Elmo's Birthday, Pancake Day, and More Holidays & Activities for February 2025
The shortest month of the year packs a heck of a punch! There are a lot of holidays and fun things to celebrate in February. Sure, you know there's the Super Bowl, Valentine’s Day, Groundhog Day, and Presidents Day, but you can also celebrate Elmo's Birthday, Poop Day (great for potty training), and Pancake Day!
Check this list, and you’ll find the perfect thing to do with your kids each and every day. For more ideas for winter fun, check out our roundup of 30 Exercise Games and Indoor Activities that Get Kids Moving and your local Winter Vacation Guide.
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These don’t have to be done on any specific day! But in case you want to, here’s something to do every day in February.
Holidays and Activities for Each Day in February 2025
Read one of the The Little Legends or Little Leaders books by Vashti Harrison. Photo courtesy of Amazon
February 1 – First Day of Black History Month
Call it African American Heritage Month, Black History Month, or African History Month, the month starts today and is a perfect time to seek out local Black-owned businesses and African American museums. Check your local Mommy Poppins regional home page, where almost all our cities have a roundup that includes ways to celebrate Black History Month. PBS Kids has a great guide for parents on introducing kids to Black History Month.
February 2 – Groundhog Day
Tune in for Punxsutawney Phil's prognostications for whether winter will end or extend. Hint: no shadow means early spring. Check with your kids to see what Phil predicts this year, and if it comes true. Then curl up for a movie night watching the Bill Murray classic, Groundhog Day.
February 3 – Elmo’s Birthday
Every kid's favorite muppet, and most parents' least favorite, has his birthday today. While we're not sure how that works, because according to canon, Elmo is perpetually 3 1/2, it's a fun time to watch Elmo's World (even with your big kids!) and bake Elmo a cute cake. We've got easy instructions on how to decorate a cake to look like Elmo that will delight everyone in your house.
February 4 – Facebook’s Birthday
While we have mixed feelings about the amount of time we spend and the content we consume on social media, there is one great, safe space on the internet. We just relaunched our NYC Facebook Group- Poppins Parents NYC — Things To Do, Deals, and Deets. It's a fantastic and supportive community where you can give and get recommendations for anything to do with parenting and raising kids, in NYC or anywhere! Join us!
Girls play sports! Duh. Photo licensed as public domain
February 5 – National Girls and Women in Sports Day
Haven't you seen the shirts? Everyone watches women's sports. And why wouldn't they? Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese are killing it in the WNBA, Naomi Osaka and Coco Gauff are picking up where the Williams sisters left off on the courts, and Sophia Smith and Naomi Girma are ones to watch in the NWSL. Check your local calendar of events for a women's professional or college sports game to attend with your kids. Then get out there and play catch or kick some balls!
February 6 – National Frozen Yogurt Day
As if you need an excuse to eat froyo! But today is a great excuse as many local and national chains offer free frozen yogurt or BOGO deals. Surprise your kids with a froyo outing that's easy on the wallet.
February 7 – National Bubble Gum Day
Here are 3 fun facts about bubble gum:
- Bubble gum flavor is actually a mix of banana, pineapple, cinnamon, cloves, and wintergreen flavorings. Gross, yet somehow it works well together.
- Bubble gum was originally called "Blibber-Blubber"
- Bubble gum is pink because without any coloring it's kind of a gross gray color, so the inventor of the stuff, Walter Diemer, added a little red dye. It was all he had on hand.
A fun way to celebrate Bubble Gum Day is to learn how to make it yourself with an easy Do It Yourself Bubble Gum Kit.
February 8 – National Kite Flying Day
It's February, which means there's a great chance that it's snowy, rainy, or cold where you live. But you know what? Unless it's actively storming, it's still a great time to fly a kite and fill the air with bright colors. If you definitely can't go outside today, you can make kites and save them for better weather. Then curl up for a family viewing of Mary Poppins, and sing "Let's Go Fly a Kite" together!
Follow these simple instructions to make a kite with your kids that will really fly.
Make some Super Bowl Sunday Football Bread for the big game. Photo courtesy of the Food Network
February 9 – Super Bowl Sunday
Is your team in the game? Do you even like football? It doesn't matter! The food, family, and party atmosphere of a Super Bowl watch party are all kids will remember. Try making some of these 5 fun, football-themed recipes with your kids in anticipation of the game:
- Football Cake Pops
- Football Krispie Treats
- Football Cheese Ball
- Football Bread
- Football Ice Cream Sandwiches
February 10 – National Poop Day
While it’s also International Cribbage Day, which is one of my favorite games and my family has intense cribbage tournaments, I thought Poop Day might appeal to a broader audience. Here are some fun ways to celebrate:
- Start potty training, or talking about it, with anyone in the house who is the right age for it.
- Prank your kids by leaving fake poo around the house for them to find. They won't be expecting April Fools Day jokes this early!
- Read, or re-read, Everyone Poops. It's a classic.
- Watch The Emoji Movie, with an appearance by every kid's favorite emoji: Poop (voiced by Patrick Stewart!).
