These don’t have to be done on any specific day! But if you want to, here’s something to do every day in May.

Holidays and Activities for Each Day in May 2025

May 1 – May Day

May Day means summer is coming! Literally. It began as a celebration of the halfway point between the Spring Equinox and Summer Solstice. Traditional ways to celebrate include dancing around a Maypole (any tall stick that you affix long ribbons to that you can hold and dance around; here's a tutorial on making a Maypole that uses simple things you have in your house) and making flower crowns!

May 2 – National School Lunch Day

Two of the most dreaded words in the English language: school lunch! Kids tire of eating it, parents loathe making it. Every. Single. Day. So make today the day to honor it! Switch up your routine with some kid-tested and approved ideas straight from our list of 100 School Lunch Ideas Kids Will Actually Eat. Try making some together.

May 3 – Free Comic Book Day

Many comic book stores host parties and fun activities for kids to get them into comic books on Free Comic Book Day. We're for any activity that is free and encourages kids to read something! Check your local calendar of events to find a Free Comic Book Day event near you.

 
Make some cute crafts for May the Fourth! Photo by Danielle Smith for Mommy Poppins

May 4 – Star Wars Day (May the 4th!)

May the fourth be with you! We've rounded up a whole bunch of ways for your little Jedis to celebrate Star Wars Day.

May 5 – Cinco de Mayo

Whip up some tacos for dinner from our list of 5 amazing taco recipes to celebrate Cinco de Mayo! Also, be sure to check your local calendar of events for fun Cinco de Mayo events near you.

May 6 – National Teacher Appreciation Day

Teachers are the only people who spend almost as much time with your kids as you do! They show love, care, and nurturing each and every day. Show them you see them and appreciate all that they do! We've rounded up Teacher Appreciation Day gifts that are personal, heartfelt, fit every budget, and that teachers will actually want!

Let your inner grumpy guy out, and turn that frown upside down! Photo courtesy of Disney Pixar 

May 7 – Great American Grump Out

This might be my new favorite holiday of the year. While it sounds like a day to be grumpy, it's actually the opposite. It's a day to take the things that could make you grumpy, and find a reason to turn them into something to smile about. It's actually to get the grump out. Spend the day with your kids looking for the things that might make you grumpy or grumble, and then talk about how to turn that feeling around and into something positive. 

For example, if their favorite shirt is dirty, and they can't wear it to school, today might be the day to wear a costume, pajama shirt, or borrow one of your shirts! It's a great way to get kids to start looking at problems as opportunities.

May 8 – Make a Book Day

Everyone has a story to tell, and anyone can write a book! Here's a simple tutorial that will allow kids of any age to make a book of their own that they can then write in. For inspiration, read some of our favorite books for kids of all ages. Kids can then write a book in the style of their favorite tale.

Speaking of writing a book, did you know our founder and her daughter wrote a book together? It's called The Young Traveler's Journal & Activity Book and it's the very first Mommy Poppins book! Perfect for helping plan your summer travel...

May 9 – National Sleepover Day

Speaking of summer coming up, summer is prime sleepover time. However, sleepovers can be a little daunting. Once you have a house full of kids for a whole night, what do you do with them? We rounded up 20 Summer Sleepover Games and Sleepover Snacks that are tried and tested and will give you fabulous nights with no fuss or worry!

May 10 – National Mini Golf Day

Who doesn't love mini golf? Find a great place in your area for kids to play in your local guide to Sports Activities for Kids.

May 11 – Mother's Day

Today is only the most important day of the year! Just kidding. But it is a pretty special day to honor all the moms and mother figures in our lives. Whoever you celebrate with and however you celebrate, we have ideas for DIY Mother's Day cards kids can make, gifts moms actually want, and Mother's Day brunch recipes kids can make!

May 12 – National Limerick Day

Write limericks with your kids using a template. The sillier, the better! 

 
Take the time to smell the flowers on National Tulip Day. Photo by Bill Benzon via Flickr 2.0

May 13 – Tulip Day

Spring is in bloom! If you live near tulip fields, you can visit them (find your nearest flower or PYO farm in your local Farm and PYO Guide). Or check out this TikTok that walks you through a fun tulip painting activity for kids that uses a fork.

May 14 – Make butter

You know what is easy for a Thursday night, and will leave you with something tasty to put on your toast tomorrow morning? Making butter together! We've got an easy butter recipe you can make at home in three simple steps.

May 15 – National Chocolate Chip Day

Have some of that butter left over? It will make the best chocolate chip cookies! Put chocolate chips in pancakes for breakfast (use our blueberry oatmeal pancake recipe but sub chocolate chips for blueberries), in banana chip bites for lunch, in cookies for an afterschool snack (the Nutella stuffed chocolate chip cookies on our Christmas cookie list are killer), and in a mole sauce for dinner!

