January 
Flowers of the Month: Carnations, Snowdrop
Birthstone: Garnet (constancy)

February 
Flowers of the Month: Violets, Primrose
Birthstone: Amethyst (sincerity)

March 
Flowers of the Month: Daffodil, Jonquil
Birthstone: Aquamarine, Bloodstone (courage)

April
Flowers of the Month:  April  Daisy, Sweet Pea
Birthstone: Diamond, White Sapphire (innocence)

May 
Flowers of the Month: Lily of the Valley, Hawthorne
Birthstone: Emerald (love, success)

June 
Flowers of the Month: Rose, Honeysuckle
Birthstone: Pearl, Moonstone, Alexandrite (heath and longevity)

July 
Flowers of the Month: Larkspur, Water Lily
Birthstone: Ruby (contentment)

August 
Flowers of the Month: Gladiolas, Poppy
Birthstone: Peridot, Sardonyx (happiness)

September  Aster
Flower of the Month: Morning Glory
Birthstone: Sapphire (clear thinking)

October 
Flowers of the Month: Calendula, Cosmos
Birthstone: Opal, Tourmaline, Pink Sapphire (hope)

November 
Flower of the Month: Chrysanthemum
Birthstone: Topaz, Citrine (fidelity)

December 
Flowers of the Month: Narcussus, Holly
Birthstone: Zicron (prosperity)

1st, 1872
Yellowstone becomes the first national park in US

2nd, 1836
Texas declares its independence from Mexico

3rd, 1931
The Star Spangled Banner becomes our National Anthem

4th, 1789
The Constitution of the United States of America goes into effect

4th, 1930
Mrs. Charles Fahning of Buffalo, NY is recognized as the first woman to bowl a perfect 300 game

5th, 1770
The Boston Massacre occurs

6th, 1950
Silly putty is invented

6th, 1981
Walter Cronkite signs off as achorman of the CBS Evening News

7th, 1876
Alexander Graham Bell invents patents the telephone

7th, 1933
Mononoly game board is invented

8th, 1999
Baseball great Joe DiMaggio dies

10th, 1862
US government issues paper money for the first time

11th, 1888
The Blizzard of 1888 begins

12th, 1912
The Girl Scouts are founded

12th, 1942
Baseball great Joe DiMaggio gets a $6250 raise with his new contract

13th, 1868
US Senate begins impeachment trial of President Andrew Jackson

13th, 1877
Earmuffs are patented

13th, 1639
Havard University is named after clergyman John Havard

14th, 1794
Eli Whitney patents the cotton gin

15th, 44 BC
“The Ides of March” Julius Ceasar is stabbed to death by Marcus Junius Brutus

16th, 1926
Professor Robert Goddard launches first liquid fuel rocket

17th
St Patrick’s Day celebration

17th, 1845
Rubber band is invented

18th, 1965
Soviet Union cosmonaut Aleksei Leonov becomes first person to walk in space

19th, 1918
Congress approves Daylight Savings Time

20th, 1852
Harriet Beacher Stowe publishes Uncle Tom’s Cabin

21st, 1963
Infamous Alcatraz prison is closed

23rd, 1775
Patrick Henry declares “Give me liberty or give me death”

24th, 1882
German scientist Robert Koch annouces his discovery that bacillus causes tuberculosis

24th, 1958
Elvis Presly joins the Army

25th, 1957
The European Economic Community is established by the Treat of Rome

26th, 1827
Ludwig von Beethoven dies in Vienna, Austria

26th, 1885
The Eastman Dry Plate and Chemical Company manufactures the first motion picture film

27th, 1964
Earthquake measuring 8.3 on the Richter Scale hits near Anchorage, Alaska

28th, 1797
Nathaniel Briggs patents the washing machine

28th, 1939
The city of Madrid falls to forces of Francisco Franco, ending the Spanish Civil War

28th, 1979
Nuclear power plant melt down at Three Mile Island occurs

29th, 1848
Ice jams stop the flow of water over the Niagara Falls

29th, 1886
Coca Cola is invented

30th, 1870
The 15th Admendment goes into effect giving the right to vote to black men

30th, 1964
Jeopardy debuts on television

31th, 1889
The Eiffel Tower opens in Paris, France 

FEBRUARY

3rd, 1953 
Rock singers Buddy Holly, Ruchie Valens and the Big Bopper died in a plane crash

