Resources for July Observances

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

Here is a list of resources for July observances.

Month-Long Observances

National Parks and Recreation Month

• Pittsburgh Parks Department, CitiParks

• Summer Program Guide, Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy

• Top Green Spaces and Public Parks in Pittsburgh, Visit Pittsburgh

• Why Kids Need to Spend Time in Nature, Child Mind Institute

• Free Worksheet: Thank a Park Ranger Card, Education.com  

• Become a Junior Ranger, National Park Service

• The Benefits of Outdoor Play: Why It Matters, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

National Make a Difference to Children Month

• Most Popular Pittsburgh Children & Youth Nonprofits and Charities, Great Nonprofits

• Positive Parenting, National Institute of Health

• The Power of Positive Parenting, UC Davis Health

• 10 Ways to Build a Strong Parent-Child Relationship, Emotionally Healthy Kids

• Family Engagement, Office of Head Start and Early Childhood Learning & Knowledge Center

• Raise Child Care, Start Strong PA

National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month

• Prioritizing Minority Mental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

• BIPOC Mental Health Month, Mental Health America

• Mental Health Disparities: Diverse Populations, American Psychiatric Association

• Mental Health Doesn’t Discriminate, So Why Do BIPOC Communities Have Difficulty Accessing Care?, Jefferson Center for Mental Health

• Erasing Mental Health Stigma in the Black Community, National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)

• Where to Find Mental Health Services for Children and Adolescents in Pittsburgh, The University of Pittsburgh Youth and Family Research Program

• BIPOC/AAPI Mental Health Resources, NAMI New Hampshire

• Anti-Racism Resources for Families, Trying Together

• Multilingual Trauma Resources, The Child Mind Institute

Days of Recognition

July 4 is Independence Day

• Ways to Celebrate Independence Day in Pittsburgh in 2025, Visit Pittsburgh

• 23 Crafts and Activities for Independence Day, We Are Teachers

• A Nation’s Story: What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?, National Museum of African-American History & Culture (NMAAHC)

• July Fourth and Early Black Americans: It’s Complicated, Cornell Chronicle

• Making Our Voices Heard: Books About Activism for Kids, Read Brightly

July 7 to 8 is Islamic New Year

• Muharram 2025: When is Islamic New Year?, The Old Farmer's Almanac

• Muharram, Calendar United States

July 14 is International Nonbinary People’s Day

• Gender Identity Development in Early Childhood, Trying Together

• Resource List: LGBTQ+ Organizations, Trying Together

• A Guide to Gender Identity Terms, NPR & WESA

• Understanding Nonbinary People: How to Be Respectful and Supportive, National Center for Transgender Equality

• 10 Ways to Step Up as an Ally to Nonbinary People, Stonewall

• Children’s Books That Teach Tolerance, Goodreads

• Early Childhood Book List: Learning About Gender Diversity, Social Justice Books

July 24 is National Parents’ Day

• The Best Ways to Celebrate Parents’ Day, American Lifestyle Magazine

• Caring for the Caregiver, Trying Together

• Positive Parenting Tips, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

• Developmentally Appropriate Parenting Series, Trying Together

• Being a Step Parent and Raising Your Partner’s Child, Raising Children

• Resources to Share with Expectant Families, Office of Head Start

• Find Child Care, ELRC Region 5

July 25 is World Drowning Prevention Day

• Drowning Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

• Drowning Prevention and Facts, American Red Cross

• Water Safety at Home, Safe Kids Worldwide

• Toddler Water Safety: 14 Ways to Keep Safer, Stop Drowning Now

• Swim and Water Safety, Autism Speaks

• How to Perform Child and Baby CPR, American Red Cross

July 26 is National Disability Independence Day

• Celebrating National Disability Independence Day, InclusionHub

• Guide to Disability Rights Laws, U.S. Department of Justice: Civil Rights Division

• Ideas for Celebrating the ADA, ADAAnniversary.org

• Disability and Autism Supports, Allegheny County Department of Human Services

• Disability Resources in the Community, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC)

• 30 Inclusive Children’s Books About Disabilities, We Are Teachers

• Service Dog 101: Everything That You Need to Know, American Kennel Club