23rd June

http://pixels.com/featured/the-remington-2-the-first-typewriter-everett.html

1868 typewriter patented – so practise typing with these games.

Võidupüha: Estonia’s Victory Day. They had to fight the Germans and Communist Russia in 1918-20 to keep their independence. Estonia’s famous for its Singing Revolution in the 1980s, with a kind of nighttime flashmob of singing to gain independence from Russia. Estonia is the least religious country in the world after China: only 16% of people believe in a god. Their sport, kiiking, is kind of entertaining. Can you try it on the swings at the local playground?

Luxembourg National Day:

Luxembourg is the world’s only remaining sovereign grand duchy (i.e., it is ruled by a grand duke). The King of the Netherlands used to be the Grand Duke of Luxembourg but in 1890 the throne passed to the king’s daughter while the duchy passed to his male heir (as per the then male heir rules of the duchy) elsewhere.

Its official languages are German, French and Luxembourgish (great word).

Luxembourg Castle is very pretty and old.

http://www.castle-vianden.lu/english/

Occupied by the French (after the Celts, Romans, Bourbons, Habsburgs and Hohenzollerns) until the defeat of Napoleon in 1815, both Prussia and the Netherlands wanted to own Luxembourg. The Belgian Revolution in the 1830s took the west (French-speaking) half of Luxembourg but afterwards Luxembourg became independent.

In WWI Germany invaded and occupied Luxembourg but didn’t interfere too much; however in WWII, as a strategic route to France, Luxembourg was treated as a Germanic territory and its government had to move to London!

Activity: Celebrate Luxembourg’s famous export, RTL (Radio/Television Luxembourg) by making a radio or television show. Radio Luxembourg is so famous because it broadcasts in French, German, Flemish and English and also until the 1980s there were no private radio stations in France so it offered an alternative media view.

23rd May

1829 accordion invented, Vienna,

World Turtle Day

http://www.learnplayimagine.com/2012/10/egg-carton-turtle-craft.html

Watch David Attenborough’s baby turtles racing to the sea (this video makes the Toddler laugh so much), then make these egg box turtles. Maybe, if you have a sandpit, you could make paper eggs for them and bury them.

Tibet Liberation Day: it was a British protectorate from 1904; China took it back 1950. See 10 March for full history.

Other events today:

• Birthday of Guru Amar Das (Sikhs)
• Jamaica Labour Day – see 6th August
• South Carolina founded 1788: famous for peaches

23rd April

St George’s Day:

http://singingasongofsixpence.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/fairy-tale-finger-puppets.html

We made a finger puppet show and dressed one of Baby’s teddy bears up as St George (cardboard helmet, sword, shield, and horse. I meant to make him a little chainmail top out of an old teatowel but didn’t get round to it.)

The story goes that a dragon lived near a village and brought plague and devastation on the inhabitants unless they appeased him with sheep and, when that didn’t work, children chosen by lottery. One day the king’s daughter was chosen in the lottery. The king offered the village his wealth to try and dissuade them; but the princess had to go.

St George turned up, luckily, and captured the dragon. He brought it back to the village (who I assume were all like “WHAT ARE YOU DOING?”) and said he’d kill the dragon if they all converted to Christianity. They did so he did. The End.

What about strapping on some pillows and a helmet and trying some jousting (using a parent as a horse?). He is also the patron saint of Turkey, so they celebrate Turkey National Sovereignty and Children’s Day.

Other events that might inspire your play today:

• World Book Day (except in the UK cos we’re awkward)
• Funafuti Bomb Day (Tuvalu): In WWII 680 people took refuge in the concrete walled, thatched-roofed church from a Japanese bombing raid. Fortunately an American soldier persuaded them to get into dugouts, as a bomb struck the building shortly after.

23rd March

World Meteorological Day – see 5 February for how to build a weather station or go here for free printables to make a weather chart.

Pakistan Day: (see 14 August for history). Kids might be inspired by Pakistan’s bus and truck art.

 

Day of Hungarian-Polish Friendship

 

Bolivia Day of the Sea – mourning the loss of Bolivia’s access to the sea during the Wars of the Pacific 1879-83; Chile feels that bygones are bygones and Bolivia should give up asking. So go to the seaside! Build sandcastles, explore the rockpools, paddle in the waves and collect seashells and pretty stones.

But if that’s not a great idea for today,  here are some other sea activities:

Porthole paper plate:

http://craftgawker.com/post/2013/07/24/51973/

Recycled bottle fish mobile:

Pirates’ sunken treasure sensory tub:

http://mynearestanddearest.com/sunken-treasure-sensory-sink/

Clay sea rocks with lesson plan:

http://www.k6art.com/2012/02/27/clay-sea-rocks/

Paint the sea on a seaside pebble:

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/5348093278822303/

23rd November

http://www.californiaindianeducation.org/science_lab/andromeda_galaxy.html

1924 Edwin Hubble discovers that Andromeda is not a nebula but a galaxy, so the Milky Way is not alone – you can make galaxy slime or galaxy playdough. The Hubble website is actually great too.

