Looking for fun and engaging ways to liven up your speech therapy sessions this month? National Days in March can be a simple and creative way to add variety while targeting speech and language goals!
Welcome to National Days in March Week 1! Whether you're observing World Compliment Day on March 1, celebrating Cheese Doodle Day on March 5, or looking for a quick session idea for Dentist's Day, the following themed ideas might inspire you and ignite your creativity.
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Use the table below to explore some of the national days celebrated the first week in March. To avoid scrolling fatigue, use the quick links to view activity ideas and book suggestions for each theme.
When you're done browsing, use these links to view additional weeks:
March National Days Week 2 (March 8 - 14)
March National Days Week 3 (March 15 - 21)
March National Days Week 4+ (March 22 - 31)
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 original source for current availability and terms.
March National Days Week 1
(Month-long Observances: Women's History, National Nutrition)
Date | National Day Quick Links |
March 1 | |
March 2 | |
March 3 | |
March 4 | |
March 5 | |
March 6 | |
March 7 | |
March 1:
🐷 National Pig Day (March 1)
About: National Pig Day, celebrated annually on March 1, honors pigs' intelligence, social nature, and contributions to agriculture and culture.
Fun Fact: Pigs are highly intelligent and can learn tricks, recognize their names, and even play video games with joysticks!
"Pop the Pig" Game: You either love or hate this game, but the kids love it! Use it as an open ended activity for targeting specific speech/language targets. Roll a die, choose a burger, practice the same number of "targets" as the number on the burger then feed the burger to the pig, press his head the same number of times. Keep playing until his belly expands enough to "pop" the pig's belt open.
Pig Craft with Sequencing Language: Create a pig using paper plates, tissue paper, glue, and other craft materials. As students assemble their craft, encourage the use of sequencing words (first, next, then, last) to describe the process. This promotes expressive language and procedural vocabulary. Search these free* pig craft resources on TeachersPayTeachers.
Low/No Prep Pig Themed Activities: Check out these free pig-themed resources:
100 Pig Trials - Open Ended Card Game for Articulation [pdf download]
Story Sequencing for The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs (Teachers Pay Teachers)
Boom Cards: 3 Little Pigs Preposition Freebie (Boom Learning), Help Pig Get Dressed - articulation for /p/ (Boom Learning Free Sampler).
Game Companion for Pop the Pig (Teachers Pay Teachers)
Easy Pig Craft: Use the YouTube video to follow directions. When completed, review the sequence or the vocabulary /concepts (trim, half, longer, shorter, edge, etc.)
How to Draw a Pig [YouTube]
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]
The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs Written by Jon Scieszka and illustrated by Lane Smith: Offers a humorous twist on the classic tale by narrating from the Big Bad Wolf's perspective, claiming he was misunderstood. With playful language and quirky illustrations, the book challenges the traditional narrative. 📖 [Amazon Link] [YouTube Read Aloud] [Free Resources on TpT]
😊 National Share a Smile Day (March 1)
About: Created to encourage acts of kindness and the sharing of smiles to brighten people's days.
Fun Fact: Studies show that smiling boosts mood and reduces pain by releasing endorphins, making it a powerful way to improve someone's day.
Smile Compliment Chain: Students give a compliment to a peer and draw a smiley face. Connect the faces to make a kindness chain.
"Pass the Smile" Game for Small Groups: Similar to "Hot Potato," students pass around a smiling stuffed animal while practicing target words, sentences, etc.
Smile Sound Hunt: Draw smiley faces on post-it notes along with target words and hide around the room. Have students find and say the word on each smile "note". Gather all the words to create sentences and stories.
Free Resources: Check out these free* "smiling" theme resources (including clip art) on Teachers Pay Teachers.
Popular Children's Books:
Miles of Smiles Written by Karen Kaufman Orloffand illustrated by Luciano Lozano: A smile's journey starts with a baby, spreading joy throughout the community - bringing everyone together. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
The Smile Shop Written and illustrated by Satoshi Kitamura: A young boy sets out to buy something special but discovers the most valuable thing is a simple smile. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
When I Smile Written Jo Witek and illustrated by Christine Roussey: One girl discusses the power of a smile and the many different smiles she gives to those around her. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [Youtube Read Aloud]
💬 World Compliment Day (March 1)
About: Initiated in the Netherlands, this day focuses on spreading joy through sincere compliments (i.e., kind words spoken about someone or something to convey praise, admiration, or respect).
