Clubhouse Calendar, Yesterday or Tomorrow?

You know that age where a child refers to anything that happened as something that happened Yesterday, 

and everything they look forward to will be happening Tomorrow? 

Today sometimes just gets lost in the shuffle, 

because isn't it just another Tuesday? 

That is where we're at here at the Clubhouse,
and thus the Calendar Board was born... Yesterday.

When I decided it was time to make the Calendar Board, I headed straight to Preschool / Homeschool blogland! With so many resources available at the click of a mouse, I thoroughly enjoy exploring what is already out there and figuring out how to make it our own. Of course, I also thoroughly enjoy giving credit where credit is due, and I definitely hit the blogland jackpot on this project!

Let's start with the Month, Dates, Days of the Week and Year. All were made readily available to me in perfect printable template form simply by going HERE. Also provided are step by step instructions on how she made her Calendar Board. Good stuff. I knew mine would be different based on the age group I work with, but the instructions and template were thorough and useful, thanks Mama Jenn!

Once I printed out the templates I got to fire up the laminator. You may not know this about me, but I am like a kid at Christmas when it comes to using my laminator. Trust me, if I can laminate it.. I will. If you don't own a laminator, get one. Let me welcome you to this new world of preservation. Come aboard, bring your pouches.

Once everything was laminated and cut, I decided to use velcro dots to affix everything. This option was just better for the Clubhouse kids, who like to pass the days around until they find the right one, and then take turns deciding who gets to change the information out. Sharing and taking turns, every morning. What could be a better way to start the day?

I also liked the Make The Date with coins idea I saw on Mamma Jenn's board, so I added that as well. The kids have recently been intrigued with learning the value of all of the coins, and this allows me to incorporate a little Math lesson every day as well! Again, everything is affixed with velcro dots, which happen to be the perfect size for the back of a coin.

Today, Tomorrow, Yesterday printable templates were found HERE. Thanks, Confessions of a Homeschooler. Changing this around every day (laminated, velcro dots again) has really started to show the kids how maybe, just maybe, not every thing that happened in the past happened yesterday. Sometimes something happened on Wednesday, which was the day before yesterday, right? These are pretty deep concepts for Preschoolers, and this simple template is really helpful in getting them to understand. I love watching their eyes light up as they figure it out. "TOMORROW is FRIDAY?! WOW!!" At age 3, this is some serious knowledge!!

Shape of the Day cards were also an easy find, just click HERE. Thanks, Tls books! They have a wide variety of printable flash cards available, take a look around while you're there.

One of my favorite parts of our Calendar board is the Character Trait we are learning about. Some may think, isn't Preschool a little too early to start discussing Character? To that I respond, how could it ever be too early to start discussing Character? This month is about being Patient. Planting our seeds and understanding that they don't grow overnight is a practice in Patience. Using gentle words like please, thank you, excuse me.. all ways to practice Patience. Having a patient 2 year old may seem like quite a stretch, but when else do we start discussing character if we don't start now? They really do get it. After saying excuse me and not plowing over another child for the newest puzzle in the Classroom, suddenly I hear a Clubhouse Kid exclaim, "I WAS PATIENT!!". I stop, clap, smile and celebrate. Celebrating Patience, now that is a definite highlight in our day.

I got a variety of character traits HERE. Thanks Sarah's Sweeties. Yet again, another blogger who found the time to create printable templates and offer them to blogland at no cost. Talk about positive character traits!

On my own I added a Spanish Word of the Day. I only did the days of the week in Spanish to begin, but perhaps I can give back by designing a template of Spanish words to be shared with whoever may find them useful. Be Patient with me though, I need a few days of the week to get that done.

There you have it.. the Fit Kids Clubhouse Calendar Board. Thanks to everyone who had information to share, I was done with this in just a few evenings. I did run out of laminating pouches though (the horror!) so I will have some laminating to do once I get some more.. which I should probably do yesterday.

Every Day is Fun at the Clubhouse,
Ms. Liz