Teaching in February: What Elementary Teachers Need to Know in 2023

The secret to teaching in February and keeping students engaged and learning is integrating holidays, special days, and February theme ideas into your lesson plan materials. There are so many holidays and special days in February to celebrate with your elementary students. Some of the more popular ones are Black History Month, Random Acts of Kindness Week, Groundhog Day, Valentine’s Day, and President’s Day. You’ll find the full list of February events, holidays, and special days teachers can celebrate and use as teaching topics, themes, and lesson plan ideas below!

February Holidays and Special Days

As you starting brainstorming February teaching and lesson plan ideas, add these February holidays and special days to your teacher planner.

Month-Long February Events

Below are month-long February events you can use as topics, themes, and lesson plan ideas for teaching in February.

Black History Month Activities

Black History Month is celebrated every year during the month of February in the United States, Canada, Ireland, and the United Kingdom. This month recognizes many important historic people and honors the many black movements where they fought for rights, freedom, and respect throughout history. This is the perfect time to explore and learn about African American history and the many incredible men and women who fought for a change and made a big impact in the world.

National Children’s Dental Health Month Activities

National Children’s Dental Health Month is celebrated during the month of February every year and helps to raise awareness and spread the importance of dental health for children. A great way to celebrate children’s dental health month is to watch some videos about the importance and steps towards a healthy mouth and include some class read alouds as well! Another great way to promote the importance of children’s dental health is to bring colorful toothbrushes to school and let your students each pick one out. This will make them feel excited to use their new special toothbrush to brush their teeth!

Extended February Events

Below are extended February events you can use as topics, themes, and lesson plan ideas for teaching in February.

Winter Olympics Activities

The Winter Olympics is an extended event that occurs during different dates in February every year! The Winter Olympics is an international competition where groups and individuals compete in different winter sports. Some examples of sports are skiing, snowboarding, bobsledding, hockey, and figure skating representing their country. A great way to celebrate the Winter Olympics in your classroom is to learn about the event’s history, as well as the current athletes competing. You could also watch some of the competitions as a class!

Random Acts of Kindness Week Activities

Random Acts of Kindness Week is normally celebrated on the week of February 17th every year. This week celebrates kindness and encourages people to spread a little more positivity and kindness in the world. A great way to celebrate Random Acts of Kindness Week in your classroom is through videos, read alouds and activities! It’s important to discuss kindness all year long, but consider setting aside this week in February to focus on it too. You can discuss how important random acts of kindness are and how they can positively impact others!

February Holidays

Below are February holidays you can use as topics, themes, and lesson plan ideas for teaching in February.

Lunar Year Activities

Lunar Year, also known as the Chinese New Year, is celebrated during different dates in February every year in China! This is a celebration of the start of the new year on the Chinese calendar and the start of a new moon which symbolizes the new year! The Chinese New Year is celebrated with paper lanterns, food, special clothes and happiness! A great way to celebrate the Chinese New Year in your classroom is by watching videos, and making red paper lanterns as a craft to decorate your classroom and learn about the special Chinese New Year tradition and symbol!

Groundhog Day Activities

Groundhog Day is celebrated in the United States and Canada on February 2nd. It is a North American tradition that is often treated like a holiday. This specific day in February is dedicated to watching a groundhog and observing if it sees its shadow! This groundhog is used to predict the weather. If the groundhog sees its shadow, that means 6 more weeks of winter. If the groundhog doesn’t see its shadow, that means winter is over. This is a fun day to celebrate with your elementary students through fun activities, read alouds, and videos!

Valentine’s Day Activities

Valentine’s Day is celebrated every year on February 14th and is the holiday of love. People celebrate this holiday by expressing their love and appreciation for their loved ones. They buy flowers, chocolate and cards as gifts of love. This is the perfect time to have a class party exchanging handmade and store-bought valentines in the classroom!

President’s Day Activities

President’s Day is celebrated on the third Monday in February every year. On this day, we celebrate and honor all of the men who served as United States presidents. This is a perfect day to explore the life of American presidents, specifically George Washington and appreciate all the incredible things they have achieved as leaders and historical figures.

Mardi Gras Activities

Mardi Gras, also known as Fat Tuesday, is celebrated on the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday. This date marks the close to the pre-Lenten season and the start of lent. People throw big parties where they celebrate with green, purple, and gold beads, feathers and masks. Parades and parties often occur on this day. A very well known spot and location for this holiday is in New Orleans! This is the perfect day to educate your students on the history of this holiday while learning about culture, holidays, and traditions to celebrate Mardi Gras! Check out the related resources below!