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 looks like 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]
March 2:
🏺 National Old Stuff Day (March 2)
About: Encourages people to appreciate and rediscover old items, promoting decluttering and valuing antiques.
Fun Fact: The world's oldest known "stuff" is the zircon crystal, dating back over 4.4 billion years.
Flashcard Sort: Grab those oldie but goodie flashcards you've been hanging on to and have your students sort them into old and new (unless your cards are ALL OLD!)
Repurposing Old into New: Ask your older students to make a list of "old" items and discuss how it could be used in a "new" way (e.g., old jar = pencil holder, old CDs = sun catcher, empty egg card = seed starter, old puzzle pieces = new artwork, old shoe box = dollhouse, worn-out jeans = denim pocket coin purse, old sock = puppet).
What's Older? Name two items (e.g., feather quill and pen) and have students choose which one has been around longer. This What's Older activity includes pictures. Use these pictures for the idea below.
Compare/Contrast: Name two similar items, one old and one new and have student's describe the similarities and differences between them. You can use most of the pictures from the What's Older PDF (above) for this activity as well.
Popular Children's Books:
Joseph Had a Little Overcoat Written and illustrated by Simms Taback: Joseph has an old, worn-out coat, but instead of throwing it away, he keeps turning it into something new. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
Those Shoes Written by Maribeth Boelts and illustrated by Noah Z. Jones: A boy wants new, trendy shoes, but when he finds an old, secondhand pair, he learns about kindness, gratitude, and helping others. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
One Little Bag: An Amazing Journey Written and illustrated by Henry Cole: A wordless picture book following the life of a single paper bag that gets reused for years, showing the importance of conservation. 📖 [Amazon Link]
March 3:
🎵 National Anthem Day (March 3)
About: Commemorates the adoption of "The Star-Spangled Banner" as the U.S. national anthem on March 3, 1931.
Fun Fact: The song was based on a melody from an old British tune! It has a very wide vocal range, making it tricky to sing.
Draw it Out: Use this free* National Anthem Sketch Picture activity from Civics Studies on Teachers Pay Teachers to discuss the meaning behind the song.
Craft Activity: Make a flag by tearing red, white, and blue paper into small pieces and gluing them onto a flag outline.
Popular Children's Books:
The Flag We Love Written by Pam Muñoz Ryan and illustrated by Ralph Masiello: A simple introduction to the American flag and what it stands for. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
The Star Spangled Banner Written by Peter Spier: This book explains the history of the U.S. national anthem through the illustration of the lyrics. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
📵 National Day of Unplugging (March 3)
About: The National Day of Unplugging encourages people to take a break from screens—like TVs, tablets, and phones—for 24 hours and enjoy time connecting with family, friends, and the world around them.
Fun Fact: The average person spends more than 7 hours a day looking at screens!
Category Sort: "What activities can you do inside without a screen?" vs. "What activities can you do outside?"
Vocabulary: Have your students name items that are considered "screen time" activities or devices and "screen free" activities. Use this Screen Time vs Screen Free resource list as reference.
Talk About Alternatives: Use this free "What Could You Do?" resource and give students a scenario (e.g., "It’s raining outside, and you don’t have a screen. What could you do for fun?") and have them come up with a solution.
Play Would You Rather: Choose between Screen Time vs Screen Free or between Screen Free activities with this free Would You Rather downloadable PDF.
Popular Children's Books:
Unplugged Written by Steve Antony: Blip the robot loves screens but one day loses power and discovers all the fun of playing outside. A great book for discussing screen-free fun! 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
Hello! Hello! Written by Matthew Cordell: A little girl finds everyone around her glued to screens, so she explores outside and discovers real adventure! 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
March 4:
📚 National Grammar Day (March 4)
About: celebrates the rules of language that help us communicate clearly. Good grammar helps us speak, write, and understand each other better. The slogan for National Grammar Day is "Everybody wants to be correct, but nobody wants to be corrected".
