Resources for August Observances

Various organizations, states, and nations recognize a number of observances each month. Resources can help parents, caregivers, and child care professionals acknowledge and identify them.

Here is a list of resources for August observances.

Month-Long Observances

Summer Sun Safety Month

• Child Mind Institute Provides Resources for Summer Sensory Processing Issues, Trying Together

• Kidsburgh Provides Heat Safety Tips for Children This Summer, Trying Together

• CDC Shares Sun Safety Tips for Schools, Trying Together

• Allegheny County Shares Summer Safety Guidance, ELRC Region 5

• Reducing Risk for Skin Care, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

• Be Safe in the Sun, American Cancer Society

• Sun Protection, American Academy of Dermatology (AAD)

• Sun Protection Tips for Those with Black and Brown Skin, Boston University

• Sun Safety and Prevention, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey

National Immunization Awareness Month (NIAM)

• August is National Immunization Awareness Month, Trying Together
  Your Child Needs Vaccines as They Grow, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

• National Immunization Awareness Month, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

• Vaccines for Children By Age, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

• Vaccines for Children By Age - Spanish/Espanol, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

• National Immunization Awareness Month, Pennsylvania Pharmacists Association

Children’s Eye Health and Safety Month

• An Eye Health Information Tool Kit for Parents and Caregivers, National Center for Children’s Vision and Eye Health

• Eye Health and Safety for Kids, National Eye Institute (NEI)

• Get Free or Low-Cost Eye Care for Children, National Eye Institute (NEI)

• Eye Conditions and Diseases, National Eye Institute (NEI)

• Eye Conditions and Diseases - Spanish/Espanol, National Eye Institute (NEI)

• 6 Ways to Be Proactive About Your Child’s Eye Health, John Hopkins Medicine

• Resources for Parents of Blind and Low-Vision Children, Library of Congress: National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled

• Parenting Without Sight: What Attorneys and Social Workers Should Know About Blindness, National Federation for the Blind

• 25+ Children’s Books Featuring Visually Impaired Characters, WonderBaby

Back to School Month

• Allegheny Child Care
  What is Allegheny Child Care?

• 2025-26 Kindergarten Enrollment Information, Pittsburgh Public Schools

• Your Child is Going to Kindergarten: Family Guide (ECLKC), Trying Together

• Kindergarten Transition: A Guide to Families, Trying Together

National Breastfeeding Month

• Breastfeeding Resources, Breastfeeding Center of Pittsburgh, Trying Together

• Breastfeeding Classes

• August is National Breastfeeding Month: Nourish, Sustain, Thrive, U.S. Breastfeeding Committee (USBC)

• Lactation Support, Healthy Start Center for Urban Breastfeeding (HSCUB)

• Breastfeeding, Kids Plus Pediatrics

• Pittsburgh Black Breastfeeding Circle (PBBC)

• Breastfeeding Resources, Birth Doulas of Pittsburgh

Weeks of Recognition

Aug. 6 - 12 is Exercise with Your Child Week

• Childhood Physical Health Resources, Trying Together

• Play and Physical Activity Guide for Educators and Families, Trying Together

• Supporting Childhood Physical Health: A Guide for Families - The Importance of Exercise, Trying Together

• Using Play to Support Children’s Physical Health, Trying Together

• Air Quality Tips and Training Available for Families and Educators, Trying Together

Days of Recognition

Aug. 1 is National Night Out

• National Night Out, City of Pittsburgh

• City of Pittsburgh Department of Public Safety

• About National Night Out

• National Night Out Resources

Aug. 9 is National Book Lover’s Day

• PA Promise for Children Releases List of July Books for Preschoolers, Trying Together

• OCDEL Kicks Off 2025 Summer Learning and Literacy Road Trip, Trying Together

• Toolkit: Families and Schools Partnering for Children’s Literacy Success, Trying Together

• Children’s Books on Race and Equity, Trying Together

• Books to Celebrate Gender Expression, Inclusion, and Pride, Trying Together

• Children’s Books About Transitions, Trying Together

• Children’s Books About Mental Health, Trying Together

Aug. 15 is Back to School Prep Day

• 2025-26 Kindergarten Enrollment Information, Pittsburgh Public Schools

• 101 Back-to-School Tips for Parents and Kids, Care.com

• Back-to-School Tips for Families, HealthyChildren.org 

• 11 Considerations Before Going Back to School as a Parent, Parents Magazine

Aug. 26 is Women’s Equality Day

• Family Guide: Gender and Gender Identity, Trying Together

• Women’s Equality Day, The National Women’s History Alliance

• Women for a Healthy Environment (WHE)

• Women’s Issues Support Groups in Pittsburgh, Psychology Today

• The Women and Girls Foundation