1963 Dr Who premiers – this Dr Who premier party is fabulous (and has galaxy jelly, spot today’s theme)!

Also today:

• Giorgoba (St George’s Day)
• Japan Labour Thanksgiving Day

23rd July

Oman Renaissance Day: (Oman celebrates the coronation of their Sultan).

Humans moved from Africa to here and Arabia in the Pleistocene age, during an ice age when many huge plants and other species of human died out.

From 6th century BC to 7th century AD, Oman was ruled by Persian kings, until Islam arrived and Oman became ruled by an imam and got involved in all kinds of Islamic wars.

In 1497 Portugal owned a bit of it, and the Ottoman (Turkish) Navy took Oman’s port in its efforts to control the Persian Gulf.

From the 17th century Oman had its own empire along Africa, including Zanzibar where the Sultan made his palace because of the slave industry.

The Hajar Mountains split the country; the middle, Oman, was ruled by the imam; the coast and the capital, Muscat, was ruled by the sultan from 1920.

But of course they fought, over oil, naturally, and since the ’70s the sultan officially rules everything again.

http://www.astrobio.net/news-exclusive/searching-for-meteorites-in-the-deserts-of-oman/

The central desert of Oman is an important source of meteorites for science.

Make halwa; read 1001 Nights (Aladdin, Ali Baba, Sinbad the Sailor)

Egypt Revolution Day

Egypt is part of Africa, Europe and Asia, making it the world’s only Eurafrasian country. Apparently that’s a word.

http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/africa/eg.htm

It is made up of farmland along the Nile, and Sahara desert. Those are your options.

Around 8,000 B.C. the Sahara desert started to form and hunter-gatherer tribes were forced to settle along the Nile. By 6,000 B.C. the tribes had reached the Stone Age (British tribes got there about 3,000 years later). The first Egyptian hieroglyphics appeared in 3,200 B.C., on some pottery.

Egypt was unified into one kingdom under King Menes c.3150 B.C., and this ‘Old Kingdom’ began building pyramids in 2,700 B.C., including the famous Giza pyramids and Sphinx.

Ptolemy I, a Macedonian general under Alexander the Great (a Greek emperor), declared himself Pharoah of Egypt in 305 B.C. and Egypt became a centre of Greek trade. The Ptolemaic Kingdom lasted until Cleopatra, who commited suicide by allowing an asp (snake) to bite her after her lover Mark Antony also committed suicide in her arms because his army had been defeated by Octavian/Augustus (he changed his name).

Then Rome annexed Egypt. Christianity was brought by St Mark, and Egyptian Christianity is called the ‘Coptic Church’. Then the Persians invaded, then the Muslims conquered it (led by a disciple of Mohammed, born in Mecca city)

[to be continued…]

 

Vartavar (2017, a big water fight in Armenia, 14 weeks after Easter – so have a water fight!)

23rd January

Wham-O toys start selling the Frisbee 1957 – so play Frisbee; you could use a thin cake pan or a Celebrations box lid

Edouard Manet born 1832

Bounty Day (Pitcairn Islands), so play Shipwrecks.

23rd December

http://www.zimbio.com/pictures/6Z1oOacxtM0/Emperor+Akihito+Celebrates+75th+Birthday/Fj3DnUQT-lN/Princess+Kiko

Japan Birthday of the Emperor

http://www.zimbio.com/pictures/qCW1Rl09H8B/Nobel+Banquet+Stockholm/7VMNwOCbZjc/Queen+Silvia

Sweden Queen Silvia’s birthday

….so probably decide which one of the toy’s is emperor/queen and throw them a birthday party.

http://grungezombie.net/2013/12/the-25-books-of-christmas/

The Night Before Christmas is published (1823)

1893 Hansel and Gretel opera premiers – so make gingerbread houses

http://poolagirl.wordpress.com/2011/12/24/nightoftheradishes/

Night of the Radishes (Oaxaca, Mexico, radishes are carved into all sorts of things and then they have a party)

23rd November

http://www.californiaindianeducation.org/science_lab/andromeda_galaxy.html

1924 Edwin Hubble discovers that Andromeda is not a nebula but a galaxy, so the Milky Way is not alone – you can make galaxy slime or galaxy playdough. The Hubble website is actually great too.

1963 Dr Who premiers – this Dr Who premier party is fabulous (and has galaxy jelly, spot today’s theme)!

Also today:

• Giorgoba (St George’s Day)
• Japan Labour Thanksgiving Day

23rd October

http://www.smurfs.com/

1958 Smurfs debut in comic

Mole Day (chemists – more info here)

Hungary Republic Day (Anniversary of 1956 – see 20 August)

Libya Liberation Day