While Gracen is usually more than game for impromptu adventures, she is, without a doubt, a little girl who thrives on routine and structure.  She very much enjoys being part of the process when it comes to selecting activities and outings and regularly asks me which day of the week it is so she can figure out our agenda for the day.  “Tomorrow is Thursday, Mama?  We have dance class on Thursday! What day it is today?” she’ll say.  I find that when she has a clear picture of our days and knows what’s to come, she’s calmer, happier, and transitions more easily (as many kids do, I think).  

In the winter when we were registered in several classes, I realized that having a visual representation of our week would benefit Gracen greatly.  I knew exactly what I was looking for… A single week calendar that was simple, clearly laid out, easy for Grae to manipulate, and picture-based.  I scoured the web, but when I was unable to find just what I wanted, I decided to make my own.  

I actually made ours using Pages (an awesome word processing program for Macs), but a design-based program like Pixelmator or PhotoShop would obviously work perfectly too.  Since Grae and I do quite a lot on our days at home on our own and weekends tend to include more downtime, I opted for full spaces for Monday to Friday and a shared space for Saturday and Sunday.  

After finishing up the calendar itself, I set off to create activity cards that would fit nicely onto the calendar’s columns. To start off, I made a long list of the activities we do regularly and searched for clipart to match.  I popped the pictures into boxes and added in some text in along the bottoms, and they were done.

Because I wanted the calendar and activity cards printed in colour and  as 11 x 17s, I paid the few dollars it cost to have the files printed professionally.  Then I took everything home, cut the activity cards out, and trimmed the edges of the calendar.

With my pieces cut out, it was back to the store to have everything laminated.  While I think I could have fit everything into 2 laminating pouches, the woman working there was worried the pieces were too close together, so 3 it was (which came to around $14).

Next, I cut all of the laminated pieces out, making sure to leave a substantial plastic border around the edges.

I went back and forth on whether to use magnets or velcro several times before finally settling on velcro.  The determining factor was the realization that with velcro pieces, the calendar can still be used on a fridge or magnetic board, whereas the opposite isn’t true.  Plus I had a giant roll of adhesive-backed velcro already on hand (if you don’t, you can find similar stuff at fabric, hardware, dollar, and teaching stores), which was nice. I simply cut out squares of velcro, put the scratchy pieces on the activity cards, and the fuzzy pieces on the calendar itself.

With everything ready to go, Gracen and I chose a spot for her brand new calendar (the excitement was uncontainable!)  We thought about putting it in her room or in the hallway just outside of her room, but chose to put it in the kitchen instead, as it’s where we start most of our days.  Now, while I make breakfast, she’ll be able to take a look at her calendar and see what we have planned for the day.

One thing we made sure to do when hanging it was to place it nice and low so that Miss G can see it and move pieces around easily (thigh height on me is perfect for Grae).  I hung it up using painter’s tape rolls, but you could easily use poster mounting squares or something similar. (Teacher tip: If you use tape rolls, place them horizontally to avoid your calendar slowly slipping down the wall.) We’ve had the cool magnetic strip hanging below for a long while now and hadn’t yet found the perfect use for it until now.   While a bag or pouch would do just fine, the magnetic strip holds all of the activity cards  and allows them to be seen all at once which is a perk. 

We’ve only had it up and running for a few of days now, but so far, Gracen is loving her calendar.  As soon as it was hung, she immediately wanted to plan out our week together.  First we popped up things that needed to be done, like errands, a trip to the library to exchange our soon-to-be-due books, and our Thursday dance class, and then we chose some just-for-fun activities for the other days.  She scheduled a hot drink date for her and Bradley on Saturday morning while I’m at a workshop (adorable!) and a family trip to Granville Island on Sunday (fun!)  

In the morning when we wake up, her ‘calendar station’ is the first place she goes. We take a look at the plan for the day, make adjustments if needed, and get our day started.  Today, when she saw that we were going to the library, she immediately went around the house making sure that all of her books were gathered and then began getting dressed. ☺  If it continues to have the same effect it has so far, I think this little calendar is going to be a great tool for us.  

Because I’ve borrowed the clipart from around the web, I wouldn’t feel right about making a printable version for all to use available here, but if you’re a parent or teacher who would like to print out a calendar for personal use with your child or a particular student, feel free to leave a comment below or email me at jen{at}mamapapabubba.com.  

♥ 

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