A calendar for kids is a great tool to learn about numbers, sequencing, counting, patterning, days and months.
Whether you have a small paper calendar, a homemade calendar, a pocket chart calendar (above), or a dry erase calendar (below), if your child shows an interest in the day to day schedule or counting down to an event get it out!
The dry erase calendar gives the kids an active roll in keeping the calendar up to date.
It doesn’t have to be a formal lesson about the calendar. Let your kids take the lead. What do they want to know? How can it help them?
If they see the calendar as a useful way to keep track of something important to them, then they will be inspired to use it and refer to it. For example, right now in our house we have a constant battle over a certain chair at the table. We decided to use the calendar as a way to keep track of who sat there and whose turn it is next. It has stopped the bickering and has gotten both kids involved in looking at and using the calendar. B has also been using it to keep track of money he has earned that we owe him.
How to Play and Learn with Your Calendar:
- Days of the Week Song
- Months of the Year Song
- Talk about the numbers and the date. Cross each day off.
- What day is today? What day will tomorrow be?
- How many days until vacation?
- How many days until our visitor comes?
- How many days until a birthday?
- What holidays are in this month?
- What type of weather do we usually see in this month?
- How many school days this month?
- How many weekend days/family days this month?