Happy January! With the whole year ahead of us there are so many future possibilities! Have you made any plans for the upcoming year - maybe a bucket list or family vision board?
We all need a little more silly in our lives and I want help you celebrate being silly even more with your kids this month . . . so on that note, here are 12 not-so-serious "holidays" happening in January that you can celebrate out and about or at home in Conejo Valley, Malibu, Calabasas, Thousand Oaks, Newbury Park, Westlake Village, Agoura Hills, Oak Park and nearby in Ventura and Los Angeles counties with your kids.
Anytime you want to see what's happening in and around town visit the Macaroni KID Conejo Valley - Malibu - Calabasas event calendar for some Family-Fun ideas!
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1. Go for a Polar Bear Plunge
January 1
Shiver your way into the new year with a chilly plunge - brrrrr! Find a polar bear plunge near you or head to the beach or local pool with your family for a quick dip in the cold water, just be sure to warm up afterward. Maybe treat your family to some warm snowman soup - hot cocoa afterward. Don't get suck on the date, you can do this anytime.
Publisher's Note: If you plans include our local beaches please make sure it's safe before heading out. There have been recent dangerously high tides and unsafe bacteria levels in some areas.
 B.Gutell |
2. National Science Fiction Day
January 2
Sci-Fi Day is a opportunity to celebrate and share the many genres of science fiction with your kids. Introduce them to your favorite Sci-fi books, comic books, movies and TV shows especially the old ones. I love author H. G. Wells, especially "The Time Machine" - the book, movies and TV shows, how about Star Wars movies and shows, they're a big hit with my kids. Then there are the classics like Lost in Space, Dr. Who or Star Trek. If you have older kids consider introducing them to some old classics like Twilight Zone, Outer Limits and the X-Files. A couple of my newer favorite TV shows you could binge watch are Sliders TV-PG and Eureka.TV-14. As you can tell I'm a big sci-fi fan and I have more favorites than I can remember. Since there are way too many movies and shows for me to list, look below for some ideas to get you started - keep in mind some show are not appropriate for all ages.
- IMDb: Top 50 Family, Sci-Fi Movies
- The Best Family Movies For Parents Who Love Sci-Fi
- Common Sense Media: Sci-Fi Movies
- 10 Wholesome Sci-Fi Movies For Children
- Old School Sci-Fi TV Shows That Should Be Required Viewing
- Rotten Tomatoes: 100 Best Sci-Fi TV Shows of all time
- Rolling Stone: 50 Best Science Fiction TV Shows of All Time
3. Harlem Globetrotters Day
January 7
The Harlem Globetrotters were founded by Abe Saperstein in Chicago (yup, Not Harlem) on January 7, 1926. When he first took over coaching this team of African American players they were known as the Savoy Big Five. Abe was not only the teams owner, but their coach, manager and publicist. As the son of a taylor Abe also made their first uniforms. They were a pretty serious winning team from the beginning, then in 1939 they started doing some of the silly antics they are famous for today. Living up to their name they play all over the world. The were all over the TV years ago and now they are back with Harlem Globetrotters: Play it Forward. They really are an amazing team with a lot of accomplishments, there are some links below if you want to learn more with your kids.
I'm a huge, gigantic fan of the Harlem Globetrotter, funny thing is I'm not a big sports fan. I've been to games - yes, and I enjoyed them, but I don't watch any sports on TV and don't know a lot about basketball, other sports or the teams. Maybe it was the time I grew up in - it seemed like they were huge when I was a kid and they were everywhere. They had a Saturday morning cartoon, a variety show, and they showed up on other shows and specials like Scooby-Doo and Gilligan's Island plus all the top shows of the day. I guess I'm showing my age again, lol. I had always wanted to see them in person, but every year when they played I was unable to go. A funny thing happened one day . . . years before I became a Macaroni KID publisher I was a subscriber like you and late one night I was reading my email and there was a contest for tickets to a game and guess what? I won - my oldest was about 3 or 4 and we went to a game, it was so much fun, I've been wanting to go again. The good news is they will be playing in Los Angeles in February so maybe we'll all get a chance to go, check the calendar for details.
In their heyday, the Harlem Globetrotters were also made for TV
- Video: History of the Harlem Globetrotters
- Harlem Globetrotters play their first game
- Harlem Globetrotter Legends
- 10 Things You May Not Know About the Harlem Globetrotters
- History of the Harlem Globetrotters
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4. National Learn Your Name in Morse Code Day
January 11
Morse code is a method of telecommunication developed in the 1830s and later used to encode messages in a sequence called dashes and dots or dits and dahs which sound like clicks. Morse code can, to the trained person, be heard or seen. You kid can learn to send messages in code!
- Visit this site to learn more about Morse code, learn your name or create "secret" messages in code with your kids.
5. National Rubber Duckie Day
January 13
If you're like me and you grew up watching Sesame Street then you too might have fondness for not only Ernie, but his "rubber duckie" pal and the song that goes with it. I bet I drove my mom crazy playing that record and singing the song. I used to have a rubber duck collection, my sister too - sadly they don't hold up well over time. From what I gather the first rubber duck was created in the 1800s after the invention of vulcanized rubber by the Goodyear Company. It likely started out as a teething or chew toy long before it was the bath toy we know today. You can watch the video below to learn more. Did you know that in 1992 28,000 rubber ducks fell overboard from a container ship and are still floating around the world today? See the video and article below to learn more.
“Rubber ducky, you’re the one. You make bath time lots of fun. Rubber ducky I’m awfully fond of you!”
- Video: When Thousands of Rubber Ducks Were Accidentally Dumped into the Ocean
- 28,000 Rubber Ducks Accidentally Embarked On An Epic Ocean Current Study In 1992
- Video: When Did We First Use Rubber Ducks?