6th, 1935
Monopoly first went on sale

6th, 1971
Astronaut Alan Shepard hits three golf balls on the moon

8th, 1910
The Boy Scouts were founded

9th, 1964
The Beatles appear on the Ed Sullivan Show

9th, 1870
US Congress authorizes the National Weather Bureau

10th, 1942
Glenn Miller receives the first ever gold record for selling over a million copies of “The Chattanooga Choo Choo”

10th, 1763
France cedes Canada to England, ending the the French and Indian War

11th, 1809
Robert Fulton patents the steamboat

11th, 1945
The Yalta Agreement is signed by Roosevelt, Churchill and Stalin

12th, 1870
Women in the Utah Territory win the right to vote

14th, 1929
The Saint Valentine’s Dat Massacre occured where mobsters dressed as ploiceman gunned seven members of a rival gang

15th, 1842
The Post Office uses adhesive postage for the first time

16th, 1937
Nylon is patented but won’t be used for several decades

16th, 1948
NBC TV begins it’s first nightly newscast

18th, 1885
Mark Twain’s “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” is published

18th, 1930
A ninth plant is discovered in the solar system and is named Pluto

19th, 1913
A prize is inserted into a Crackerjack Box for the first time

20th, 1962
John Glenn becomes the first astronaut to orbit the earth

21th, 1972
President Nixon becomes the first president to visit China

22th, 1879
Frank Woolworth opens the first Five Cent Store in Uitca, NY

23rd, 1874
Walter Wingfield patents the game of lawn tennis

23rd, 1896
The Tootsie Roll rolls into stores in America

23rd, 1945
US Marines raise the flag on Iwo Jima

25th, 1836
Samuel Colt is granted a patent for the revolver

26th, 1993
A bomb explodes in the basement of the World Trade Center, killing 6 people

28th, 1692
The Salem Witch Hunts begin

28th, 1983
The final episode of Mash is aired

29th, 1872
Yellowstone becomes the first national park

1. Pop Bottle Science Each experiment begins with a challenge and ends with an explanation of the scientific principles involved. Kids can design a volcano and watch it erupt. Create a tornado-maker and see how twisters work. Make quicksand–is it solid or liquid? Observe photosynthesis in action. Simulate Jupiter’s giant red spot, investigate buoyancy, demonstrate inertia, and discover the Bernoulli principle–which allows planes to fly. Plus, turn the bottle into a barometer, a thermometer, walkie-talkie, trombone, compass–or groovy lava lamp and many more.

 2. The Everything Kids’ Science Experiments Book: Boil Ice, Float Water, Measure Gravity-Challenge the World Around You! (Everything Kids Series)
You’ll discover answers to questions like:
Is it possible to blow up a balloon without actually blowing into it?
What’s  inside coins?
Can a magnet ever be “turned off”?
Do toilets always flush in the same direction?
Can a swimming pool be cleaned with just the breath of one person?

3. Tamiya Solar Car Assembly Model Kit – 76001 Introduce how solar energy works. Great for new inspring engineers to build one themselves.

 4. Science Experiments You Can Eat: Revised Edition Your kitchen will be transformed into a laboratory worthy of a mad scientist as you make startling discoveries about how cabbage can detect acid, how bacteria makes yogurt, and how decomposed sugar turns to caramel. Then after a long day at the lab you can relax and eat your results: soup, biscuits, pretzels, cupcakes, or cookies.

5. Galileo FS-80 800 x 80mm Yoke Mount Reflector Telescope The Galileo FS-80 reflector telescope is a great beginner’s reflecting telescope. Galileo Trilogy software includes instructional videos and Planetarium program to help you pinpoint any star or planet at any given time.

6. Prize-Winning Science Fair Projects for Curious Kids Fifty experiments in biology, the physical sciences, and chemistry are presented in an attractive and easy-to-follow format and illustrated with sharp photographs of children and of the materials needed.

7. Illustrated Guide to Home Chemistry Experiments: All Lab, No Lecture (DIY Science) The Illustrated Guide to Home Chemistry Experiments steps up to the plate with lessons on how to equip your home chemistry lab, master laboratory skills, and work safely in your lab. The bulk of this book consists of 17 hands-on chapters that include multiple laboratory sessions.

8. Wind Power Generator Set This educational assembly kit lets you explore the mechanisms involved in the harnessing of wind power. Witness the conversion of wind power into working electricity!