Authors’ Birthdays in February

Below are authors who have birthdays in February. You can use this list to get ideas for your February lesson plans.

Judith Viorst’s Birthday (2/2) Activities

Judith Viorst is an American writer of children’s literature! Judith Viorst was born on February 2, 1931. She has written some humorous children’s books like Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, and Alexander Who Used to Be Rich Last Sunday. Check out the related resources below!

David Wiesners’ Birthday (2/5) Activities

David Wiesner is an American author and illustrator of children’s books born on February 5, 1956. He is known for his picture books that include stories told without words and just through the journey of his illustrations. Some of Wiesners’ popular stories include Flotsam, Tuesday, The Three Pigs, Art & Max, Free Fall and Fish Girl. Consider reading one of them aloud to your class today.

Natasha Wing’s Birthday (2/7) Activities

Natasha Wing is a children’s book author born on January 7, 1960. She is very well known for her “The Night Before…” book series such as The Night Before St. Patrick’ s Day, The Night Before the 100th Day of School, and The Night Before Summer Vacation! These books are great to use as a read aloud for students who may be nervous or even excited for the night before… a first day of school, a holiday or a big event to help them understand what to expect and to ease the nerves and increase the excitement! Check out the related resources and Natasha Wing’s popular children’s books below!

Matt De La Peña’s Birthday (2/9) Activities

Matt De La Peña is an American author who writes children’s literature. Matt De La Peña was born on February 9th and has written multiple books like Milo Imagines the World, Last Stop on Market Street, and Carmela Full of Wishes.

Mark Teague’s Birthday (2/10) Activities

Mark Teague is an American author and illustrator for children’s books! Mark Teague was born on February 10, 1963. He has written some iconic books such as Dear Mrs. Larue: Letters from Obedience School and Pigsty.

Mo Willems’s Birthday (2/11) Activities

Mo Willems is an American author and illustrator who creates children’s books. He is also a voice actor for animated television series! Mo Willems was born on February 11, 1968. He has written many classic children’s books such as Don’t let the pigeon drive the bus!, Knuffle Bunny, We are in a Book!, and The Pigeon Finds a Hotdog!.

Jane Yolen’s Birthday (2/11) Activities

Jane Yolen is an American author and writer known for her children’s literature! Jane Yolen was born on February 11, 1939. She has written many incredible children’s books such as Owl Moon, How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight?, How Do Dinosaurs Say I Love You?, and How Do Dinosaurs Go To School?.

David Small’s Birthday (2/12) Activities

David Small is an American author and illustrator known for his children’s books! David Small was born on February 12, 1945. He has written many incredible children’s books such as Stitches: A Memoir, The Gardener, Home After Dark, and Imogene’s Antlers.

Jacqueline Woodson’s Birthday (2/12) Activities

Jacqueline Woodson is an American children’s book author born on February 12, 1963. Jacqueline Woodson is known for inspirational books such as The Day You Begin, Each Kindness, The Other Side, and The Year We Learned to Fly. Check out the related resources and Jacqueline Woodson’s popular children’s books below!

Brian Lies’s Birthday (2/14) Activities

Brian Lies is an American children’s book author and illustrator born on February 14, 1963. Brian Lies wrote the popular books, Bats at the Library and The Rough Patch. Check out the related resources and Brian Lies popular children’s books below!

Peter Brown’s Birthday (2/24) Activities

Peter Brown is an American author and illustrator known for his children’s books! Peter Brown was born on February 24, 1979. He has written many incredible children’s books such as The Wild Robot, My Teacher is a Monster!, The Curious Garden, and Creepy Carrots!.

Mike Curato’s Birthday (2/28) Activities

Mike Curato is an American author and illustrator known for his children’s books! Mike Curato was born on February 28th. He has written many incredible children’s books such as Flamer, Little Elliot, Big City, Worm Loves Worm and The Power of One: Every Act of Kindness Counts.

Bill Thomson’s Birthday (2/28) Activities

Bill Thomson was a man of many talents including being a children’s book author who was born on February 28, 1824. Bill Thomson is known for his paleontology children’s books such as Fossil and Chalk which are very informative and entertaining! Consider reading one of his stories aloud today.

