2026 Monthly Themes

Tribe Kids Calendar

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January // Engineer

Happy New Year and welcome to 2026! Our theme this year is "Full STEAM ahead." We are focusing all of our monthly themes on Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math because these topics are so important for our children to explore; being strong in these subjects helps prepare our kids for life!

Our January theme is ENGINEER. Humans are not the only species that engineer; animals and plants build and construct all sorts of things too! Kids can learn a thing or two about STEAM from nature if they look closely. Get outside, slow down, and enjoy!

BOOKS

  • 8 & UNDER // "Outside In" By: Deborah Underwood and Cindy Derby
  • 8 & OLDER // "Wilderness Survival Handbook for Kids" By: Caleb Foster

WORKSHEETS

February // Design

Our February theme is DESIGN. Designing anything stimulates the mind beyond what is obvious. Not only are kids creating something, they are using all sorts of skills when transferring what is in their head to a thing that exists in the world. Whether it is a physical or an artistic creation, kids are exercising both their minds and bodies. Designing and creating tests fine and gross motor skills, nurtures curiosity, grows the ability to innovate, and gives voice to inner thoughts. Get going on a project you've been thinking about and design away!

BOOKS

  • 8 & UNDER // "The Most Magnificent Thing" By: Ashley Spires
  • 8 & OLDER // "Dream" By: Barbara O'Conner

WORKSHEETS

March // Experiment

Our March theme is EXPERIMENT. This month is all about trying, testing, observing, and learning. When we experiment, we discover new things about ourselves and our world. Mistakes? They're just information! Scientists and inventors use experiments to learn what works and what doesn't. Encouraging our kids explore freely and celebrate their discoveries helps them understand innovation. When a child envisions something and isn't able to make it come to fruition, that's ok too! Keep on pushing your children to problem solve through those moments and the lessons they will learn will stick around long after the frustration fades!

BOOKS

  • 8 & UNDER // "Ricky, the Rock that Couldn't Roll" By: Mr. Jay and Erin Wozniak
  • 8 & OLDER // "The Science of Breakable Things" By: Tae Keller

WORKSHEETS

Gray skull and crossbones with a right-pointing triangle on the forehead, on a black background.

April // Discover

BOOKS

  • 8 & UNDER // "Storm Run: The Story of the First Woman to win the Iditarod Sled Dog Race" By: Libby Riddlers and Shannon Cartwright
  • 8 & OLDER // "Call of the Wild" By: Jack London
Gray skull and crossbones with a right-pointing triangle on the forehead, on a black background.

May // Measure

BOOKS

  • 8 & UNDER // "A Giraffe and a Half" By: Shel Silverstein
  • 8 & OLDER // "Measuring Up" By: Lily Lamotte and Ann Xu
Gray skull and crossbones with a right-pointing triangle on the forehead, on a black background.

June // Invent

BOOKS

  • 8 & UNDER // "Just Like Rube Goldberg" By: Sarah Aronson and Robert Neubecker
  • 8 & OLDER // "Rube Goldberg and his Amazing Machines" By: Brandon T. Snider and Ed Steckley
Gray skull and crossbones with a right-pointing triangle on the forehead, on a black background.

July // Launch

BOOKS

  • 8 & UNDER // "A Computer Called Katherine: How Katherine Johnson Helped put America on the Moon" By: Suzanne Slade and Veronica Miller Jamison
  • 8 & OLDER // "Hidden Figures Young Readers Edition" By: Margot Lee Shetterly
Gray skull and crossbones with a right-pointing triangle on the forehead, on a black background.

August // Build

BOOKS

  • 8 & UNDER // "The Paper Crane" By: Molly Bang
  • 8 & OLDER // "Sadako and 1,000 Paper Cranes" By: Eleanor Coerr and Ronald Himmler
Gray skull and crossbones with a right-pointing triangle on the forehead, on a black background.

September // Pattern

BOOKS

  • 8 & UNDER // "The Girl who Thought in Pictures: The Story of Dr. Temple Grandin" By: Julia Finley Mosca and Daniel Rieley
  • 8 & OLDER // "Who is Temple Grandin?" By: Patricia Brennan Demuth and Robert Squier
Gray skull and crossbones with a right-pointing triangle on the forehead, on a black background.

October // Code

BOOKS

  • 8 & UNDER // "How to Code a Rollercoaster" By: Josh Funk and Sara Palacios
  • 8 & OLDER // "Hack the Story: The Firewall Files" By: G. Money Cricket
Gray skull and crossbones with a right-pointing triangle on the forehead, on a black background.

November // Bond

BOOKS

  • 8 & UNDER // "A Different Pond" By: Bao Phi and Thi Bui
  • 8 & OLDER // "Park's Quest" By: Katherine Paterson
Gray skull and crossbones with a right-pointing triangle on the forehead, on a black background.

December // Reflect

BOOKS

  • 8 & UNDER // "Mirror" By: Jeannie Baker
  • 8 & OLDER // "My Side of the Mountain" By: Jean Craighead George

Want to explore past themes and monthly content?
Check out the 2025 Tribe Kids Calendar here.