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Saturday, March 7
Giveaway + Timeless Life Lessons for Moms of All Types
Sunday, March 1
Week-Long Spring Nature Unit Study for High School (FREE PRINTABLE)
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Awakening the Earth: Observing, Understanding, and Appreciating Spring
For extra enrichment, try the in depth Zoo Studies. To tailor for additional middle or elementary school family members, prepare for your library visit with the Spring Holidays Booklist.
DAY 1: Signs of Spring — Observation & Awareness
Activities:
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Phenology Walk: Go on a 30–60 minute nature walk. Note changes in:
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Buds and blossoms
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Migrating or nesting birds
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Insects, frogs, or amphibians returning
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Ground plants emerging (e.g., crocus, daffodils, dandelions)
- You may want to use nature journaling supplies
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Journaling:
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In your nature journal, create a “Spring Signs” log: include sketches, temperature, plant/bird/insect notes
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Prompt: “What do I notice that wasn’t here a few weeks ago?”
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Science Component:
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Learn about plant dormancy and what triggers budburst.
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Researcg and write about climate change effects on spring onset.
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DAY 2: Insects and Pollinators
Activities:
Poetry/Lit:
- “Spring” by Gerard Manley Hopkins
- “Lines Written in Early Spring” by William Wordsworth
- “A Light Exists in Spring” by Emily Dickinson
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Outdoor Observation: Look for bees, flies, butterflies, and other insects.
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Use a field guide to ID them.
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Set up a simple nectar station and observe the visitors.
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Science Component:
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Define and provide an example of pollination ecology and mutualism in your notebook
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Investigate how different insects contribute to pollination. Include a page on at least three of these in your notebook.
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Art & Writing:
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Sketch an insect you observed and label its body parts.
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Creative prompt: “A Day in the Life of a Spring Bee” (short story or poem).
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DAY 3: Trees, Buds, and Blossoms
Activities:
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Tree Bud Identification:
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Choose 2–3 local trees and examine their buds. Document what you see in your nature journal.
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Record shape, size, leaf-out stage of at least two different types of leaves.
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Botany Study:
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Learn basic parts of a flower and how flowering differs among species.
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Optional: dissect a flower and label its parts.
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Math/Nature Integration:
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Measure bud or leaf growth each day for 5 days and graph the results.
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Learn about Fibonacci sequences in flower petals or seed arrangements.
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Creative Writing Prompt:
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“If a tree could tell the story of spring, what would it say?”
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DAY 4: Birds, Nests, and Migration
Activities:
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Bird Watching:
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Watch and identify birds for 20–30 minutes in the morning or evening.
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Note calls, colors, behaviors (mating, nest-building, feeding) in your notebook.
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Science Topic:
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Study spring bird migration: why birds migrate, how they navigate.
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Learn about one local migratory bird in depth and document with drawings and research in your notebook.
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- If you love birds, try out the Raptors unit study.
- Art Component:
Draw or paint a local, non-migratory bird species (resident species).
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Make a simple bird feeder or nesting material station.
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Writing Prompt:
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“Why do you think birds return each spring?”
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DAY 5: Water, Soil, and Life Beneath Our Feet
Activities:
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Soil Observation:
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Collect soil samples from different spots (forest, lawn, garden).
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Compare color, texture, moisture and record in your notebook.
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Water Study:
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Visit a local stream or pond.
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Observe spring runoff and insect life (mayflies, beetles, tadpoles).
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Science Extension:
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Study soil organisms: earthworms, decomposers, mycorrhizal fungi. Write about each of these and their importance in your notebook.
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Final Creative Prompt:
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Write a reflection: “What have I learned from watching spring unfold?”
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You might also be interested in these more-in-depth units:
Saturday, February 14
Babe's Bucket List Challenge #2 - Attend Concert with Son
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Welcome to Babe's Bucket List Challenge, where I'm tackling twelve of the thirty things on my bucket list and writing about the experiences...won't you join me?
Remember my dad (from the Word of the Year post)? Dad's joie de vivre was unmatched -- he loved life! Music, surfing, engineering, strong coffee, and family were part of his core. He loved tinkering with ideas and often worked with his grandsons on projects such as building a siege tower, designing and building a chicken coop, and designing and shooting off rockets...plus going fishing. He lived life with an engineer's precision, a surfer's spirit, and a drummer's soul. Even as his health declined, his spirit, sense of humor, and love for ice cream never wavered.
