Did you know? National Friendship Day is the first Sunday in August, and we celebrate every year! Here’s a little bit about National Friendship Day from the National Day Calendar:

According to the National Friendship Day declaration, we are invited to “observe this day in an appropriate manner, in accordance with the culture and other appropriate circumstances or customs of their local, national and regional communities, including through education and public awareness-raising activities”.

National Friendship Day was originally founded by Hallmark in 1919. It was intended to be a day for people to celebrate their friendship by sending each other cards, but by 1940 the market had dried up, and eventually, it died out completely. However, in 1998 Winnie the Pooh was named the world’s Ambassador of Friendship at the United Nations, and in April 2011 the United Nations officially recognized 30th July as International Friendship Day; although most countries celebrate on the first Sunday of August!

Funchute Parachute

What is a better way to celebrate friendship than with a bunch of super fun teamwork? Our Funchute Parachute does just that! This 6-foot diameter “Funchute” is great for smaller spaces and works great with as little as 4 kids.

Billow it in the air or bounce balls and stuffed animals on it for an abundance of excitement. Every child instinctively knows what to do with our Funchute Parachute! Gigantic fun for kids of all ages, this parachute is great for cooperative group play that also helps to build muscle tone. Especially fun at birthdays, picnics or anytime because there are over 100 different games a child can play using these Funchutes. Helping to develop perceptual, cognitive, motor and academic skills, this is a must have item for every child. It even comes with it’s own carry bag!

DIY – Tissue Paper Mache balls

Even though summer is slowly coming to an end and back-to-school is beginning to ramp up, that doesn’t mean there’s not still time to play outside! Here’s a fun activity to entertain your kids while they’re waiting to get back into the classroom.

What you need

• Colored Tissue Paper
  • We used the colors of the parachute, but you can get creative here. Make sure you use many different colors!
• Paper mache balls
  • For this blog, we got two different sizes to make it more interesting.
• 4 inches Diameter
  • We used this one from Amazon that you can order here.
• 2.5 Inches Diameter
  • We used this one from Amazon that you can order here.
• Mod Podge
• A brush to apply the Mod Podge
• Scissors

How you make it

• Using your scissors, make small strips of your tissue paper. Parents only, be very careful!

• On your paper mache ball, add enough mod podge for a small area
• Add a strip of tissue on top of the glue

• Keep going around and around until you can no longer see the original color of the ball!
  • TIP: The paper mache balls we used in this DIY were actually intended to be ornaments, so they all came with a string to hang on a tree branch. We used that to our advantage and held on to the string and touched the ornament with a light touch to help guide while adding the mod podge! If you’re using the same ones, make sure to cut all the ornament strings off when all the paper mache balls are finished
• Wait about an hour or two for the balls to dry
• Throw them onto your Funchute!

More ways to celebrate National Friendship Day

What are some other ways you can celebrate National Friendship Day this year? National Day Calendar calls for us to simply “get in contact with your friends for a chat or visit.” The little things go a long way with friendship – just simply spending some time with your friends, whether in person or on the phone, is the very best way to celebrate and you can take this time to teach your children that important lesson.

While the best gift you could ever give to your best friend, or to anyone, is company – there can be plenty of instances as to why you unfortunately might not be able to hang out with your very best bestie on National Friendship Day. Luckily, we have a couple of really great DIY’s that you can make for your best friend – or even to make with them if you’re lucky enough to see them and have some quality time you’ll never forget!

DIY Friendship Bracelet

Everyone knows what these are! Let’s be honest – learning to make friendship bracelets is almost a rite of passage in elementary school, and this simple DIY can help your little one learn the basics! The best part is once they’re tied on, they are officially friends forever.

TIP – If your little one is going back to school soon, this DIY is also a really fun item to make during the summer and then bring to all their friends on the first day of school! Sometimes seeing the friends that you haven’t seen during the summer can be a little awkward, so this can help to break the ice and pick up right where you left off!

DIY Clay BFF Necklaces

These DIY necklaces are great for friends, sisters and for anyone who lives long-distance. It’s especially unique because they are completely original! Your little one will have so much fun making their own necklace that cannot be found in any store. If your little one is able to make it with their bestie, these are memories they will never forget and can hold on to for many years to come.

Let us know!

How are you celebrating National Friendship Day this Sunday? Did you make the DIY Tissue Paper Mache Balls? Let us know in the comments below, and have a Happy National Friendship Day!