Each month there is plenty to celebrate – official holiday or not, they provide great inspiration for creative activities you can do with your family. The great thing about “month” celebrations are they are not tied to a specific day and allow for activities that can spread out throughout the month and celebrated whenever you like. It gives you the chance to celebrate and make everyday special. October is: Computer Learning Month, Cookie Month and International Drum Month.

Computer Learning Month is a great time to allow children to become the teachers. Do you have a child or teen who is more tech savvy then you?  Or perhaps a grandparent who would like to learn some new computer skills? This is a great chance to spend some time together and give children and teens the experience of teaching. If your tech savvy teen is looking for an idea for a part-time business, teaching people how to use their computers and software can be really lucrative!

Is there something you would like to learn about the computer that your kids can teach you or you can discover together? This might include things on the hardware or software side of computers. Do you know how to use your computer’s virus scanner? Replace the ink in your printer? Use all those fun new Google programs and photo editing software? One idea is to create a list of everything your family would like to know about the computer and work on learning these together, all sharing your skills. Otherwise you can always see if your community offers a basic computer skills course.

Cookie Month – Some of my very favorite childhood memories involve baking cookies with my mom and sneaking bits of cookie dough from the bowl. Now, I can’t recommend that (something about raw eggs) but there are lots of ways for your family to enjoy Cookie Month!

Make a “Spooky” Haunted House! Decorating a gingerbread or sugar cookie house can be a lot of fun! Instead of a traditional Christmas Gingerbread house, make a haunted Halloween gingerbread house! With so many other activities to do around Christmas, Halloween is a great opportunity to create some memories when you have the time to relax and be creative as a family.

Try healthy raw Cookie Dough. I fall into the camp of believing that eating the cookie dough being the best part of the cookie making experience (except when your house fills up with that fresh baked cookie smell, which is awesome too!). If you would like a health, safe alternative to cookie dough check out Chocolate Covered Katie’s healthy, awesome recipes for Fudge Babies!

Do you have a cookie recipe that is very special to your family? For some recipes, cookies aren’t just treats, they are tradition, memory, and family all in one little enjoyable mouthful. Spend an afternoon with your kids making your family’s favorite cookies. Share your own memories and feelings associated with them and make sure you teach your kids how to make them as you go. Having the recipe and knowing how to make them is a great gift!

My family’s favorite cookie is the traditional Peppernuts my Mor-mor (Grandmother in Danish) makes every year for Christmas. I would also like to wish my Mor-mor a very Happy 90th Birthday this month. She is one incredible lady!

International Drum Month is the perfect opportunity to expose your family to new cultures and new styles of music! From the Indian Tabla to the the Peruvian Cajon there is an entire world of drums out there, each producing their own unique sounds that are woven into the songs and storytelling of different cultures.

Contact the local cultural organizations in your area and find out if they will be putting on any drum or music recitals, workshops, or demonstrations. This is an affordable way to experience many different types of music.

Also ask friends and acquaintances if they play any style of drums. You could invite them to dinner you provide the food, they provide the music!

Children are naturally musically inclined and seem to have a predilection for making noise. Instead of having to suffer through “wooden spoon banging on pot” solos, consider a bongo or other small handheld drum for your child to experiment with. You can also make a simple drum out of a large empty metal coffee can with a plastic lid. Empty & clean the can and cover the outside with construction paper. Let your child decorate and personalize their drum and attach the lid for them to beat on.

How will your family be celebrating October? Please leave a comment and share with us!