reduce stress and improve focus. Spending time in silence can improve listening skills.
Shhh Articulation Words: Make a list and practice words that begin or end with "sh".
Vocabulary Charades: Write out target vocabulary words (or use picture cards) and place them in a bag. Take turns choosing a card from the bag without showing it to others. Act out the word using gestures and movement while others try to guess the word.
Quiet Places: Discuss different places you might go when it's important to stay quiet and why.
Quiet Objects: Take turns naming items that make no noise or very little noise if thrown or dropped (e.g., cotton balls, snow, feather, etc.).
Popular Children's Books:
The Quiet Book Written by Deborah Underwood and illustrated by Renata Liwska: A gentle story exploring different kinds of quiet moments children experience. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
Silence Written and illustrated by Lemniscates: An illustrated book that encourages readers to stop, listen, and pay attention to what otherwise gets lost in our noisy environments. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
Listen Written by Gabi Snyder and illustrated by Stephanie Graegin: A story about paying attention to the sounds of the world, promoting listening skills. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
February 26:
📚 National Tell a Fairy Tale Day (February 26)
About: A day to celebrate storytelling and imagination through fairy tales.
Fun Fact: Fairy tales often teach moral lessons.
Create Your Own Fairy Tale: Have students build a story with a hero, a problem, and a solution or follow the outline from this Let's Tell a Fairy Tale resource following the Story Grammar Marker® components.
Magic Wand Craft: Create wands using paper towel rolls and stars cut from paper. What would you wish for?
Fairy Tale Resources for Speech Therapy: View these free* resources on Teachers Pay Teachers.
Popular Children's Books:
Goldilocks and the Three Bears Written and Illustrated by James Marshall: A humorous retelling of the classic tale with lively illustrations. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
The Three Little Pigs Written and Illustrated by David Wiesner: A creative twist on the traditional story with the pigs stepping out of their storybook world.
📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
The Three Little Fish and the Big Bad Shark: Written by Ken Geist and illustrated by Julia Gorton: Three little fish build homes from seaweed, sand, and coral reef. A shark destroys the first two homes, but the sturdy coral house protects them all. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
February 27:
🐻 International Polar Bear Day (February 27)
About: Established by Polar Bears International to raise awareness about the challenges polar bears face due to climate change.
Fun Facts: Polar bears have black skin under their white fur to absorb heat. They can swim for days at a time to find food.
Cotton Ball Polar Bears: Use cotton balls and glue to create a fuzzy polar bear picture. Use this free* downloadable picture from Teachers Pay Teachers.
Polar Bear Activities for Speech Therapy: View these free* resources on Teachers Pay Teachers.
Virtual Field Trip to the Arctic: Explore the world of polar bears with a National Geographic Kids Arctic Animals virtual tour.
Create a Polar Bear Mask: Use paper plates, cotton balls, and markers to make polar bear masks while practicing speech/language targets. A visual example with instructions can be found on a post by I Heart Crafty Things. Be sure to include sequencing words (first, next, then) and/or themed vocabulary while creating the craft.
Popular Children's Books:
Little Polar Bear Written and Illustrated by Hans de Beer: Follows the adventures of a polar bear cub who gets lost, highlighting themes of friendship and courage. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
Where Do Polar Bears Live? Written by Sarah L. Thomson and illustrated by Jason Chin: An informative book that explores polar bears’ Arctic habitat and the effects of climate change. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
Polar Bear, Polar Bear What Do You Hear Written by Bill Martin Jr. and illustrated by Eric Carle: A rhythmic story where animals take turns making sounds, helping children practice listening and prediction skills. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
🍓 National Strawberry Day (February 27)
About: A day to celebrate the popular, sweet fruit enjoyed worldwide.
Fun Facts: Strawberries are the only fruit with seeds on the outside, which technically makes them "not" berries. They belong to the rose family.
Strawberry Sound Hunt: Write out the following /str/ clusters on strawberry images to use for articulation practice: strawberry, straw, stripe, stretch, string, struggle, straight, street, stranger, strum, strike, stroke, streak. You can use this free Strawberry Activities resource (includes a 50 Strawberry Trials for articulation practice).
Strawberry Craft: Check out this free* Strawberry Craft on Teachers Pay Teachers.
Strawberry Numbers for Articulation: Use these free* Strawberry Numbers clip art images to create number cards for articulation practice. Pick a strawberry card and practice the same number of words.
Compound Word Activities: straw-berry, cup-cake, milk-shake, foot-ball, note-book. Check out these free* compound word resources on TpT.
Popular Children's Books:
The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear Written by Audrey Wood and illustrated by Don Wood: A playful story with humor and suspense about protecting a delicious strawberry. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud, creative adaptation]
Jamberry Written and illustrated by Bruce Degen: This book features a berry-loving boy and an endearing rhyme-spouting bear. A fun wordplay with bright paintings and lots of details. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
February 28:
🥞 National Pancake Day (February 28)
About: There are two National Pancake Days (September 26 and February 28). IHOP is most known for promoting this month's celebration. Pancake lovers welcome both dates to cherish the fluffy, golden delights.
Fun Fact: The world record for pancake flipping is 140 flips in one minute.
Pancake Articulation: Use play dough to make pancake shapes (or paper plates or any circle shape). Have students use a spatula to flip the pancakes over as they practice their speech sound targets.
