June Family Fun...

Jenni Campbell had so many great ideas at the summer fun RS meeting that we can't post them all in one post. Every month we will post her activities for the month. None of us should have bored kids with all this info! :)

JUNE FAMILY FUN

June is the sixth month. In the early Roman calendar, June was the fourth month of the year and had 29 days. Julius Caesar reformed the calendar and gave June another day and moved it to the 6th month of the year. Some believe the Romans named June after Juno, the patron goddess of marriage. The month of June was dedicated to the young men of Rome and some people believe that the name was taken from juniores, the Latin word for young men.

Flower: ROSE Birthstone: PEARL, ALEXANDRITE, & MOONSTONE

1 Brigham Young was born in 1801. Have a pioneer day activity for family home evening. Play old fashioned games, make homemade ice cream and dutch oven cook or cook over an open fire.

Kentucky became the 15th state in 1792. Gather broomsticks or stickhorses and have a Kentucky Derby. Kentucky is famous for it’s beautiful Bluegrass so have a picnic on the lawn.

Tennessee became the 16th state in 1796. Gather the family together and learn how to do the Tennessee Waltz.

2 Swing Day: Go to a park and swing on the swings.
3 Play summer games this day such as hopscotch, 4-square, jacks, marbles and jump rope.
4 Drive-In Movie Day:
5 World Environment Day: Help improve your surrounding environment by going on a trash trek around your yard and neighborhood. Everyone is equipped with a trash bag and a willing heart to pick up as much litter as they can. The person with the most gets a large candy bar. The others are rewarded as well. Don’t forget to throw the wrappers in the garbage can!!!

National yo-yo day: All of you try to yo-yo. Who can do the most tricks with theirs? Who can yo-yo the longest?
6 Baseball Day: Baseball is the game for summer. Gather the neighborhood together and go play a game of baseball or go watch a game at the park. Be sure to discuss the safety rules of the sport and have fun.
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8 Robert Schumman, a German composer, was born in 1810. Check out some of his music.

Frank Lloyd Wright was born this day. He was a famous architect. Go for a walking tour of down town buildings. Notice the design and structure of these buildings. Which one is your favorite and why?
9 George Stephenson was born 1781 in England. He was an inventor and known as the father of the railways. Take a train ride if you can or go watch the trains at the depot.

Donald Duck’s Birthday today. Go to a park or area where you know there are ducks to feed cracked corn or bread. Go on a swimming outing at the park. Be sure to take some duck feet (fins) and have a swimming relay. Rent a Donald Duck movie, and of course have a quacking contest.

Cole Porter, and American composer, was born in 1893.
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11 Richard Strauss was born 1864 in Germany.
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13 William Butler Yeats, an Irish poet, was born in 1865. Read some of his works.
14 Flag Day: Think about the things that you enjoy as a citizen of the United States. Be sure to display a flag on this day. Can everyone recite the pledge of allegiance? Wear red, white and blue today. Eat foods that are red, white and blue. Make a flag cake. Look up other countries flags. Make double pictures of them on 3x5 cards and play a game of concentration. Design and make a family flag.
15 Smile Power Day: Be sure to smile to all family members and those you meet this day. See what power a smile has. It surely brightens up the day of all who sees one.

Arkansas became the 25th state in 1836.

Edvard Grieg, Norwegian composer, was born in 1843.

16 Charles Goodyear was granted a patent for rubber vulcanization. Go for a ride in your car that has those vulcanized rubber tires on.
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18 Charles Eames was born this day. He was a designer of chairs that were useful and nice looking. Everyone find their favorite chair. Explain why you like the chair you picked.
19 Blaise Pascal, French philosopher, mathematician, and scientist was born in 1623. Have a Math and Science Day. Do all kinds of math activities even when you cook your meals for the day with the kids. Go to a science museum or do some science experiments together.
20 West Virginia became the 35th state in 1863.