May 16 – Bike to School Day

Bike to school if you can, but if you can't, make time today to go for a bike ride wherever and whenever you can! Got kids who are still learning? We have a step-by-step guide to getting kids to ride bikes without training wheels.

May 17 – National Learn to Swim Day

Like riding a bike, learning to swim is a childhood bucket list item. If your kids can't swim, look into booking swim lessons this summer. We've got lists of the best swim schools and swim lessons near you for everyone from babies on up to teens. You'll find them in your local guide to classes for kids.

May 18 – Take Your Parents to the Playground Day

Make your kids the planners for the day and tell them you want them to take you to the playground. Have them pick the playground (if you need inspiration, check out your local guide to the best playgrounds in town) and show you their favorite things to do once you get there!

May 19 – National Plant Something Day

There are so many ways to plant something, no matter where you live and your access to a garden. You can make wildflower seed bombs to give away, plant an indoor herb garden, plant things in your backyard, or create a pollinator garden in a variety of ways. You'll find these suggestions and more in our Earth Kids Guide to Activities for Our Planet.

 
Pick a peck of strawberries! Photo by Jessica Stautberg for Mommy Poppins

May 20 – National Pick Strawberries Day

It's a Tuesday this year, so if you have kids in school, today might not be an actual day to pick strawberries at a farm. However, if it's strawberry season near you, you can find the best strawberry picking farm near you in your local Farm and PYO Guide and go this weekend. If not, head to a grocery store or farmers market near you and "pick" some strawberries to eat today!

We rounded up our favorite Easy Strawberry Recipes to Make With Kids.

May 21 – Tea Day

Throw a tea party for your teddy bears or other stuffed friends. Or real friends and family, if you can! Weak caffeine-free teas with milk and some kind of sweetener make for a tasty treat for kids that makes them feel grown up.

May 22 – Lucky Penny Day

"See a penny, pick it up, all day long you'll have good luck." Send kids off to school with a lucky penny in their pockets to bring good luck all day, and ask them to tell you about all the lucky things that happened throughout the day. Then go for a nice long walk to hunt for pennies. Even if you never find any, isn't a beautiful day that features a nice long walk with your kids a lucky day?

 
Find turtles in the wild! Photo by Diana Kim for Mommy Poppins

May 23 – World Turtle Day

Do you know the difference between a turtle and a tortoise? Take the day to appreciate these amazing creatures, make fun turtle crafts, and learn about sea turtle conservation efforts. 

Planning a family vacation? Think about a trip to the Galapagos, where you can encounter giant tortoises. Check out our Ultimate Guide to Visiting the Galapagos Islands with Kids.

May 24 – National Scavenger Hunt Day

We've got ideas to help you plan a scavenger hunt, devise scavenger hunt clues, and everything else you need to get started. In fact, you can just print out one of our FREE printable scavenger hunts and go!

May 25 – Geek Pride Day

Geek Pride Day celebrates all things geeky, of course! Whatever your geeky obsession—sci-fi, fantasy, board games, video games, comic books, cosplay, anime, steampunk, zombies, and much more—show your kids your geek favorite, and ask them to share their geek obsession!

May 26 – Memorial Day

Forget the Summer Solstice, summer kicks off today! Get ready. Check out our Summer Vacation Guide for ideas at home, activities about town, and awesome vacation and staycation ideas.

May 27 – National Sunscreen Day

We all know how important it is to protect young (and older!) skin from the sun. But we also need to protect the planet and animals from our protection! Check your sunscreen to make sure it hasn't expired and that it's reef and environmentally safe. We rounded up the safest and most effective Reef-Safe Sunscreens for Kids.

May 28 – National Burger Day

What's for dinner? Burgers! Everyone loves a burger, be it beef, turkey, or veggie. For summer, grill or fry up some burgers tonight. Want a hot tip on making the juiciest and most flavorful burgers around? Use a meatloaf recipe! We have the 5 Best Meatloaf Recipes here, and they all make for extraordinary burgers!

Don't throw those scraps in the trash, turn them into something good for the planet!

May 29 – Learn About Composting Day

Save the planet! You already know how to reuse, reduce, and recycle, but how about teaching the family how to compost? We have a step-by-step guide to composting for kids and families.

May 30 – National Creativity Day

Everyone is creative and today is a great day to unleash your imagination. Sing, dance, paint, act, draw, write; whatever it is you love to do, today everyone in the family should do something creative and share it with each other.

May 31 – Dragon Boat Festival

The Dragon Boat Festival is a traditional Chinese holiday that occurs on the fifth day of the fifth month of the Chinese calendar; this year that's the last day of May! Find a Dragon Boat Festival on your local calendar of events. You can also make or go out for some delicious zongzi, the traditional sticky rice treat associated with this holiday!

Additional reporting by Bonnie Broeren