March is one of those in-between months. For many of us, it's a transition month from winter to spring. That makes it one of my favorites — snowstorms give way to thunderstorms, daylight hours are getting longer, and there are those wonderful days you can smell spring in the air.
But this change of seasons isn't the only reason to celebrate March. Here are some special family-friendly holidays and events you and your kids can celebrate this month:
MARCH 1: NATIONAL PANCAKE DAY
Celebrate with FREE pancakes at IHOP or stay at home and make your own with our delicious recipes HERE.
MARCH 1: MARDI GRAS (FRENCH FOR FAT TUESDAY)
Dating from Roman times, this feast prepared Christians for Lent by using up valuable meat and supplies they would be abstaining from during the next 40 days. Over the centuries, many cultures have incorporated their own traditions into this holiday, but New Orleans holds the crown for Carnival and Mardi Gras celebrations in the United States. They celebrate with elaborate costumes, a huge parade and lots of food!
Although Mardi Gras in New Orleans, is more for adults, it's easy to re-create this fun holiday for the whole family to enjoy with SEVEN WAYS TO CELEBRATE MARDI GRAS AT HOME WITH KIDS
MARCH 2: READ ACROSS AMERICA DAY & HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DR. SEUSS
"You're never too old, too wacky, too wild,
to pick up a book and read with a child."
Millions of children have learned to read through the creative genius of Dr. Seuss. So it makes sense that the National Education Association (NEA) would choose Dr. Seuss's Birthday (March 2) as Read Across America Day, a celebration of literacy to encourage and motivate children to get excited about reading.
Reading daily with a child does require parents, older siblings, and other caring adults to add yet another hat to the many they already wear in caring for and raising a child. But by adding the reading hat to your collection, you also add great rewards:
- Children who are read to at home have a higher success rate in school.
- Children who read frequently develop stronger reading skills.
- Families who read together for 20 minutes per day get over 120 hours of extra bonding time each year.
You can celebrate by visiting your local library or book store and reading together as a family. Need some book suggestions? Since it's Dr. Seuss' birthday, curl up with one of his books!
Click HERE for a list of favorite Dr. Seuss stories, categorized by age.
HAVE A PARTY!! Read a book, make a craft and eat some wacky treats to celebrate Dr. Seuss Day!
MARCH 7: NATIONAL UNPLUGGING DAY
Read a book. Meditate. Go for a walk in the woods. Spend some time as a family completely tech-free.
Edible Treasure Hunt: After filling the house with the wonderful aroma of home baked cookies, cupcakes or other treats, hide the edible treasure! Place clues around the house that will keep them on their toes and intrigued. The clues can be easy or hard depending on the age of your hunters and the number of clues you leave will determine how long they will be occupied. Plundering the treasure will be a sweet reward for all their hard work!
Tell Me: Fill a jar with strips of rolled up paper on which you have written various "tell me" statements: tell me your favorite color, tell me your favorite book, tell me who you would most like to meet, tell me your favorite memory, etc. Pass the jar, pick one and answer to learn some interesting, and sometimes surprising, things you might not know about each other!
Board vs Bored: Games are perfect for when you’re cooped up indoors. Board games, charades, duck duck goose – figure out what will keep everyone entertained for a good while, and get silly! One of our favorites is RummiKub. Not only is it tons of fun, it's also perfect for teaching and reinforcing math skills!
Time Travel: Go through old photo albums, digital camera archives and other pieces of nostalgia you have on hand. Don't limit this to photos of your kids when they were younger, but show them your wedding pictures, what you looked like when you were a kid, or even their grandparents. It’ll open their eyes to a different world, lead to lots of questions and best of all, pass on some family history.
This would be an excellent time to practice good interpersonal skills. Click HERE for some tips to easily help them improve their social interactions.
MARCH 10: NATIONAL POPCORN LOVER'S DAY
Nothing says movie night more than popcorn! There's basic popcorn with butter, of course, but that can be so booorrriing. Instead, my family likes to experiment with flavorings or mix in a sweet treat. Some of our favorites are Pizza Pop, Snickerdoodle, Ranch, French Onion and Chili Cheese. To see these recipes and more CLICK HERE.
MARCH 11: NATIONAL JOHNNY APPLESEED DAY
Today, we remember a man who made apple (and pear) trees bloom across the nation. The day celebrates a kindly legend who lived by sage teachings and labored to bring the shade of fruit trees across much of the United States. From books to treats to outdoor fun, for 4 delightful ways to celebrate with your kids, CLICK HERE.
MARCH 14: DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME
It's time to spring forward! That means you set your clocks ahead an hour, which means the sun sets at a later hour, which means ... summer is on its way! Click HERE to learn 4 more important things to do today.