February 11 – Extraterrestrial Culture Day
Tonight is a perfect night to curl up with the family, a big bag of Reece's Pieces, and watch E.T. The Extraterrestrial.
February 12 – Go snow tubing
Check out your local Winter Guide to find the places near you where you can go snow tubing! Almost everywhere had a nearby mountain that manufactures snow for a little tubing action; now's the time to get it in before winter is over.
February 13 – Kiss Day
Get a jump on Valentine's Day by leaving Hershey's Kisses under your kids' pillow before they wake up. And use the day as an excuse to get in a lot of snuggles, hugs, and kisses.
Make cards or decorations for Valentine's Day.
February 14 – Valentine’s Day
Check out our Valentine's Day Guide for crafts, snacks, coloring pages, and more ways to celebrate Valentine's Day with kids.
February 15 – World Hippo Day
Moo Deng inspired us to fall in love with hippos all over again! Visit your local zoo to see a hippo in person, and then read a book, featuring the animal of the day. Here are some of our favorites:
- George and Martha by James Marshall
- Fiona the Hippo
- Hippos Go Berserk! by Sandra Boynton
February 16 – Tim Tam Day
This one is for my daughter, who is obsessed with Tim Tam slams, so I’m sharing this with you! Tim Tams are an Australian chocolate cookie, and they're ridiculously addictive. You can get them at any Cost Plus World Market, or order from several sources online. A Tim Tam Slam is if you bite the corners off on the top right and bottom left of the cookie. Then you use the cookies as a straw, sticking one bitten-off end into a warm drink (cocoa or warm milk for your kids, coffee or tea for you!). Drink it fast and then slam the gooey warm cookie in your mouth!
February 17 – Presidents Day
Happy long weekend, families! Check your local calendar of events for something fun and patriotic to do this weekend. Or buy a mattress. This is the day selected to honor our American presidents because the third Monday in February is close to Washington's Birthday on February 22, and also near Abraham Lincoln's (February 12) as well.
February 18 – Pluto Day
It’s a planet! I’m sorry. Honor our furthest planet by celebrating the solar system and heading to your local planetarium or going out to star gaze. Or, if you’re not by a planetarium and it’s cloudy or your city is plagued by light pollution, maybe watch some cartoons featuring Mickey's best pal.
Heave-ho! Get those muscles working; it's work up some laughter, too.
February 19 – Tug of War Day
Go outside and organize a massive game of tug of war with friends, family, or at school! Then branch out into other outdoor childhood games. Cold day? That's ok! Even in the winter, kids need to go outside and get some fresh air and outside play.
February 20 – National Muffin Day
Make muffins together! This recipe for Spinach Cake Muffins is my family’s favorite, and an easy one for kids to learn to cook by baking! (And you'll sneak in a little healthy green stuff.)
February 21 – Language Day
Everyone should learn another language! Talk with your kids about the languages the people in your family speak, or would have spoken if they grew up in the countries their own ancestors were from. Then try learning how to say "Hello" in all the languages of your family. Books for young kids like Say Hello by Rachel Isadora are easy ways to learn how to say hello. You can also check websites like Babel for how to say hello, and other greetings from around the world.
February 22 – Play Cards Day
Card games are fabulous; they're easily portable, fun for all ages, and bring families together to play. We've rounded up 25 card games every kid should know. Try out a new one every week and find your family's signature game. (We like Spit and Spoons!)
February 23 – Pinocchio Day
To be honest, this movie scared/scarred me when I was little, so think twice before showing your little ones! But if your kids won't be scared, it's a fun Disney classic. There have been two other interesting recent takes on the old Italian tale, and the Pinocchio by Robert Zemeckis starring Tom Hanks is definitely the more kid-friendly. But if you've got teens, watch Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio as a family.
Get wet indoors!
February 24 – Visit an indoor water park
There's something perverse about human nature; as soon as you really can't do something, it's all you want to do. So in the dead of winter, nothing sounds as appealing as splashing in a water park! Check out our Theme Parks and Water Parks Guide in your local area to find the best indoor water parks near you!
February 25 – Have winter fun outdoors
Outdoor water parks are a no in the winter. But outdoor fun is still a go! You still need vitamin D! Get out there and have some fun with our giant list of fun winter outdoor activities for kids.
February 26 – Tongue Twister Day
On our massive list of tongue twisters for kids, you can start simple with "Toy Boat" and work your way up to "If you must cross a coarse, cross cow across a crowded cow crossing, cross the cross, coarse cow across the crowded cow crossing carefully." How many of these can you say?
February 27 – National Polar Bear Day
Have you ever taken a polar bear plunge? That means going swimming in very cold water. Try it today with your kids (it supposedly has health benefits!). Just have a thermos of hot cocoa and loads of warm towels and blankets ready for when you get out of the water!
Nothing like starting or ending the day with adorable pancakes.
February 28 – Pancake Day
Have pancakes for dinner on Pancake Day! To make this extra exciting, adapt our Waffle Board ideas from our Dessert Board Recipes.
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