What's special about today?

A free online resource to help Canadian teachers commemorate special awareness days throughout the year.

There are so many wonderful things to celebrate throughout the year! Sometimes as teachers we just get too busy to think of ways to recognize and integrate special days, special people, and special ideas into our curriculum.

This calendar is a unique and evolving project. Instead of the “special days” that you may already be used to celebrating in your classrooms, you will find some interesting, educational, and even some outrageous dates, accompanied by quick “Activity Bursts” to get your students talking and thinking. Enjoy!

Note: In addition to the references suggested in some of the Activity Bursts you may want to check out the following resources that connect to and extend the “special day” experience.

Little Book Finder 
(Easily search for a little book by topic or theme)
 Free downloadable Student & Teacher resources
from our Well Aware program.

Special Days by Month

September  |  October  |  November  |  December  |  January  |  February  |  March  |  April  |  May  |  June

Categories

Interesting

Awareness / remembrance

Just for fun

Getting involved

  September
Category Date Special Day Activities Provided For
resized-just-for-fun-holding-dot.png Sep 15th                Make a Hat Day All
resized-awareness-holding-dot.png resized-getting-involved-holding-dot.png Sep 18th Terry Fox Day All
resized-interesting-holding-dot.png Sep 22nd Autumn Equinox All
resized-interesting-holding-dot.png Sep 23rd International Day of Sign Language All
resized-interesting-holding-dot.png Sep 25th National Comic Book Day All
resized-awareness-holding-dot.png resized-getting-involved-holding-dot.png Sep 30th National Day for Truth and Reconciliation Gr. 3-5, 6-8
  October
Category Date                    Special Day                                                Activities Provided For
resized-interesting-holding-dot.png Oct 1st International Music Day All
resized-awareness-holding-dot.png Oct 1st International Day of Older Persons All
resized-getting-involved-holding-dot.png Oct 5th Do Something Nice Day All
resized-awareness-holding-dot.png Oct 5th World Teachers’ Day All
resized-awareness-holding-dot.png resized-getting-involved-holding-dot.png Oct 9th - 15th Fire Prevention Week All
resized-awareness-holding-dot.png Oct 10th World Mental Health Day All
resized-just-for-fun-holding-dot.png Oct 16th Dictionary Day All
resized-getting-involved-holding-dot.png Oct 24th-28th National Media Literacy Week All
  November
Category           Date               Special Day                                                Activities Provided For
resized-just-for-fun-holding-dot.png 2nd Sunday International Tongue Twister Day All
resized-awareness-holding-dot.png

Nov 10th

Forget-Me-Not Day All
resized-awareness-holding-dot.png Nov 11th Remembrance Day All
resized-awareness-holding-dot.png Nov 13th World Kindness Day All
resized-just-for-fun-holding-dot.png Nov 24th Celebrate Your Unique Talent Day All
  December
Category                   Date               Special Day                                                                   Activities Provided For
resized-awareness-holding-dot.png resized-getting-involved-holding-dot.png Dec 3rd International Day of Persons with Disabilities All
resized-just-for-fun-holding-dot.png Dec 5th International Volunteer Day All
resized-getting-involved-holding-dot.png resized-interesting-holding-dot.png Dec 7th Letter Writing Day All
resized-just-for-fun-holding-dot.png Dec 8th Pretend to be a Time Traveler Day All
resized-getting-involved-holding-dot.png resized-awareness-holding-dot.png Dec 10th Human Rights Day All
resized-interesting-holding-dot.png resized-just-for-fun-holding-dot.png Dec 12th National Poinsettia Day  All
  January
Category            Date Special Day Activities Provided For
resized-awareness-holding-dot.png Jan 4th World Braille Day All
resized-just-for-fun-holding-dot.png All month National Hobby Month All
resized-interesting-holding-dot.png Jan 17th Kid Inventors’ Day All
resized-awareness-holding-dot.png resized-getting-involved-holding-dot.png Jan 24th

International Day of Education

All
resized-awareness-holding-dot.png resized-getting-involved-holding-dot.png Last Wednesday Bell Let’s Talk Day All
resized-getting-involved-holding-dot.png Jan 27th Family Literacy Day All
  February
Category    Date Special Day Activities Provided For
resized-just-for-fun-holding-dot.png   First Wednesday Global School Play Day All
resized-getting-involved-holding-dot.png   Feb 7th Safer Internet Day All
resized-interesting-holding-dot.png   Feb 15th

National Flag Day

All
resized-just-for-fun-holding-dot.png   Feb 20th National Hoodie-Hoo Day All
resized-interesting-holding-dot.png   Feb 15th

Canada's Agriculture Day

All
resized-awareness-holding-dot.png   Last Wednesday Pink Shirt Day All
resized-getting-involved-holding-dot.png   Feb 26th Tell a Fairy Tale Day All
  March
Category   Date                Special Day Activities Provided For
resized-just-for-fun-holding-dot.png   Mar 2nd Dr. Seuss Day! All
resized-interesting-holding-dot.png  

Mar 21st

World Puppetry Day All
resized-interesting-holding-dot.png   Mar 21st World Poetry Day All
resized-getting-involved-holding-dot.png   Mar 22nd World Water Day All
  April
Category   Date Special Day Activities Provided For
resized-awareness-holding-dot.png   Month of April National Oral Health Month All
resized-awareness-holding-dot.png  

Apr 7th

World Health Day All
resized-getting-involved-holding-dot.png resized-awareness-holding-dot.png   Apr 22nd

Earth Day

All
resized-just-for-fun-holding-dot.png   Apr 29th International Dance Day All
  May
Category                   Date Special Day Activities Provided For
resized-just-for-fun-holding-dot.png May 1st School Principal Day All
resized-getting-involved-holding-dot.png resized-awareness-holding-dot.png First week of May Screen-Free Week All
resized-getting-involved-holding-dot.png resized-awareness-holding-dot.png Month of May

National Sun Awareness Month

All
resized-awareness-holding-dot.png First week of May Mental Health Week All
resized-interesting-holding-dot.png May 8th - 14th

National Nursing Week

All
resized-just-for-fun-holding-dot.png resized-interesting-holding-dot.png May 18th National Museum Day All
resized-getting-involved-holding-dot.png May 26th

National Paper Airplane Day

All
   June
Category       Date                    Special Day                                          Activities Provided For
resized-getting-involved-holding-dot.png   June 3rd National Health and Fitness Day All
resized-getting-involved-holding-dot.png   June 5th World Environment Day All
resized-just-for-fun-holding-dot.png   June 6th National Gardening Exercise Day All
resized-just-for-fun-holding-dot.png   June 8th

National Best Friends Day

All
resized-just-for-fun-holding-dot.png   June 17th World Juggling Day All
resized-awareness-holding-dot.png   June 21st National Indigenous Peoples Day All