Celebrate one of America's sweetest treats with stories, sprinkles, and plenty of imagination.
National Donut Day celebrates the delicious pastry loved by millions while honoring the volunteers who served donuts to soldiers during World War I.
Is it a doughnut or a donut? Good news... both spellings are correct! The shorter version first showed up in print in 1900.
by Robert McCloskey
What better way to celebrate National Donut Day than with one of children’s literature’s most famous donut stories? Homer Price combines small-town adventures, unforgettable characters, and a legendary donut machine that just won’t quit. It’s a sweet, funny read that’s guaranteed to inspire smiles… and maybe a trip to the bakery!
Would your donut be inspired by your favorite season, animal, holiday, or place? What does it look like? What flavors fill the middle? Does it sparkle, swirl with rainbow icing, or change color when you take a bite?
There’s no better way to celebrate National Donut Day than by making your own donuts! Visit our Homer Price Books & Bites adventure for a delicious homemade donut recipe, fun discussion questions, a Word to Savor, and even more activities inspired by one of children’s most famous donut stories.
Every adventure has another path to follow. Choose a trail and see where your curiosity leads!
Donuts are only one member of a much bigger fried-dough family. Around the world you might find π«π· beignets, πͺπΈ churros, or other local treats shaped, filled, and topped in completely different ways.
Wonder Challenge:
Look up fried-dough treats from three different countries. Which one would you most like to taste?
Ring-shaped donuts cook differently from thick pieces of dough because the hot oil can reach more surface area. Stories often credit a 19th-century sailor named Hanson Gregory with popularizing the hole-in-the-middle shape, although the history is a little more complicated than the legend.
Wonder Challenge:
Compare a ring donut with a filled donut. Why might the two shapes need to be cooked differently?
When donut dough hits hot oil, heat quickly changes the outside while steam forms inside. That combination helps create the browned exterior and soft interior we expect from a freshly fried donut.
Wonder Challenge:
Compare a baked donut and a fried donut. What differences do you notice in the crust, texture, and color?
Would you rather...
Every comment is reviewed before it's published.
Be kind. Be helpful.
Be inspiring! π
The DUYW team was unanimous! Our signature donut would be the Storybook S’mores… a chocolate-frosted donut filled with marshmallow cream, sprinkled with crushed graham crackers, and finished with colorful sprinkles! ππ©βοΈ
Every National Day is a starting point for curiosity! Read, write, play, and explore together as ordinary days lead to unexpected discoveries.
Follow curiosity, not the calendar. Choose the adventures that spark your interest and enjoy them whenever the time is right. β¨
Explore All National Days βDisclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Thank you for supporting our free educational resources!