Compound Word Activities: pan-cake, cup-cake, milk-shake, foot-ball, note-book. Check out these free* compound word resources on TpT.
Free Pancake Theme Activities: Check out the free* pancake resources on TpT.
Popular Children's Books:
If You Give a Pig a Pancake Written by Laura Numeroff and illustrated by Felicia Bond: This story takes readers on a fun journey through a pig's request that triggers a series of humorous events, teaching children about cause and effect. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud] 🛒 [Free Resources on TpT]
Pancakes, Pancakes Written and illustrated by Eric Carle: A story about a boy making pancakes, perfect for sequencing practice. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
🔬 National Science Day (February 28)
About: Honors Indian physicist C.V. Raman's discovery of the Raman effect, which is the scattering of light that changes its wavelength when passing through a material. You can see the rainbow effect of light scattering in bubbles or prisms.
Fun Fact: The Raman effect is sometimes called the "fingerprint of molecules".
Scientific Vocabulary Matching: Label and discuss the function of common Scientific Instrument Vocabulary.
Rainbow Density Jar: Layer colored liquids of different densities (such as honey, corn syrup, dish soap, and water) into a clear jar to create a rainbow effect. Add food coloring to each liquid and carefully pour them in layers using a spoon to maintain separation.
Science Related Words: in alphabetical order - acid, air, astronaut, atmosphere, atom, bacteria, balance, battery, beaker, buoyancy, carbon, chemical, climate, cloud, circuit, data, density, discovery, dissolve, DNA, Earth, electricity, energy, engineer, experiment, fission, fluid, force, fossil, friction, gas, galaxy, gravity, greenhouse, genetic, habitat, heat, helium, hypothesis, humidity, invention, investigation, isotope, inertia, infrared, jet, joule, Jupiter, joint, journey, kinetic, kilogram, kelvin, krypton, knowledge, lab, laser, lever, liquid, light, magnet, matter, molecule, motion, microscope, neutron, Newton, nucleus, nitrogen, natural, observation, orbit, organism, oxygen, ozone, planet, periodic, photosynthesis, physics, pressure, quartz, quasar, quantity, quantum, question, radiation, reaction, recycle, research, robot, satellite, scientist, solar, spectrum, substance, telescope, temperature, test tube, theory, thermodynamics, ultraviolet, universe, uranium, underwater, unit, vaccine, variable, velocity, vibration, volcano, water, wavelength, weather, weight, wind, X-ray, xenon, x-axis, X chromosome, experiment, yeast, yellow dwarf, yield, yardstick, zero gravity, zoology, zone, zygote, and zinc.
Popular Children's Books:
Ada Twist, Scientist Written by Andrea Beaty and illustrated by David Roberts: A story about a curious girl who loves solving problems through science. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
Rosie Revere, Engineer Written by Andrea Beaty and illustrated by David Roberts: An inspiring tale about creativity, perseverance, and invention. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
What Do You Do With An Idea Written by Kobi Yamada and illustrated by Mae Besom: Text 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
🦷 National Tooth Fairy Day (February 28)
About: Celebrates the childhood tradition of the Tooth Fairy.
Fun Fact: The Tooth Fairy is known in many cultures, though traditions vary. Some children leave teeth under their pillows, others in special boxes.
Tooth Fairy Riddles: Have students identify and label vocabulary about tooth and tooth hygiene with this Tooth Fairy Riddles activity.
Tooth Fairy Story Creation: Create and tell a story about a Tooth Fairy adventure. Use the same format as the Let's Tell a Fairy Tale resource.
Tooth Fairy Resources: Discover these free* Tooth Fairy resources and activities on Teachers Pay Teachers.
Popular Children's Books:
Bear's Loose Tooth Written by Karma Wilson and illustrated by Jane Chapman: A rhyming story about Bear losing his tooth and his friends helping him. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
How to Catch the Tooth Fairy Written by Adam Wallace and illustrated by Andy Elkerton: A playful adventure filled with rhymes and attempts to catch the Tooth Fairy. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
February 29:
🐸 Leap Day (February 29)
About: Leap Day occurs every four years to keep our calendar aligned with Earth's orbit around the Sun. Leap Year has 366 days instead of 365.
Fun Facts: People born on Leap Day are known as “Leaplings.” The odds of being born on Leap Day are 1 in 1,461.
Leap Year Articulation Practice: Use this 50 Leap Year Trials activity to color in every fourth frog while practicing target speech sounds/words. Repeat until all the frogs are colored in.
Leap Day Story: Create a story about someone celebrating their birthday on Leap Day using who, what, when, where, and why prompts.
Leap Year Resources: Discover these free* Leap Year resources and activities on Teachers Pay Teachers.
Popular Children's Books:
Leap's Day: February 29 Written by Stephanie Bee Simmons: An engaging story explaining the concept of Leap Day through a playful narrative. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
What is Leap Year? Did You Know... Written by Tatyana Ferrahi: Join Zachariah and Wizard as they discover the meaning behind adding an extra day to the month of February. 📖 [Amazon Link]
Embrace the Fun of February Celebrations
From exploring random acts of kindness to telling fairy tales or planning chocolate mint day activities, incorporating some of the national days of February into your speech-language therapy sessions can be an easy, fun-filled way to provide meaningful, relatable experiences while supporting a student's speech and language skill development.
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