Megan Mcdonald’s Birthday (2/28) Activities

Megan Mcdonald is an American children’s book author born on February 28, 1959. Megan Mcdonald is known for her classic and very popular Judy Moody series! Some popular books in that collection include, Judy Moody Was in a Mood, Judy Moody Saves the World, and Judy Moody Gets Famous! Consider starting to read aloud one of these popular chapter books today.

February Special Days

Below are special days in February that you can use as topics, themes, and lesson plans ideas for teaching in February.

Feed the Birds Day (2/3) Activities  

Feed the Birds Day is a national day dedicated to feeding birds! Birds are cute, fluffy and tiny creatures that fly high and low in the sky and wander around in nature! This is a great day to promote the health and survival of birds by helping feed them when the cold month of February decreases their food source in the wild! A great class craft to celebrate Feed the Birds Day is to create handmade bird feeders or paint wooden bird houses as a class!

National Wear Red Day (1st Friday in February) Activities

We celebrate National Wear Red Day on the first Friday in February. It is a day dedicated to wearing red to show and spread awareness about heart disease. Initiated by the American Heart Association, people are encouraged to wear red clothing and accessories to bring attention to one of the leading causes of death in America, heart disease. By wearing red, people who aren’t aware will become educated on why everyones wearing red and will stop and think about the importance of heart health. A great way to celebrate National Wear Red Day is to encourage your students to wear red to school and explore the importance of the day together as a class!

National Bubble Gum Day (2/3) Activities

National Bubble Gum Day takes place on February 2nd every year and is a day to celebrate this tasty treat! This national day was once used to raise money for school activities by asking students to donate 50 cents to earn the privilege to chew gum in class for the day. A fun alternative is to provide gum for your students and take a fun brain break to see who can blow the biggest bubble! Check out the related resources below!

National Homemade Soup Day (2/4) Activities

National Homemade Soup Day is celebrated on February 4th and is a day to celebrate the yummy, warm, comfort food that’s perfect for the cold winter months! There is nothing better than receiving homemade soup when you are feeling under the weather, or creating your own inventive soup recipe to share with your friends and family. This is the perfect day to share some delicious soup recipes with your learners’ families and maybe enjoy a class “homemade soup day” for lunch!

Rosa Parks Day (2/4) Activities

Rosa Parks Day is celebrated on February 4th. It is a day dedicated to the incredible civil rights leader known as Rosa Parks. Rosa Parks was arrested on December 1st for standing her ground and refusing to give up her seat on a bus for someone who was white. This action created a scene and led to a big civil rights movement making a big difference promoting equality regarding race. Rosa Parks Day is celebrated on February 4th, which is Rosa parks birthday. A great way to celebrate in your classroom is by celebrating her birthday with some yummy treats and exploring her incredible and brave actions in American history!

National Weatherperson’s Day (2/5) Activities

National Weatherperson’s Day is celebrated on February 5th in the United States every year. This is a day dedicated to celebrating the very informative and helpful weather-men and weather-women who provide us with their weather predictions for the day and week so we can prepare our outfits and plans! This day also celebrates John Jeffries’ birthday, which was February 5th, 1744. He was one of America’s first weather observers starting in 1774! This is the perfect day to have your students appreciate this incredible and important job, and maybe even bring in a weatherperson as a guest speaker! Check out the related resources below!

National Chopsticks Day (2/5) Activities

National Chopsticks Day is celebrated on February 6th every year to celebrate and appreciate the invention of the popular utensil. Chopsticks are great to use when eating noodles or sushi and especially enjoyable when eating Chinese food! This is the perfect day to bring in a class set of wooden chopsticks from a local Chinese restaurant and educate your students on how to properly use them! This is the perfect way to learn a new skill, explore different cultures and traditions, and appreciate this helpful invention all while celebrating National Chopsticks Day! Check out the related resources below!

National Toothache Day (2/9) Activities

National Toothache Day takes place on February 9th and is a day to serve as a reminder to brush your teeth and understand the importance of dental hygiene and health! This is the perfect day to bring in a guest speaker and have them talk about the importance of brushing your teeth twice a day and flossing so you don’t have to have a toothache! Check out the related resources below!

