What’s on – January 2024

International Day of Education (January 24)
“An active commitment to peace is more urgent today than ever: Education is central to this endeavour,” says UNESCO.

The theme of this year’s International Day of Education is ‘Learning for Lasting Peace’. It aims to push forward the global education movement and make it central to local, national, regional and global peacebuilding efforts.

Big Garden Birdwatch (January 26-28)
Join the many thousands of nature lovers who help the RSPB monitor how the UK bird population is getting on by taking part in the world’s largest wildlife survey. Pick an hour to count the birds that land in your garden or a nearby space. Record the highest number of each bird species you see at any one time and submit your results to the RSPB. You can sign up now for a free guide.

Most spotted in 2023
House Sparrow
Blue Tit
Starling
Woodpigeon
Blackbird

> Read our bird care tips and find out how to make a simple pine cone bird feeder

National Storytelling Week (January 27 – February 4)
“Stories teach us about the world, they allow us to step into someone else’s shoes and feel empathy, they help us to relax and escape and they can help develop essential literacy skills,” says the National Literacy Trust.
There are free activities designed to support your child’s creativity, empathy, and literacy skills on the Words for Life website.

NEW BOOKS

The Resilience Toolkit by Dr Alia Bojilova
“By studying those who paved the way for resilience through their actions, I became committed to finding ways to turn seemingly insurmountable obstacles into stepping stones in an endless field of opportunities”, writes Dr Alia Bojilova, a psychologist who has served as a UN military observer in Syria and worked with the New Zealand SAS. In her guide to building and sustaining resilience, she shares what she has learned about the mindset and self-awareness required to shape our lives intentionally, striving towards becoming better than we were before. Published by Headline Home on January 18 (£16.99).

Big Feelings by Liz Fosslien & Mollie West Duffy
Sage advice and witty illustrations are combined in this approachable guide to handling difficult emotions in the modern world. Uncertainty, comparison, anger, burnout, perfectionism, despair and regret are tackled head-on with strategies to help regain a sense of control and hope when it’s needed most. Published by Canongate on January 4 (£10.99).

Lead picture credit: Viggo Danielsen on Unsplash