In his honor, this year I have created a bucket list - a compliation of dreams and aspirations - to work from. My husband (who grew up in our town and interned with him as a teen) has also written down a bucket list, and we're going for it! You can download your own Bucket List template at the Word of the Year post.
This kid is my music baby. He loves listening to music, making music, and pretty much all genres of music. I just love it!
Typically, concerts are a 'him and his dad' thing. They go to a lot of big hair and heavy metal bands. It's their special time, but I wanted to share this with him at least once! When he expressed an interest in an OKC Tyler Childers' show, I said that this one was mine. Time to enjoy a little one-on-one time with...well...a few thousand other people.
In his honor, this year I have created a bucket list - a compliation of dreams and aspirations - to work from. My husband (who grew up in our town and interned with him as a teen) has also written down a bucket list, and we're going for it! You can download your own Bucket List template at the Word of the Year post.
Typically, concerts are a 'him and his dad' thing. They go to a lot of big hair and heavy metal bands. It's their special time, but I wanted to share this with him at least once! When he expressed an interest in an OKC Tyler Childers' show, I said that this one was mine. Time to enjoy a little one-on-one time with...well...a few thousand other people.
We had so much fun that we've already got another show planned for April 2026!
To be fair, this wasn't the first music event we'd been to...lots of fun things in Branson and music festivals in NC...but it was our first real stadium/arena concert together.... If you love live music, be sure to follow the Sparks Academy youtube page for monthly videos! There's even a fifteen-minute montage of the concert we went to for this challenge....if you're so inclined. 😉
Thursday, January 29
Explore Literature with MultiCultural Book Day 2026
Read Your World 2026 (1/29/26) is in its 14th year! Valarie Budayr and Mia Wenjen founded this non-profit children’s literacy initiative; they are two diverse book-loving moms who saw a need to shine the spotlight on all of the multicultural diverse books and authors on the market while also working to get those books into the hands of young readers and educators.
Read Your World’s mission is to raise awareness of the need to include kids’ books celebrating diversity in homes and school bookshelves. Read about our Mission and history HERE.
Mazel Tov, Baby! (Dara Henry)
In this adorable novelty format perfect for tiny hands, readers will have fun celebrating all of the wonderful―and sometimes hidden―things that make each baby special and unique. With seven full-sized flaps that lift up, down, and sideways, and surprise mirror at the end, this sweet book is an ideal gift for baby showers!
It’s a wonderful way to welcome a new baby while introducing a little bit of Jewish joy and tradition. The book feels both personal and universal—great for parents, grandparents, or anyone looking for a meaningful (and adorable!) baby gift. Mazel Tov, Baby! Is an adorable board book that celebrates that milestones in a baby’s life — from tummy time, to crawling to walking. A congratulatory refrain of “Mazel, Tov Baby! will delight readers as will the mirror included at the end where they get to check out their own reflection and see how they have grown. It’s especially nice to see a book that uses “Mazel tov” in such an inclusive, joyful way — it feels rooted in Jewish tradition but welcoming to everyone.
Passing the Mic (Young Poets DC SCORES)
Passing the Mic: Building a Poet-Athlete City represents thirty years of poetry from the poet-athletes of DC SCORES. For the last three decades, through soccer, poetry, and service, these young people have made their marks on history, claimed their power, and brought to bear their visions for improving this city’s future. This book honors their pain, celebrates their joy, and crystallizes the many ways in which they grew, both on the field and on the page.
In a celebration of diversity (eg, "Our skin is like a box full of crayons..."), this book features the voices of young students living in Washington DC. They discuss their challenges, resiliency, and experiences as young black adults growing up in the city. The poets are part of a community-building program featuring soccer and service-learning, and this book is a testament to the growth and success of the program in fostering self-worth among the community members.
Barbed Wire Between Us (Mia Wenjen)
Barbed Wire Between Us is a powerful reverso poem that tells two deeply resonant stories across time. It begins with a Japanese American girl sent to an internment camp in Oklahoma during World War II. Read in reverse, it reveals the journey of a Latina girl detained in the very same camp decades later, during the U.S. policy of migrant family separation. Harrowing and emotionally charged, this poetic narrative compels us to confront a haunting question: What have we truly learned in the past 80 years about how we treat the most vulnerable among us? With haunting symmetry and striking parallels, Barbed Wire Between Us is a moving meditation on justice, memory, and the echoes of history that still shape our present.
