Those hot days of August are upon us -- and we're loving all this time outside with our kiddos! But it also feels like summer is drawing to a close, with the start of a new school year just around the corner. Here are 10 holidays, events, and anniversaries you and your family can celebrate this August:
World Breastfeeding Week
World Breastfeeding Week, supported by UNICEF and the World Health Federation in more than 120 countries, was created with the goal to provide support for breastfeeding moms everywhere. Aug. 1-7.
Treat yourself to some Thai food downtown. The fenugreek commonly used in Thai dishes is great for milk production.
National Girlfriends Day
Sounds like a good excuse for a night out with your BFFs! Aug. 1
Consider an evening stroll with your besties at Queens Botanical Gardens - every Thursday this summer the Garden is open til 8pm.
Chocolate Chip Cookie Day
Today we raise a glass of milk to Ruth Graves Wakefield, the inventor of the chocolate chip cookie. She made the first batch in 1938 by chopping up pieces of a Nestlé semi-sweet chocolate bar and mixing them into her dough. Aug. 4.
From Main Street to your street, Flushing is bustling with bakeries, stop in and get your favorite cookie to celebrate!
Free Shakespeare
The Tragedy of King Richard III (Aug. 9) and A Midsummer Night's Dream (Aug. 16) at Voelker Orth Museum.
Arrive early for the free kids workshop before each performance!
National S'mores Day
That’s right. Give me s’more. We’ve got more than a dozen takes on this obey gooey delicious summertime treat. Check out a compilation of our s’more recipes here! Aug. 10
A great excuse to head over to a Nature Adventures Session run by NYC's own Urban Park Rangers, who often run kid-friendly workshops on safe campfire building and Tent Set-up 101.
International Elephant Day
Elephants are a threatened species and International Elephant Day is a great chance to talk to your kids not only about this amazing creature, but also other endangered animals and the importance of caring for them and our world. Aug 12.
Why not head over to the Queens Zoo to see some other important species?
Hawaii Admission Day
Celebrate the anniversary of the Aloha state's admission to our union. Aug. 17.
The perfect excuse to indulge in some pineapple ice cream at the Flushing Ice Cream Factory!
Bad Poetry Day
Get the whole family involved by writing bad poetry together — who can come up with the worst verse? Read them out loud and whoever gets the most groans wins. Aug. 18
A great day to visit your local Queens Library for some fun and inspiration!
Flushing Night Out
The event of the year! Flushing Night Out is back for its 4th year, this time right in the heart of downtown Flushing. Aug. 24
Insider hint: Stop by the Macaroni Kid booth for some family fun and even free tasty treats!
Anniversary of 'I Have a Dream' Speech
Martin Luther King Jr. made his "I Have a Dream” speech on this day in 1963. Today, read the speech in its entirety with your kids and talk about King's message. How far have we come? How far do we have to go? Aug. 28
The perfect excuse for a visit to the Lewis Latimer Museum, former home and lab of local African American inventor and poet, Lewis Latimer.
Kara Murphy is the publisher of Macaroni Kid Erie, Pa.
