EYFS & KS1 November Special Dates Calendar & Printables | Little Owls Resources
Looking for some age-appropriate & engaging activity ideas for November? Our free November calendar download includes key events, festivals and celebrations to help inform your nursery school, childminder, preschool or school activities and planning. Have fun! 😊
Quick Links to our November Special Date Pages | EYFS & KS1 Activity Ideas:
Sat 1st - World Numbat Day
Mon 10th - Fri 14th - Anti-bullying Week (Odd Socks Day Tue 11th)
Sat 22nd November - Mon 22nd December - UK Disability History Month
Thu 20th - U.N. World Children’s Day
CLICK HERE to visit our ‘SPECIAL DATES CALENDAR PAGE’ for an entire year of key EYFS & KS1 events, festivals & celebrations.
Overarching Themes This November | EYFS & KS1 Learning ✨❤️
Hello practitioners! November is a bridge month, connecting the end of Autumn with the start of Winter and the festive season. It's rich in opportunities to weave together crucial PSED (Personal, Social and Emotional Development) and Understanding the World outcomes.
Here are the key overarching themes that tie your November special dates and popular EYFS/KS1 topics together, creating a coherent curriculum flow for the month:
📌 Theme 1: Light, Sound, and Safety ✨🔊
This theme dominates the start of November, naturally linking the excitement of Bonfire Night with foundational learning in Science and PSED.
Special Date: Wed 5th - Guy Fawkes/Bonfire/Fireworks Night
Themes: Science (Light and Dark, Sound), Sensory Exploration, People Who Help Us (Emergency Services), Road Safety
Connections & Learning Focus:
Focus on the physics of light and sound (loud vs. quiet, bright colours), safe behaviours around fire and roads, and the importance of rules for keeping safe.
Special Date: Mon 10th - World Science Day
Themes: Light and Dark, Simple Experiments
Connections & Learning Focus:
An opportunity to transition from the colourful explosions of fireworks to simple, safe investigations into light, shadow, and sound waves.
Special Date: Sun 16th - Sat 22nd - Road Safety Week
Themes: Transport, People Who Help Us
Connections & Learning Focus:
This anchors the "safety" aspect of the theme, focusing on safe movement, the importance of signs and traffic lights, and the roles of crossing patrols and police.
📌 Theme 2: Compassion, Community, and Diversity ❤️🤝
This is the core PSED theme of November, promoting kindness, empathy, and acceptance. It encourages children to reflect on their own feelings and the experiences of others.
Special Date: Sun 9th, Tue 11th - Remembrance Sunday/Day
Supporting Themes: History, PSED (Feelings, Sadness, Respect), Symbols
Connections & Learning Focus:
A moment for solemn reflection, introducing abstract concepts like remembrance and peace through tangible symbols (poppies, silence).
Special Date: Mon 10th - Fri 14th - Anti-bullying Week (Odd Socks Day Tue 11th)
Supporting Themes: Friendship, Ourselves, Emotions
Connections & Learning Focus:
Explicitly addresses social skills, celebrating individual differences (Odd Socks), and understanding that everyone has the right to feel safe and happy.
Special Date: Thu 13th - World Kindness Day
Supporting Themes: PSED, My Family and Friends
Connections & Learning Focus:
Practical application of the anti-bullying message, focusing on positive actions and how small gestures impact others' emotions.
Special Date: Sat 22nd Nov - Mon 22nd Dec - UK Disability History Month
Supporting Themes: All About Me, Celebrating Differences
Connections & Learning Focus:
An invaluable opportunity to promote inclusion and celebrate people with disabilities, linking directly with the spirit of Anti-bullying Week.
Special Date: Thu 20th - U.N. World Children’s Day
Supporting Themes: Children Around the World, Rights
Connections & Learning Focus:
A high-level view of children's needs globally, linking back to local PSED lessons by discussing the right to play, learn, and be safe.
📌 Theme 3: Language and Cultural Celebration 🗣️🏴
This theme focuses on communication, literacy, and recognising the different cultural identities within the UK and beyond, perfectly timed as we head into the winter holiday season.
