Calendar Artwork 2020

Each year in the classroom we would always make our own calendars to give to the parents as holiday gifts. I got this idea years ago from Ms. Suzanne, the Kindergarten teacher at my old school. Natalie, Leah, and Becca would always make calendars when they were in her class. Because two of them did two years of Kindy, for five years straight we had homemade calendars on our walls! It is a tradition I love to continue.

I've done to-scale calendars for Science topics like the Timeline of Life or the Layers of the Ocean.

the Ping-Pong Tree Sponge
lives at a depth of 8860 feet

But it is also just nice to do favorite seasonal artwork.

• Ideas for the Seasons: SUMMER
• Ideas for the Seasons: AUTUMN
• Ideas for the Seasons: WINTER
• Ideas for the Seasons: SPRING

This year I am doing one with Zac and he is 5, so he's on the younger side. Not every project needs to be crazy elaborate or messy. Here is my plan:

December 2020
white swirls decorative paper from CM
background to Paint Chip Christmas Trees

January 2021
white circles on blue decorative paper from CM
background to The Snowy Day artwork & little red construction paper figure

February 2021
red swirls decorative paper from CM
background to Folded Heart Mouse with a pink yarn tail

March 2021
drawing of bird nest
with die-cut feather embellishments

April 2021
collage with construction paper bushes attached at bottom only so you can fold them back and "hunt" for the Easter egg stickers behind

May 2021
birthday stickers for Zac's 6th birthday!

June 2021
butterfly stickers and flower embellishments

July 2021
City Skyline with construction paper and fireworks drawn in the night sky

August 2021
Paper Weaving

September 2021
raindrop stickers and umbrella embellishments

October 2021
Chalk Stenciled Pumpkins

November 2021
Shaving Cream Marbled Leaves

December 2021
winter tree / snowflake decorative paper from CM
background to a lovely vellum quote

We have had so many craft supplies donated to us; we are really fortunate! Of course, at his age I will do all of the writing of letters and numbers.

Lots of blank scrapbooking calendars will give you 13 or 14 pages in case you make a mistake. I like to use one for December of the current year, so the gift recipient can hang it on their wall right away, and then I cut out the extra page if there is one. I know that for adults having an extra page is helpful and reassuring, but for children it just ends up being disorienting.

If you are doing this in the classroom you also needs lot of calendars for the upcoming year so that you can set up several stations for the month name / day name / number writing. It is hard when a bunch of kids are trying to crowd around one calendar to see what day of the week July begins on.

In Third Grade, even if you never do it before or after, this activity is particularly helpful for the block on Time and goes nicely after the Old Testament block where you tell the story of the Babylonian Captivity. It's fun to sneak in a little bit about Ancient Babylon (like mud bricks and cuneiform) and their contributions to Clocks & Calendars cannot be overlooked.

The Story of Clocks and Calendars
by Betsy Maestro

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