We've recorded TPT's trending-searches feed every day for over nine months. That gives us something no guesswork can: the actual dates seasonal demand starts on TPT. The pattern is remarkably consistent — and consistently early.
The golden rule: teachers prep 3–4 weeks ahead
Halloween keywords flood the trending feed in early October. Christmas terms enter in the last week of November and dominate December. Valentine's arrives late January. "End of year" activities surge the first week of May. In every case, search demand starts weeks before the event — because teachers plan lessons ahead.
What this means for your publishing schedule
Rankings need time: TPT's algorithm rewards early sales and reviews, so a resource published the week demand starts will outrank an identical one published at the peak. Work backwards: publish one month before the season, promote during the ramp, harvest at the peak.
Month-by-month highlights
August: back to school (the year's biggest wave). October: Halloween + fall. Late November–December: Christmas & winter. Late January–February: Valentine's, 100th day of school. March: St. Patrick's, spring. May: end of year, Mother's Day, graduation. June–July: summer review packets and next year's prep.
Go deeper than months
Months are averages; the edge is in the dates. Our free seasonal calendar shows what's trending right now and what's next, and the full version tracks every keyword's seasonal window with day-level precision.