Fun Fact: The longest sentence ever written in literature is over 13,000 words long!
Build Sentences: Give students three words (e.g., dog, run, park) and have them create a correct sentence. Use this Make a Sentence Challenge resource for early and older elementary students.
Discrimination Task: Read sentences and have students decide if they are Correct or Not Correct (free PDF download). If not correct, have them fix it.
Search Printable Grammar Resources: Check out these free* grammar resources on TpT.
Search Digital Grammar Resources: Check out these free* Boom Cards on Boom Learning.
Popular Children's Books:
Eats, Shoots & Leaves: Why, Commas Really Do Make a Difference! Written by Lynne Truss and Illustrated by Bonnie Timmons: A fun look at punctuation, showing how tiny grammar changes can completely change a sentence! 📖 [Amazon Link]
The Word Collector Written and Illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds: 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]
🍎 National Snack Day (March 4)
About: National Snack Day celebrates the fun and variety of snacks we enjoy every day, from healthy treats like fruit and yogurt to indulgent favorites like popcorn and cookies. It’s a great time to explore different flavors, textures, and mindful eating choices.
Fun Fact: The world’s largest chocolate bar weighed over 12,000 pounds—that’s heavier than a car!
Articulation "Snack" Words: Practice snack-related words with target sounds
S Clusters: snack mix, spoon, spill, spicy, string cheese, strawberries
CH sound: cheese, chips, chocolate, cherries, crunchy
L sound: licorice, lollipop, lemonade, little
R sound: raisins, rice cake, raspberry, caramel, pretzel
S sound: salami, seaweed, salsa, soda, sunflower seeds
TH sound: smoothie, thick, thin chips
SH sound: sherbet, shake, sugar, marshmallow
J sound: juice, jelly, jellybeans, jam
K sound: carrot sticks, corn nuts, caramel corn, candy
"What's the Snack?" Game: Give clues about a snack (e.g., It’s yellow, comes in a bunch, and monkeys love it! → Banana) and have students guess.
Sorting Activity: Sort healthy vs. unhealthy snacks based on a set of pictures.
Craft Activity: Give students a paper plate and cut-out pictures of different foods to glue onto the plate. Have them describe each snack they chose.
Snacks and Books: Check out the Primary Playground blog posts for creative snack ideas that are paired with book themes.
Digital Options: Search these free Boom Cards for snack themes.
Popular Children's Books:
The Very Hungry Caterpillar Written by Eric Carle: The classic story about a caterpillar who eats his way through lots of snacks before transforming into a butterfly. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
Should I Share My Ice Cream? Written by Mo Willems: Gerald the elephant struggles with a big decision—should he share his favorite snack? A great book for talking about sharing and making choices. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
How Did That Get in My Lunchbox? The Story of Food by Chris Butterworth: A fun and informative book showing where our snacks and lunch foods come from. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
March 5:
🧀 National Cheese Doodle Day (March 5)
About: National Cheese Doodle Day celebrates the crunchy, cheesy snack that has been a favorite for decades. Whether puffed or crunchy, cheese doodles are known for their bright orange coating and satisfying texture.
Fun Fact: The first cheese doodles were created by accident when cornmeal was puffed through an animal feed machine.
Cheese Doodle Doodles: Bring cheese doodles to your sessions and use them as mouths, eyebrows, mustaches, or more to make your doodles cheesy!
Cheese Doodle Articulation Artwork: Draw an outline of a cheese doodle on some paper and use torn pieces of orange tissue or construction paper to fill it in. I always try to get as many trials as I can, so bring dice to the activity and roll to practice the same # of words and then glue on the same # of orange paper pieces.
Cheese Doodle Crafty Make and Take: This takes some planning, but grab those carrot-shaped clear bags and fill them with cheesy puff balls as your student completes skilled tasks. Once filled, tie up with a green pipe cleaner or ribbon to complete the make-and-take snack bog. (Use your favorite search engine to find "cheese doodle carrot" images).
National Cheese Doodle Day Resources on TpT: I couldn't find free resources, but there are some paid ones if you want to search there.
How Cheese Puffs Are Made*: View "How Cheese Puffs Are Made" on YouTube (Unwrapped 2.0, Food Network). *As always with video content, preview beforehand.