A reverso poem tells a story and then uses the same words, but in reverse, to tell a completely different story. In this book, Wenjen tells the stories of Japanese immigrants who were detained during World War 2 in the first part. In the second part, it also tells the story of a modern day immigrant girl being detained. Both of these groups were detained in Fort Sill, Oklahoma. The book takes some very heavy issues and couples them with illustrations and age-appropriate context to share their stories with a younger audience. It is also worth noting that the author is Japanese American and the illustrator is Latina (Cuban) American to further reflect the backgrounds of the girls portrayed in the book.
--> Snag the FREE Read Around the World booklist below <--
Pick up eight unit studies for your tween/teen readers in the Diversity Literature Unit Study Bundle!
Bring modern history to life with living literature that represents several different groups! Includes eight unit studies covering cultural stories from around the world. Each unit addresses a historic era from a new perspective, and these are told in living history format. Each unit has introductory text, which will give the student basic background information about the topic at hand.Product sample: The Button Box
Includes:
- The Year of the Panda
- The Button Box
- Men of the 65th: Borinqueneers of the Korean War
- Killers of the Flower Moon
- Indigenous People insert
- Genius Under the Table
- Anna Strong & the Culper Spies
- Inoyo of the Congo Forest
- The Forgotten Finca
Read Your World is honored to be Supported by these Medallion:
FOUNDER’S CIRCLE: Mia Wenjen (Pragmaticmom) and Valarie Budayr (Audreypress.com)
🏅 Super Platinum Sponsor: Author Deedee Cummings and Make A Way Media
🏅 Platinum Sponsors: Language Lizard Bilingual Books in 60 Languages and Jeanne Walker Harvey
🏅 Gold Sponsors: Publisher Spotlight
🏅 Silver Sponsors: Red Comet Press
🏅 Silver Corporate Sponsor:
🏅 Bronze Sponsors: Fabled Films Press
🏅 Corporate Sponsor: Crayola Education
Read Your World is honored to be Supported by these Author Sponsors!
Authors: Audrey Barbakoff, Federico Erebia, Stephanie M. Wildman, Maritza M. Mejia, Authors J.C. Kato and J.C.², Eugenia Chu, Dorktales Storytime Podcast, Josh Funk, Frances Díaz Evans, Gaia Cornwall, Maria Wen Adcock, Diana Huang, Gwen Jackson, Gea Meijering, Amanda Hsiung-Blodgett, Karin Fisher-Golton, Kathleen Burkinshaw, Tami Lehman-Wilzig, Daria Marmaluk-Hajioannou, Nancy Tupper Ling, Teresa Robeson, Crystal Z. Lee, Karen Leggett Abouraya, Elly Swartz, Shifa Safadi, Lisa Stringfellow, Sylvia Liu, Kimberly Biddle, Robbin Miller, Eric Clock, Tonya Ellis, and Lisa Chong.
Read Your World is Honored to be Supported by our CoHosts and Global CoHosts and by our Partner Organizations!
Check out RYW’s Multicultural Books for Kids Pinterest Board!
📌 FREE RESOURCES from Read Your World Day
- FREE RYW2026 Poster
- FREE Building Community with Bilingual Books 2026 Classroom Kit
FREE Teacher Classroom Physical and Developmental Challenges Kit
📌 Register for the Read Your World Virtual Party: https://readyourworld.org/virtualparty
Join us on Thursday, January 29, 2026, at 8 pm EST celebrating 14 years of Read Your World Day Virtual Party! Register here.
This epically fun and fast-paced hour includes multicultural book discussions, addressing timely issues, diverse book recommendations, & reading ideas.
We will be giving away a 10-Book Bundle during the virtual party plus Bonus Prizes as well! *** US and Global participants are welcome. **
Follow the hashtag #ReadYourWorld to join the conversation, and connect with like-minded parts, authors, publishers, educators, organizations, and librarians. We look forward to seeing you all on January 29, 2026, at our virtual party!