- FREE Rubber Ducky Learning Activities and Printables
- Video Read Aloud: 10 LITTLE RUBBER DUCKS by Eric Carle
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6. Kid Inventors' Day
January 17
What do popsicles, trampolines, swim fins, televisions, water skis, earmuffs and Braille have in common? They were all invented by kids! More than 500,000 children and teens invent gadgets and games each year. Kid Inventors' Day also happens to be on Benjamin Franklin's birthday, another kid inventor - he invented the first swim flippers when he was 12.
🥳 Benjamin Franklin's Birthday Celebration - Carson, CA on January 20, 2024
Want to inspire your kids?
- Read these 6 Thought-Provoking Books for Kid Inventors
Here are just a few of the many kid inventors and their inventions:
- Benjamin Franklin invented swimming fins at the age of 11
- George Nissen, a 16 year old gymnast invented the trampoline
- Frank Epperson at the age of 11 accidentally invented what we know to day as the popsicle
- Margaret E. Knight started inventing at the age of 12, one of her most notable inventions was a machine to create flat-bottom paper bags, read more about her inventions here
- Philo Farnsworth at the age of 15 he conceived the world's first all-electronic television
- Louis Braille at the age of 13 he began working on a system of raised dots that enables blind people to read and write know today as braille
- Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster are the teen duo who at the age of 17 created the comic superhero "Superman" - there's even a book about them
- Robert W. Patch was 6 years old when he became the youngest person to get a U.S. patent for his idea to create a toy truck that could be reconfigured in a variety of ways
- 20 Successful Young Entrepreneurs from Shark Tank
7. Popeye Day
January 17
This old timey classic cartoon character has been around since his debuted on January 17, 1929. Popeye was created by E.C. Segar as a side character in "The Thimble Theater" comic strip staring Olive Oyl, he was so popular he eventually got his his own strip. Fun Fact: the spinach industry credits Popeye and Segar for spinach consumption increasing 33% from 1931-1936. Celebrate by watching these classics cartoons with your kids and maybe treat them to watch the Popeye movie staring Robin Williams as Popeye - you can even serve them a big bowl of spinach or maybe a spinach salad.
I'm a big fan, I remember my brother and I obsessively watching Popeye & Friends with host Tom Hatten, he would show us how to draw Popeye between the cartoons.
 B. Gutell |
8. National Winnie the Pooh Day
January 18
Celebrate this beloved character and the birth of the Winnie the Pooh author A. A. Milne, born in 1882. He was an author of children's story books, and created Winnie the Pooh and his friends. Winnie's pals include Christopher Robin, Tigger, Eeyore, Piglet, and Roo. Enjoy your favorite Winnie the Pooh book or movie with your children to celebrate. Winnie the Pooh warms my heart and I was always fond of the book.
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January 21
Embrace the power of the hug! Give your kids a big hug in honor of hugging day. Kevin Zaborney invented this holiday in 1986 to encourage family and friends to hug more often - and who doesn't need more hugs? There are many actual health benefits to hugging, Hugging releases oxytocin, a hormone associated with happiness, making it a great way to connect with family and friends.
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10. Howl at the full moon
January 25, 2024
Get the kids outside and Howl! January's full moon is called the Wolf Moon and it will reach peak illumination on Thursday, January 25, 2024 at 12:54 P.M. EST.
- Full Moon January 2024 – Wolf Moon And Alternative Names
- Wolf Moon: Full Moon in January 2024
- Discovering the spiritual meaning of the Wolf Moon is a reminder to honor your own pack
Want to learn more about the stars we see up in the night sky? Take your family for a visit to a local Observatory, Planetarium or Museum to really engage your kids' interest in space!
- Griffith Observatory
- Ventura County Astronomical Society
- Mount Wilson Observatory
- Santa Monica College Planetarium
11. National Kazoo Day
January 25, 2024
National Kazoo Day, observed on the 4th Thursday in January - or "whenever it's convenient for the kazooist" - is a whimsical celebration of the iconic musical instrument that has been buzzing since the 1840s. Initially known as the "Down South Submarine" and showcased at the Georgia State Fair in 1852, kazoos have evolved from tin to wood and now plastic.
Celebrate National Kazoo Day: Craft a DIY Kazoo for Buzzworthy Fun!
 B.Gutell |
12. International Lego Day
January 28
I think its safe to say pretty much everyone around the world loves Lego, unless of course you are unfortunate enough to step on one or hear that crazy sound as one gets sucked up into the vacuum cleaner and you pray it doesn't get stuck. For me as a kid Lego meant endless hours of creative fun. Now they have specialized building sets, but honestly nothing beat making your own creation. My boys love Lego too. So grab a bucket of these tiny bricks and get creative with your kids.
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13. National Puzzle Day
January 29
Gather the family 'round and work on a puzzle to celebrate National Puzzle Day. Doing puzzles together makes for great family time! Grab one you have or pick up a new one and spend the evening working on a puzzle together. It's about so much more than a puzzle though: We find putting together puzzles with our kids is a wonderful way to work cooperatively, problem-solve as a family, and enjoy great conversations with our kids that naturally flow as time passes.
Find your family fun - anytime!
Visit the Macaroni KID Conejo Valley - Malibu - Calabasas event and activities calendar for more family fun things to do with your kids!
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Macaroni KID Conejo Valley - Malibu - Calabasas is a FREE resource for local families looking for fun things to do with kids in Thousand Oaks, Agoura Hills, Malibu, Calabasas, Oak Park, Newbury Park, Westlake Village and nearby towns in Los Angeles and Ventura Counties.