Popular Children's Books:
Snack Attack Written and illustrated by Terry Border: OOh! This one is fun! A cracker, a pretzel, and a cheese puff try to escape snack time, leading to a humorous adventure. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
🏷️ National Learn What Your Name Means Day (March 5)
About: This day is part of Celebrate Your Name Week, encouraging people to explore the meaning, origin, and history of their names.
Fun Fact: Many names have meanings tied to nature, strength, or virtues (e.g., "Leo" means lion, "Sophia" means wisdom).
Look it Up: Search your student's names (in advance) to find the meanings. Connect with their families to discover any special considerations behind the name choice. Share the meanings with students (if they don't know) and ask if they think the meaning fits.
Synonyms: Look up and make a list of synonyms of the name meaning (if applicable).
Name Generator Articulation Practice: Create a list of nouns, verbs and adjectives that begin with target sounds. Have students pick a first, middle and last name. Better yet, download this free Who Am I? - Name Generator Sampler for "s" (all word positions). If you like the sampler, you can grab the full resource on Teachers Pay Teachers or shop the Speech Hamster Store:
Name Craft: Make a name acrostic poem where each letter stands for something about the student or something the student likes.
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]
Chrysanthemum by Written and illustrated by Kevin Henkes: A little mouse named Chrysanthemum loves her unique name until she starts school and classmates tease her about it. The story teaches self-confidence and embracing what makes us special. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
March 6:
🦷 National Dentist's Day (March 6)
About: National Dentists Day recognizes the important role dentists play in keeping our teeth healthy.
Fun Fact: The first toothbrush with bristles was invented in China in the 1400s and was made from animal hair.
Tooth Themed Card Game: Play this free* Tooth-Themed Open Ended Card Game which comes with a 50 Tooth Trials for articulation practice too!
Dental Health Themed Resources: These are some free* resources found on Teachers Pay Teachers you can browse through for inspiration.
Crocodile Dentist: This is a children's favorite for sure. These are free TpT resources specific to this activity.
Speech Therapy Activities: Check out these free* resources specific to speech therapy (yep, on TpT again).
Boom Cards: Boom Learning has some free* dental themed activities.
Popular Children's Books:
Bear's Loose Tooth Written by Karma Wilson and illustrated by Jane Chapman: Bear has a loose tooth, and his animal friends help him feel better about losing it. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud] 🛒 [Free Resource on TpT]
Let's Meet a Dentist Written by Bridget Heos and illustrated by Kyle Poling: Dr. Florez is a dentist. She welcomes a class full of curious visitors as they try out her dentist's chair and look at X-rays of teeth. They also learn how she helps patients keep their teeth clean and healthy. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
Going to the Dentist Written by Annie Civardi and illustrated by Stephan Cartwright: A gentle introduction to what happens during a visit to the dentist’s office. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
The Tooth Book by Dr. Seuss Written by Theo LeSieg: A playful look at teeth—who has them, what they do, and why they’re important. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
🍪 National Oreo Cookie Day (March 6)
About: March 6 celebrates the anniversary of one of the most popular cookies in the world. It was first introduced as the Oreo Biscuit.
Fun Fact: David Rush holds the Guinness World Record (2023) for the most cream-filled biscuits stacked in 30 seconds (Total: 38)
Oreo Activities: This requires purchasing the delicious treats
Stacking contest: collect a cookie after practicing "so many" speech or language targets and see how many can be stacked before tumbling.
Patterns: use regular size and mini cookies to create a pattern and have students copy the pattern as they collect cookies.
Directions: use cookies for following directions (e.g., put the small one under the large one, pick up the large one before you pick up the small one, put two cookies on the plate and one in the bowl)
Use your favorite search engine to view how these cookes are used to teach the lunar cycles. So fun (and yummy)!
Milk and Cookie Activities: Panda Speech has a Milk and Cookie Language Pack listed as a freebie on Teachers Pay Teachers.
