Wait, What Day Is It?
When you’re at home for extended periods, it can be easy to lose track of time. To help keep your child (and yourself) on track, take a few moments to review the order and sequence of a calendar together. Try some of the following activities to support this skill at home.
- Two-year-olds—Sing a Calendar song to help your child learn the sequence of days or months. Try singing the days of the week (starting with Sunday) to the tune of “Oh, My Darlin’ Clementine” or create your own rhyme for the months of the year.
- Three-year-olds—Explore a wall calendar together. Can your child find today on the calendar? See if she can identify the full date, including the day of the week, date, month, and year. Write in special days, such as birthdays, family trips, or doctor’s appointments. Count up to a special event on the calendar. How many days is it until that event? What day of the week does it fall on? Ask your child to identify weekdays and weekends on the calendar. How are they different?
- Four-/Five-year-olds—Ask your child simple calendar questions. For example, “What day of the week is it today?” or “If today’s Monday, the first weekday of the week, what day was it yesterday? What day is it tomorrow?” or “What month comes next?”
Skills Supported: calendar, sequencing, time, counting