MARCH 14: PI DAY and we have more than 3.14 ways to celebrate!
Today is Pi Day! Pi Day is celebrated on March 14th ... or 3/14 ... or 3.14, the first three digits of Pi! Need another reason to celebrate March 14? It also happens to be Albert Einstein’s birthday. Even if math isn't your thing, CLICK HERE for 4 easy, fun and actually educational ways to celebrate with your kids.
(There's pie involved, see what I did there)
MARCH 17: EVERYONE IS IRISH ON ST. PATRICK'S DAY!
Read our 18 WAYS TO CELEBRATE ST PATRICK'S DAY WITH KIDS and don't forget to wear green today!
If you are going to a parade or staying home, we have the perfect St. Patrick's Day meal to celebrate:
MARCH 18: NATIONAL SLOPPY JOE DAY
These Sloppy Joes are not only kid-pleasers, but also easy to make. There is a good chance that you have most of these ingredients on hand already.
Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef or turkey
1 onion, chopped
1 tbsp white vinegar
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp yellow mustard
3/4 cup ketchup
1 tsp brown sugar
4-5 rolls
Butter for rolls
Directions:
- Over medium-high heat, brown the ground beef; once fully cooked drain off the fat.
- Add chopped onion to the pan with ground beef and sauté for an additional 3 to 4 minutes or until onion starts to soften.
- Next add vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, ketchup and brown sugar - stir until combined. Bring to a simmer.
- Simmer over medium-low heat for approximately 30 minutes, stirring often.
- In a separate pan, grill buttered rolls until golden brown.
- Scoop meat on grilled buttered roll and serve hot with extra napkins!
Oh, happy day. Watch the National Geographic video above to learn about equinoxes.
MARCH 21: WORLD DOWN SYNDROME DAY
World Down Syndrome Day is observed the 21st day of the 3rd month each year to signify the uniqueness of the triplication (trisomy) of the 21st chromosome causing Down syndrome. On this day, people with Down syndrome along with their families and friends participate in activities and events to raise public awareness and advocate for people with Down syndrome. You can start at home by helping your child learn to embrace differences in all.
- Learn 3 Tips to Help Your Child Embrace Disability (in others).
- Read Celebrating Our Children With Down Syndrome
MARCH 21: NATIONAL SINGLE PARENT'S DAY
Support a single parent today! How? Let them know you see how many self-sacrifices they make for their kids. Bring them a meal. Offer childcare. Listen, so they know they're not alone.
MARCH 29: NATIONAL MOM & POP BUSINESS OWNERS DAY
National Mom & Pop Business Owners Day is an opportunity to celebrate the family-owned businesses that make communities diverse and vibrant. These are the small businesses that might not make the news often, but are creating jobs, reinvesting in our community, and supporting local nonprofits and initiatives. Support your favorite mom and pop business today!
Remember: Advertising by local businesses is what enables us to provide Macaroni Kid to families every week at no charge. When you support a small business, you are supporting your locally owned Macaroni Kid also! Below, please find a list of local businesses that have supported us. We hope you will support them also!
Atlanta JayHawks Cheer & Dance
Autrey Mill Nature Preserve
British Swim School Johns Creek & Suwanee
Code Ninjas Suwanee
Crave Pie Downtown Duluth
Go With It Farm
Gwinnett Lacrosse Academy
i9 Sports North Gwinnett
Johns Creek Books & Gifts
Samford Family Realty
Southeastern Railway Museum
Tiny Towne
Treetop Quest
MARCH 30: NATIONAL WALK IN THE PARK DAY
Visit one of our local city or county parks or take a walk on one of the many beautiful local trails.
The City of Johns Creek has completed installation of a StoryWalk in Shakerag Park!
A children’s StoryWalk is mounted on signs along a walking path, so that kids and their families can read the story as they walk the path. This concept was developed by a woman in Vermont who wanted to encourage childhood literacy and physical movement. The book featured at Shakerag Park is “We Don’t Eat Our Classmates” by Ryan Higgins.
Children (and adults) are free to enjoy the StoryWalk as they take a walk along the path at Shakerag Park!
Stay in the KNOW - Sign up for our FREE weekly newsletter HERE!
Receive information about family-friendly events in/around Duluth, Norcross, Suwanee, Johns Creek, Peachtree Corners & beyond.
Have an event you'd like submitted to our calendar for consideration? Submit an event HERE.
Want to tell over 10,000 families in this area about your business?
Email beckys@macaronikid.com for advertising information.
Tell a friend about DNJC MK! More subscribers help us get more fun Giveaways from our sponsors for your family!
Don't forget to be social with us on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram.