Popular Children's Books:
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie Written by Laura Numeroff and illustrated by Felicia Bond: A curious mouse asks for a cookie, leading to a chain of humorous events. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud] 🛒 [Free Resources on TpT]
The Duckling Gets a Cookie!? Written by Mo Willems: Duckling gets a cookie simply by asking, which makes Pigeon very upset. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
Cookies! Bite-Size Life Lessons Written by Amy Krouse Rosenthal and Illustrated by Jane Dyer: A sweet introduction to important life lessons (e.g., patience, compassion, greed, generosity, honesty, regret) all explained through cookies. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
March 7:
🥣 National Cereal Day (March 7)
About: celebrates one of the most popular breakfast choices around the world. Cereal became a staple in the late 19th century when health reformers sought easy-to-digest meals.
Fun Fact: The first ready-to-eat cereal was Granola, invented in 1863.
Mini Cereal Box Activities:
Use mini cereal boxes for following directions.
Use the cereal inside the mini boxes for describing, compare/contrast
Place some articulation cards inside each mini box and place them around the room. Students will search and find then practice the target words inside
Design Your Own Cereal Box: Check out these free* resources on TpT for inspiration. This could be a fun language activity for almost any goal and a fun whole classroom activity for providing inclusion services.
Articulation Activities:
Fruity-O necklace. Classic. Students collect "O"s as they practice speech targets.
Download these 50 Trials Lucky Marshmallow Charms pages for a grab and go activity. Make it even more fun by using the cereal shapes to fill the page.
WH Questions Craft: Simplified Speechie offers a free* WH Questions St. Patrick's Day Craft using Fruity-O cereal and marshmallows to create a rainbow.
Other Resources on Teachers Pay Teachers: this assortment of free* resources on TpT includes clip art for those lucky marshmallow charms. This could be great for sorting activities, following directions or creating a smash mat.
Popular Children's Books:
There's a Lion in My Corn Flakes Written by Michelle Robinson and illustrated by Jim Field: Two brothers collect box tops to win a lion, only to end up with unexpected animals and chaos instead. The story humorously explores childhood expectations versus reality with lively illustrations. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
Monsters Don't Eat Broccoli Written by Barbara Jean Hicks and illustrated by Sue Hendra: Monsters claim they hate broccoli but unknowingly enjoy it disguised as trees and greenery. The playful rhyming story encourages healthy eating with humor. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
🧦🐵 National Sock Monkey Day (March 7)
About: Sock Monkey Day celebrates the beloved stuffed toy crafted from socks. Sock monkeys originated from homemade toys during the Great Depression.
Fun Fact: The original sock monkeys were handmade using Rockford Red Heel socks, first produced in the early 20th century.
Sock Monkey Says (Variation of Simon Says): Take turns being the “Sock Monkey” and give silly commands (e.g., “Sock Monkey says scratch your head like a monkey”).
Pass the Sock Monkey (Hot Potato Style): Have students sit in a circle and pass a sock monkey (or similar) while music plays. When the music stops, the person holding the monkey must complete a task.
Concepts: Take turns hiding a small sock monkey (or any stuffie) and give students clues to find it using positional words (e.g., "It's under something blue"). Great for modeling and practice of concept vocabulary.
Paper Bag Puppet: Download a free monkey paper bag puppet template from resources like Simple Everyday Mom or Chickabug (requests sign up for free template..it's a good looking template imo).
Free Resources on TpT: Use the cards and activities from this free* Sock Monkey Unit on Teachers Pay Teachers to inspire activities (e.g., addition cards to determine "how many" practice trials, etc), or use this Sock Monkey clip art to create your own matching game or other activities.
Popular Children's Books:
Sock Monkey Rides Again by Cece Bell: Sock Monkey, a famous actor, must overcome stage fright before his big Western film debut. The story highlights bravery, perseverance, and some cowboy fun. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]
Sock Monkey Takes a Bath by Cece Bell: Sock Monkey faces a problem—he does not like baths. This humorous story follows his journey of overcoming fears in a playful way. 📖 [Amazon Link]
Enjoy the Excitement of the First Week of March Celebrations
Incorporating quirky national days of March 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. Every day's activities present numerous opportunities for learning through dialogue, storytelling, and creative expression.
See More National Day Themes for March:
March National Days Week 2 (March 8 - 14)
March National Days Week 3 (March 15 - 21)
March National Days Week 4+ (March 22 - 31)
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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