9. Big Bertha Rocket Kit Estes Over the decades this is the first big rocket for many modelers! Slow, realistic lift-offs from this true classic!

10. The Eco System Worm Farm: Hoedown Underground – The Eco System Worm Farm: Hoedown Underground Traverse the fascinating underground world of worms with this hoedown habitat. Grow a miniature garden for the worms and observe as they eat, breed, and tunnel through the soil. Oligochaetology – the study of worms – comes to life with this young naturalist kit.

Charlotte’s Web
Thomas the Train

2. SORRY
Good game for elementary aged kids to play with their parents, their siblings or their friends.

3. TICKET TO RIDE
Enjoy country train adventure in which players collect and play matching train cards to claim railway routes connecting cities throughout North America. 8 years and older

4. YAHTZEE
It’s America’s all-time number one dice game! Since 1956 players have been rolling classic dice combinations like Full House, Large Straight and Five of a Kind – that’s Yahtzee! 8 years and older

5. CONNECT FOUR
The rules are simple: try to build a row of four checkers while keeping your opponent from doing the same. Sounds easy, but it’s not! 7 years and older

6. BATTLESHIP
Do you have what it takes to command your own fleet of five ships’ Can you survive thrilling, ruthless combat on the high seas’ Find out with this classic Battleship game. 7 years and older

7. OTHELLO
An internationally acclaimed strategy game, Othello takes a minute to learn and a lifetime to master. 8 years and older

8. CHINESE CHECKERS
Chinese Checkers is a fun game for the whole family. Up to six people can enjoy this game at once. 8 years and older

9. CANDY LAND
This is the classic “child’s first game”, and preschoolers will love it. 3-6 years old

10. HUNGRY HUNGRY HIPPOS
These four hungry hippos want to munch a bunch of marbles! The faster you press their tails, the more marbles they try to chomp! 4-7 years old.

www.kids-in-mind.com

1. AMAZING CONSTRUCTION
Materials needed
Solid color plastic straws

Connect the straws by squeezing the end of the straw and sliding it into the end of another straw. Once the kids are started, introduce the concept of an architect and how the architech uses his imgination to design some really cool and unusual structures. Appoint each child as head architect of his own structure and let the building really kick in. Shortly after this point, you may want to “suggest” that they can “go” through another straw by cutting a slit through it (you may want to help with the younger kids). At the end, you can make a big deal out of each structure by announcing different awards for each design (ie: largest, greatest use of imgination, most straws used, etc).

2. MADISON AVENUE JEALOUSY
Materials needed
Solid colored umbrella
Fabric pens (Crayola makes “Fabric Markers”, found at most local craft stores)
Arcylic paint and brushes

Introduce this craft to the kids as their chance to show off their creative talents that will make New York fashion seem like nothing. Cover a large area of the floor with newpaper or plastic drop cloth (you will need some storage space for drying). Open the umbrella and decorate each section with the fabric pens and/or paints. You can do either side of the umbrella, whichever is easier for the kids (depending on age and skill level). For the older kids, the umbrella can tell a story, with each section leading into the next section. Let the finished umbrella dry at least 24 hours before closing (or taking out into the rain).

3. ASSEMBLY LINE MANIA
Materials needed
Shoe box with top
Acrylic paint and brushes (and/or Sharpie pens)
Samll paper plates (paint containment area)
Scissors
Glue
Masking tape
Craft wire
(4) black buttons (approx 2″ or largeris good size)
(2) large beads (1/4″ buttons will also work)
Driver and passenger (tall flexible toy man works great)

Cover a table with newspaper (or nothing if you don’t care if a little paint is spilled on it). Tape the lid onto the box. Cut out the front portion (approx 6″). This will be the passenger compartment. The kids can do this or you can trace out an oval and have them “help” you cut (depending on their ages). Next is the axle and wheel assembly. Punch a whole on each side of the vehicle about 1″ from the back. Insert the craft wire through the holes, then through the buttons and back into the box. Tie off inside box. Parents may want to bypass the wheels and head lights due to choking hazard. Repeat this step for the front wheels and axle. Next attach the smaller buttons to the front of the vehicle for the headlights. You can certainly add a learning component here on how a car is made (depending on how familiar you are with the assemby process of a real vehicle). Free free to add doors, windowshields, etc. Finally the vehicle is ready for the paint shop. Pour paint on to paper plate (one for each color). You can offer to have one or two plates to the kids to “create” their own colors. Let each child “paint” their own car or truck. At the end, let them pick a name for their creation and put on the front or side.

