My Own Calendar

What you need:

• felt in assorted colors 
• child safety scissors 
• adult scissors 
• self-sticking Velcro tabs 
• black permanent marker 
• craft glue 
• dowel

What to do:

1. Cut out several pieces of felt: a large rectangle for the calendar's base, smaller rectangles for days of the week, and squares for the day's events. For younger children who are not yet ready to plan ahead, use the calendar to plan each day rather than an entire week.
   
2. Together, write the names of the days of the week (or just today and tomorrow) on the small rectangles. If your child wants to write using her own made-up (invented) spelling, encourage her.
   
3. Create "event markers" that represent the things she does with her day (go to school, stay home with dad, go to the library, and so on). You can make these by cutting shapes out of felt, drawing pictures, or cutting out photos and gluing them to the felt squares. Each one can attach to your calendar with Velcro tabs.
   
4. Hang up your planner by attaching felt flaps and running a piece of dowel through them. Make sure it is hung at your child's eye level.