[wp_eStore_cart_when_not_empty]Having an adorable printable calendar is a useful way to help you keep track of different appointments and obligations, but it can also serve many uses in your homeschool studies as well.
10 Ways to Use a Printable Calendar
- Keeping Attendance – Most states have some requirement for keeping attendance records. A printable calendar makes record keeping simple. Print off your calendar, hole punch it, and add it to the front of your student's folder. At the beginning of each school day have your child put a mark on that day's date, and you will be all set. You can make the process as simple or detailed as you want.
- Activity Log – Does your child have an activity that they need to complete daily or weekly? A printable calendar can help your child keep track of their responsibilities. From spelling practice to chores, everything is a little bit easier when they get to put a sticker on the calendar for each day they finish their task.
- Moon Phases – There are a lot of fun ideas to help your child learn about the moon, but having them see how the moon changes each night is a great way to bring the learning alive. On their calendar they can draw what the moon looks like each night. Older students can write the phase that the moon is in as well.
- Data Collection – They can track the weather, the color shirt they wore each day, the vegetable they had at dinner, or anything they can think of. At the end of the month have them tally up all of their data. Depending on the age of your child, there are so many things they can do with their data. Younger students can make a simple chart or graph and older students can figure out fractions, percents, and probability based on their data. Hands on math can be exciting!
- Number Sense – If you have a little one who is working on their numbers, a printable calendar is a great way to add in a little extra practice. Print off the calendar and put it in a clear pocket sleeve. A few times a week (or as often as you like) have them use a dry erase marker to write the numbers 1 to 30 on the calendar. Younger students can make tally marks or dots representing each number, while older students can practice writing the number word in each box. You can even take it a step further and have your child write the numbers in a foreign language that they are starting to learn.
- Word of the Day -If your student is learning a new word each day, have them write the word and definition on the day of their calendar. They will have a growing list of new words, and they will look at the words and definitions daily, making it easier to commit the words to memory.
- Number Hunt – This simple activity only takes a few minutes a day, but it will get your child thinking. Give a printable calendar to each student and then pick a number that is on the calendar. Then give them clues to help them figure out the number you picked. Your clues would vary based on your child. If you picked Friday February 5th, your clues could include: it is an odd number, before the 17th, on a Friday. For older students the clues could be harder. For the same date your clue could be: it is a prime number that is a factor of 15.
- Ordinal Numbers – After each child has a printable calendar, give them a few different colored markers. Then give them directions to mark different ordinal numbers. For example, put a blue X on the first Thursday of the month, or a red heart on the second Tuesday. If you want your child to do the work independently, just write out the directions.
- Elapsed Time – Time is sometimes a hard concept for kids to understand. You can practice the concept with a printable calendar. Make up word problems that deal with days or weeks. For example: Tom went to the doctor on Wednesday and made an appointment to return six days later. What day did he go back to the doctor? Help your child figure out the problem by using the calendar as an aid.
- Addition and Subtraction – This dice game is quick to set up. You will need a calendar, a game marker for each person, and two different colored dice. Pick one die to represent addition and one to represent subtraction. Start on the 5th day of the month and take turns rolling both dice. Keep moving until ten turns are up or someone gets to the last day of the month. You child will get math practice and have a great time at the same time.
There are a lot of ways to use a printable calendar, and the adorable Kids Travel Calendar has even more uses! This calendar includes a monthly picture of kids visiting countries all over the world.
Your child will have a blast coloring their way across the globe, and learning how to say “hello” in different languages. The images will spark curiosity as your child sees fun land marks. And the geography and language practice add 2 more uses to the calendar!
The coloring pages are great on their own, but they would also make the perfect supplement to a geography study! You could even turn it into a month long study about each country. Learn a new fact about the country each day and add it to the calendar. Look up recipes from the country and plan your menu for the week on the calendar.
Grab your calendar today and let the adventure begin! Want the printed version? Get it on amazon.
Brandy @ Our Thrifty Home says
This calendar idea is just fabulous! Thank you for sharing.
Katie Hornor says
Thank you Brandy.