Ahhhh, the list of “National [Insert Thing Here] Day!” I honestly think National Donut Day tops the list. What’s more universal and loved by all than donuts? Puppies, maybe, but we can’t eat them. National Donut Day is this Friday, June 4. Did you know it actually began as a really sweet cause for WWI soldiers? The Salvation Army would provide donuts and coffee to the men serving in WWI. Beyond celebrating National Donut Day by filling our bellies full of circular goodness, here are a few other ways you can have fun with this delicious breakfast staple.

Celebrate National Donut Day with Kids

1) Give back. This will always top my list of things to do. You can follow the Salvation Army’s lead and bring donuts to veterans and active duty officials. Find a local VA or drop into your closest fire or police station. Find the nearest VA here.

2) Read about donuts! Here are a few donut-themed books:

• If You Give A Dog A Donut
• Curious George The Donut Delivery
• Donut Chef
• The Case of The Missing Donut
• Daisy The Donut Fairy
• Donuts The Hole Story
• The Jelly Donut Difference

3) Get creative and do some donut crafts. Here are a few ideas:

• Make a big letter D and let your kids decorate it (edible and non-edible decorations).
• Use Play-Doh and a donut pan to make pretend donuts.
• Make use of those donut pans again and make donut crayons. Take all the paper off of those millions of little crayon pieces you have sitting around, then sort them by color (or mix and match for a rainbow effect). Bake them at 350-degrees for about 15 minutes to melt the crayons down. They will continue to melt as they cool on the counter for about 15 minutes. Throw them into the freezer for five minutes, then pull them out and flip the tin over: voila, you have donut crayons!

4) Check out the big-name Collin County donut shops around town for some mind-blowing donut options.

• Hurts in Frisco takes donuts to an entirely new level; be prepared to stand in awe for at least five minutes before you can choose.
• The Donut Kitchen in McKinney uses a cake-based donut to make any dessert a donut delight.
• Good old Dunkin’ Donuts has locations all over Collin County; I personally love their donut holes!
• Shipley’s Donuts has a few locations throughout Collin County and has been in the donut business since 1936!
• Krispy Kreme are few and far between around Collin County, but they are always a fun time. Make sure to take your kids inside to see how the donuts are made; you even get a hat!
• WOW Donuts in Plano makes for an amazing donut (and coffee) experience; be prepared!

5) Do some donut-related food activities. Here are a few ideas:

• Healthy apple slice donuts (core an apple and slice it crosswise. Use cream cheese, peanut butter, Nutella or some sticky substance to layer the slices. Then let your kids decorate with sprinkles, raisins, nuts, candy, you name it).
• Make donut jewelry with a circular cereal (Cheerios, Fruit Loops, Apple Jacks, etc.)
• Serve your kids a donut sandwich for lunch. Make any sandwich they’d usually eat (turkey & cheese, PBJ, tuna, etc.) into a donut using a donut-shaped cookie cutter/sandwich cutter, add a few sprinkles on top, and call it a day!

As you can see, there is no shortage of fun to be had on National Donut Day; they should really make it a week-long event! Are you planning on celebrating National Donut Day with kids?