Jacques Offenbach, a composer, was born in 1819.
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22 Julian Huxley was born on this day in 1887. He was a British biologist
June Bug Day: Look for all kinds of bugs that are out in the month of June. See if you can really find a June Bug. They are large brown beetles. Collect them in a bug jar and then be sure to let them go after studying them. Make a notebook of the bugs you all saw and draw pictures of them. See if you can find out the names of them and label your drawings. What interesting fact can you put down for each little critter? Make gumdrop bugs out of gumdrops, pretzels and licorice.
23 Wake Up Early Day: Wake up before the sun comes up. Ride to a place up a canyon or the foothills where you can watch the sun come up. Notice what the sky looks like. Have an early bird breakfast.
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26 Pearl Buck was born this day. She was a novelist. Visit the library today and check out a book that you want to read.
27 Helen Keller was born in 1880. Go blind for an hour. Put blindfolds on and see how it feels.
28 Peter Paul Rubens, Flemish painter, was born in 1577.
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OTHER ACTIVITIES FOR THE MONTH OF JUNE:

Father’s Day: Third Sunday in June. Be sure to make Dad feel your gratitude.
20th or 21st is the First day of Summer: Do a Family Olympics. Make medals out of Kerr lids for canning fruit.
Go on a Rose Walk: Walk several blocks and look at all the rose bushes that bloom in June. Keep track of the different colors and varieties of roses that you see.
Play the game, “I’ll always remember the time when….” with family members. Make sure they are positive and fun memories.
Have a Courtesy Week: Talk about good manners and how to be courteous. See if everyone can earn a Courtesy Crown.
National Rivers Month: Spend a day picking up a bag of trash along a river bank path with your family. If the water is clean and safe, take a picnic lunch and go wading or floating in an inner tube. Look up on a map as to how far the river flows from beginning to end.
Fresh Fruits Month: Go to a farmers market or fruit and vegetable stand and purchase fresh produce to eat for the days or weeks ahead.
Dairy Month: Eat plenty of dairy foods throughout this month.

30 Things to do in June:
Go swing on some swings.
Visit a museum.
Pick fresh berries.
Grill Campfire Pizzas---Frozen pizza dough, Spaghetti sauce, cheese and toppings. Everyone makes their own. Grill it on the barbecue grill outside.
Draw chalk drawings on the sidewalk.
Go visit a farm.
Make large bubble wands out of coat hangers, and wrap cotton twine around the hoop which acts as a soap-holding wick. The bubble solution is made out of 2 cups of Dawn or Joy dish soap , 6 cups of water and ¾ cup of corn syrup.
Go to a place in your state that holds their town celebration in June.
Hold a star gazing party with your family. This means going on an overnighter away from the city lights. Take binoculars and telescopes if you have some.
Have a watermelon seed spitting contest.
Grow something big in a family garden---sunflowers, pumpkins, squash, etc.
Set up a treasure hunt for the family.
Go on a family hike. Take water and trail mix to munch on.
Have a neighborhood pet show.
Go swimming and of course floating in the Great Salt Lake.
Bake a cake. Make it look like a sun.
Gather summer treasures and put in a box. (Rocks, shells, pinecones, etc.) Share your findings at the end of June with the family.
Take pictures of your summer fun together.
Grow some tomatoes.
Make a hideout or clubhouse in your yard.
Search a map of Utah. Pick out a place you have never been or a place that you would like to visit. Make family plans to go there and spend some time.
Have breakfast outside. Set up a breakfast bar with juice, milk, fresh fruit, granola, etc. Let the birds provide the music at this outing.
Watch the early birds catch the worms. After watering the lawn in the evening, get up early the next day to watch the birds digging for worms.
Weave a crown of daisies.
Stage a play.
Have a planned water fight.
Make up an obstacle course.
Make strawberry shortcake.
Have an ice cream social. Make homemade Ice cream and serve to family and friends.
Strike up a backyard band.