Pizza Day (2/9) Activities

Pizza Day is celebrated on February 9th every year in the United States to appreciate and celebrate the popular cheese, sauce, and oven baked dough meal known as pizza! Pizza is a quick and easy meal that’s fun to have for a party, large get-together, or even just to eat for dinner on a random day of the week! There are so many options for topics such as pepperoni, peppers and onions, and even pineapple! This is the perfect day for a surprise class pizza party which will get your students very excited while also encouraging them to celebrate National Pizza Day and appreciate the delicious invention!

Ice Cream for Breakfast Day (1st Saturday in February) Activities

We celebrate Ice Cream for Breakfast Day on the first Saturday in February. It is a day where it is acceptable and encouraged to eat ice cream in the morning for breakfast! Many people love the cold and creamy dessert, but they usually enjoy it after lunch or dinner! This fun and informal holiday would be so memorable and hilarious to celebrate in the classroom by having an ice cream party… first thing in the morning for breakfast!

Super Bowl Sunday (2nd Sunday in February) Activities

Super Bowl Sunday is celebrated on the second Sunday in February every year. On this day, many people watch football on TV while eating pizza, wings, nachos and other yummy finger foods! Super Bowl Sunday is a popular day where the two qualified NFL teams compete in the final game of the season and play against each other to determine the Super Bowl champion! Many students love watching this game on TV so taking a few minutes to explore and bring attention to the exciting day will mean a lot to them!

National Umbrella Day (2/10) Activities

We celebrate National Umbrella Day on February 10th. It is a day to acknowledge and honor the hand held, rain covering, sun protecting, and fashionable device known as the umbrella! The umbrella is one of the world’s most useful inventions and deserves a day of recognition and celebration! This is the perfect day to explore the history of the incredibly helpful invention and celebrate national umbrella day by bringing your class outside to exemplify the tool when it’s raining or maybe even just sunny!

National Inventors’ Day (2/11) Activities

We celebrate National Inventors’ Day on February 11th. On this day, we recognize the world’s inventors and their incredible inventions! This day helps bring attention to all inventors including past, present, and encourages young and new inventors to start thinking about helpful ideas that could become the next big invention! Today is the perfect day to explore the history of some of the world’s greatest inventors and have your students each create their own invention as a writing prompt to celebrate Nationals Inventors Day!

International Day of Women and Girls in Science (2/11) Activities

We celebrate International Day of Women and Girls in Science on February 11th. It brings attention to gender norms and stereotypes regarding school subjects and promotes a change! Science has been stigmatized to be a subject for boys and men which has stopped many young girls from pursuing a career in related fields even if they may have been very talented and passionate when it came to that subject! International Day of Women and Girls in Science promotes and encourages girls and women to participate and become a part of the science community so both women and men can play a role in experiments, discoveries and research! This is the perfect day to explore the history of important women scientists and state to your class that they can become anything they want when they grow up if they put their mind to it!

Abraham Lincoln’s Birthday (2/12) Activities

Abraham Lincoln’s Birthday is February 12, 1809 and he was born in Hardin County, Kentucky. February 12th is the day when we celebrate America’s 16th president and acknowledge all that he’s done for the United States. This is the perfect day to explore and learn about the history of Abraham Lincoln in your classroom using videos, read alouds and activities!

Susan B Anthony’s Birthday (2/15) Activities

Susan B Anthony’s Birthday is February 15, 1820 and was born in Adams Massachusetts. February 15th every year has become a date where we celebrate her actions and commitment in the women’s suffrage movement! Susan B Anthony worked hard promoting women’s rights including equal pay for equal work. She did this by giving speeches and speaking on behalf of women everywhere! This day explores the history of this incredible woman and all the amazing things she’s done to make a difference for women’s rights.

Do A Grouch A Favor Day (2/16) Activities

Do A Grouch A Favor Day takes place on February 16 every year in the United States. This national day was created to make a grouch (or someone who always seems to be in a bad mood) happy by giving them a compliment, a gift, or by giving them a huge favor to make their day a little easier! You never know what someone’s going through and being kind goes a long way and will make someone’s day, even if they’re a grouch! This is the perfect day to teach kindness and empathy in your classroom and encourage your students to put themselves in someone else’s shoes and to always follow the golden rule… Treat others the way you want to be treated!

Random Acts of Kindness Day (2/17) Activities

We celebrate Random Acts of Kindness Day on February 17th. It is a day dedicated to kindness! This day was created to spread positivity in the world and remind people how much a compliment or kind action means to people and will go a long way! This is the perfect day to encourage your students to perform random acts of kindness throughout the day! Check out the related resources below!