4. RAIN DROPS KEEP FALLING, WELL ALL OVER
Material needed
Dry towels waiting
Maybe warm shower

Hey, sometimes all the fun is in the problem. Rainy day usually keeps everyone inside so go ahead and buck the trend and head outside. Get the bikes out and ride through the puddles (no need to go around them). The kids will fugure out what to do all by themselves once they get over the shock of you allowing them to go outside. A quick game of soccer, water pollo without the pool, who knows what the kids will do but it is really fun to watch. Great way to run some energy off. Be ready with dry towels when everyone figures out that the rain can be really cold. By the way, this can be a great way to get the boys to actually want to do bath time (just to get warm).

5. BOWLING LEAGUE
Materials needed
Modeling clay
Disposable plastic cups
Duct tape (you should always have some around)
Small ball (tennis, Nerf, rubber)

First, let’s make the bowling pins. Stick a small lump of modeling clay (about 1″ thick is good) on to the inside of the cup. Invert a second cup and set it on top of the cup with the clay. Then duct tape them together. Congratulations, you just made your first bowling pin. Repeat this process till 10 pins are made. This a great activity to help the younger kids with their math. Tell them you need two cups for each pin and a total of 10 pins. The older kids can help the younger kids to assembly. Pretend you are at a bowling pin assembly plant. You can even have a short “break” time and have veryone gather to have “coffee” in the cafateria. Have an official pin tender set up the pins. Four in back, three next and so on. Each player gets two consecutive rolls. You can be the official score keeper or just count each pin as one point. Maybe do a simple banquet at the end with paper plate awards.

6. INDOOR OBSTACLE COURSE
Materials needed
Obstacles (pillows, furniture, chairs, ballons, use your imgination)
String
Paper and tape

Plot your course. Couse might look something like this: crawl under and over chairs, walk to the kitchen touching only paper feet taped to floor, crawl under kitchen table without touching hanging ballons, slide under a string between two chairs, then back to family/living room on same paper feet, crawl through a tunnel made of couch pillows, and finally the finish line. To make the course even more challenging, tape toilet paper rolls (full or emtpy) to the palm of each hand. Each contestant must finish with the roll/tube unsmashed to qualify for the next round. You can then add the same to their feet. You can add silly rules at each station like singing a favorite song, jump on one foot 10 times, etc. The variations are endless.

7. SEARCH AND FIND
Materials needed
Simple celebration feast (cookies and milk is cool)

Let the kids pick the first hider. You may want to help pick (use kid friendly “I’m thinking of a number” and remind the younger ones everyone will get to play). Explain to this kids that they are on a deserted island after the tour boat you were on was in a big storm and blown way off course. Everyone is accounted for EXPECT (name the child who is hiding). While you are explaining the situation, have the lost person hide (give him/her at least 3-4 mintues to find that perfect spot to be “lost”. Then instruct that they must find their lost comrade before dark and it will best if everyone splits up to start the search. When one of the search party finds their lost comrade, tell he/she to squeeze into the same place to comfort their found friend. Soon the place will be jammed with kids. When the last person finds his lost comrade, have the kids repeat the process till everyone gets to be “lost”. At the very end, have a simple celebration feast in the kitchen.

8. HANDS ON MUSEUMS
Materials needed
Car to go

Did you know that there is over 10,000 taste buds on the human tongue, the hummingbird is the only bird that can fly upside down and backwards or that flys have taste buds on their feet??? These and much more can be discovered at your local hands on museum. It can be a great place to get your kids excited about science and how things work in a very fun environment. To find if your area has one, Google “hands on musuem” with your city name.

9. ROCK WALL CLIMBING
Materials needed
Car to go

Kids will love this activity. Great way to build confidence and burn some energy off. Remember to encourage the kids after a disappointing climb. They can always come back on another rainy day. To find one in your area, Google “indoor rock climbing wall”.

10.  HEY YOGI, LET’S EAT
Materials needed
Lunch meat
Peanut butter and jelly
Bread
Whatever else sounds good
Stuffed animals

Pretend it’s summer and have a picnic lunch on a blanket in the middle of the living room. Bring out all the stuffed animals for a touch of the outdoors.