Welcome to a new “Off the Shelf” blog post highlighting important key dates, ideas, and activities for October that you can incorporate into your library lesson plans or classroom activities. My goal is to help you stay organized and inspired as you plan your month, making it simpler to bring exciting and meaningful activities to your students. Whether you’re looking for fresh ideas or resources to save you time, I hope these posts help make your planning process smoother and more enjoyable.

Key Dates, Ideas, and Activities for October:

October 2 =  National Poetry Day
      *Check out a book of poetry from your library and memorize a new poem!
October 5 =  National Play Outside Day
     *Get outside and play!
October 7 =  National Taco Day
October 10 =Curious Events Day
October 11 =National Chess Day
October 12 =National Farmer’s Day
     *Why are farmers important? Learn about their contributions! 
October 16 =National Dictionary Day
     *Don’t know a word? Look it up in a dictionary!
October 16= Global Cat Day
     *Research different breeds of cats and show your learning on Animal Fast Facts
October 17 = Stop Bullying Day
October 18 = National Chocolate Cupcake Day
October 19 = National New Friends Day
     *Brainstorm ways to make a new friend!
October 22 = Smart is Cool Day
October 23 = International Snow Leopard Day
     *Explore Snow Leopards through books and/or databases. Then have students fill learning on  Animal Fast Facts                                                                                                  
October 26 = National Pumpkin Day
     *Learn about the life cycle of a pumpkin and their many uses!                               
October 30 =National Candy Corn Day 
October 31 =Halloween
October is also Family History Month, Learning Disabilities Awareness Month and National Pizza Month!

Activities For October:  

These bookmarks have been a lifesaver for me this year in the library! After students check out their books, they choose one of the bookmarks to color. This gives them a fun, new bookmark each time they visit the library, but it also gives them something to do while they wait for others to finish finding their books.
Activity Link: TpT Store