Love Your Pet Day (2/20) Activities

Love Your Pet Day is a national celebration that happens on February 20th every year! This day is dedicated to taking a moment to spoil your adorable animal family member with treats, back rubs, toys, and cuddles! This is the perfect day for a show-and-tell where students can bring in a picture of their pet, (or if they don’t have a pet at home they can bring in a picture of their favorite animal) and explain why they love the animal in the photograph! This activity can be used just for a fun morning greeting activity or could be used as a writing activity during English time! After the activity, teachers can show a video about pets and encourage their learners to go home and show affection to their pets! Check out the related resources below!

World Day of Social Justice (2/20) Activities

World Day of Social Justice is celebrated on February 20th. This day promotes social justice and making a change in society! This day brings attention to many social issues including poverty, gender inequality, unemployment, religious, race and gender discrimination and many other social problems to help eliminate them and make society more inclusive and positive. This is a great day to take a moment in your classroom to touch on topics concerning social justice and teach your students how to be kind, caring, inclusive and accepting human beings, especially in the classroom!

National Gingerbread Cookie Day (2/21) Activities

National Gingerbread Cookie Day is celebrated on February 27th. It is a day dedicated to celebrating and bringing awareness to the adorable white snow bears! Polar bears are incredible animals that are largely affected by climate change. We can protect these animals by reducing our carbon footprint! Today is the perfect day to learn about polar bears by watching videos, and reading books about the food they eat, their environment, and their life! 

Be Humble Day (2/22) Activities

Be Humble Day is celebrated on February 22nd. The purpose of this day is to encourage people to be humble. Being humble means to be an individual who does amazing things, but does not ask for a thank you or a prize. They focus on the care of others rather than themselves. Today is a great day to teach your students how to be humble through impactful videos and fun read alouds to encourage them to be humble the next time they do something or perform an act of kindness!

School Bus Driver Appreciation Day (2/22) Activities

School Bus Driver Appreciation Day is celebrated on February 22nd every year! This is a day dedicated to celebrating and appreciating the men and women who drive students to school on big yellow buses and bring them home safely after their school day is over. Having transportation to and from school is very important and without these incredible human beings, a lot of parents would struggle to get their children to and from school everyday! This is the perfect day to have your students write thank you cards to their school bus driver to thank them. Check out the related resources below!

National Tortilla Chip Day (2/24) Activities

National Tortilla Chip Day is celebrated on February 24th every year and is a day dedicated to appreciating the crunchy corn chip that tastes great with salsa, guacamole or included in a nacho platter! This is the perfect day for a nacho party in your classroom or to encourage your students to make their own nachos when they get home from school with their caregivers, or older siblings. This is a great time to learn about different food traditions and cultures while enjoying a little tortilla chip snack as a class!

Tell A Fairy Tale Day (2/26) Activities

Tell A Fairy Tale Day Is celebrated on February 26th every year! This day is for appreciating the magic of fairy tales and how these wonderful stories transport our minds into a new and wonderful world! This is the perfect day to read a classic fairy tale to your class, or even let them write their own creative fairy tale. Check out the related resources below!

National Polar Bear Day (2/27) Activities

National Polar Bear Day is celebrated on February 27th. This day celebrates and brings awareness to the adorable white snow bears! Polar bears are incredible animals who are largely affected by climate change in which we need to help protect and save our adorable polar bears by reducing our carbon footprint! Today is the perfect day to learn about polar bears by watching videos, and reading books about the food they eat, their environment, and their life!

Tooth Fairy Day (2/28) Activities

Tooth Fairy Day is celebrated on February 28th every year and is a day dedicated to celebrating the little fairy that slips a gift or money under your pillow in exchange for your lost tooth! This day appreciates the magic of the tooth fairy while also encouraging dental health and dental hygiene! This is the perfect day for a tooth fairy read aloud to celebrate National Tooth Fairy Day in your classroom! Check out the related resources below!

We hope you found this post with information and resources for teaching in February helpful! There’s a bunch of February lesson plan ideas that you can pull from it. If you enjoyed this post, you may be interested in these other posts related to lesson plan and teaching ideas for February:

• February Activities for Elementary Students
• February Writing Prompts for Elementary Teachers
• 15 Valentine’s Day Picture Books