Special Date: Sun 9th - International Tongue Twister Day
Supporting Themes: Phonics (Area currently being developed), Articulation, Speaking and Listening
Connections & Learning Focus:
A fun, playful way to highlight the mechanics of speech, phonological awareness, and pronunciation skills.
Special Date: Mon 10th - Fri 14th - World Nursery Rhyme Week
Supporting Themes: Literacy (Rhyme and Rhythm), Nursery Rhymes, Oral Storytelling
Connections & Learning Focus:
The bedrock of early literacy, focusing on patterns in language, memorisation, and rhythm, supporting both reading and writing development.
Special Date: Fri 21st - World Hello Day
Supporting Themes: Communication and Language, People and Communities
Connections & Learning Focus:
An easy entry point for talking about global communities and learning greetings in other languages, promoting a feeling of welcome and inclusion.
Special Date: Thu 27th - Thanksgiving
Supporting Themes: Gratitude, Families, Harvest/Food
Connections & Learning Focus:
A celebration of thankfulness and family, building on the Harvest theme and focusing on what children are grateful for.
Special Date: Sun 30th - St Andrew’s Day
Supporting Themes: Nations of the UK, Identity
Connections & Learning Focus:
Learning about the patron saint, flag, and cultural identity of Scotland, broadening children's geographical and cultural knowledge.
Browse ALL of our November Special Date Activity Ideas Pages for EYFS & KS1:
Read our new Educational & Informative Event Blog Posts. Browse awareness dates below using the arrows and click through to our dedicated blog post pages to read more.
Sweet treats and healthy eats! 🍬🥕 Sugar Awareness Week is an annual campaign in the UK, organised by Action on Sugar, typically held in November. Its primary goal is to raise awareness of…
Let's sprinkle kindness everywhere! 💖 World Kindness Day is an international observance on November 13th, introduced in 1998 by the World Kindness Movement. Its core purpose is to…
Let's make a stand together! ❤️ Anti-bullying Week is an annual event in the UK, organised by the Anti-Bullying Alliance (ABA), typically taking place in November. It aims to raise awareness of…
Twinkle, twinkle, little star! ✨ World Nursery Rhyme Week is an annual initiative, typically held in mid-November, created by Music Bugs in 2013. In 2025, the event is being held from the 10th…
Let's explore and discover! 🧪🔬 World Science Day for Peace and Development is an annual event celebrated worldwide on November 10th. Established by UNESCO (United Nations…
She sells seashells by the seashore! 🗣️ International Tongue Twister Day is an informal observance, typically celebrated on the second Sunday in November (In 2025 on November 9th)…
Let's learn outside! 🌳☀️ Outdoor Classroom Day is a global campaign to inspire and celebrate outdoor play and learning, with two designated days each year: one in May and one in November…
Road Safety Week is an annual campaign coordinated by Brake, the national road safety charity. It's a fantastic opportunity to bring the vital message of road safety into your early years setting…
November Festivals & Celebrations | Printable Resources and Activity Ideas for EYFS & KS1:
Explore our dedicated festival and celebration pages. Learn more about each event and find a wealth of resources and activity inspiration for your setting or school by clicking on the page buttons below.
Popular November Themes | Activity Inspiration & Resources for EYFS & KS1:
Whether you’re a nursery, preschool, school, childminder or parent looking for some fresh ideas, please feel free to browse our topics using the arrows on the right to scroll through the buttons below. We’ve selected some of the most popular themes for November.
Popular EVERGREEN Themes | EYFS & KS1 Inspirational Activities & Resources:
Are you looking for themes that are adored by children all-year-round? Use the arrows on the right to browse and select key themes for childminders, nurseries, preschools, year 1 and year 2.
Additional Special Date Events Calendars | EYFS & KS1 Planning Support for the Whole year
Looking to plan further ahead? Why not check out the rest of our Monthly Special Date Events Calendars?
Hello there! 👋🌍 World Hello Day is an international observance held annually on November 21st. It was founded in 1973 by Brian and Michael McCormack as a direct response to the Yom…