Recognising the days, months, and understanding the concept of time can be challenging for young minds. However, integrating calendar games into the curriculum not only makes learning enjoyable but also enhances the retention of these fundamental skills.
In this article, we’ll explore some exciting calendar games for kindergarten that promise to delight children while effectively teaching calendar skills.
Fun Calendar Games for Kids
Here are some fun calendar games for kindergarten kids that they will absolutely enjoy:
Months of the Year Musical Chairs:
One delightful calendar game that adds a musical twist to learning the months of the year is ‘Months of the Year Musical Chairs.’ Set up chairs in a circle, each labelled with a month. Play lively music as the children walk around the chairs. When the music stops, they must quickly find a chair and announce the month it represents. This game not only reinforces the sequence of months but also encourages quick thinking.
Teaching Calendar Skills: The game helps children associate each month with its position in the yearly cycle, turning a mundane lesson into an exciting challenge.
Also Read: 8 Surprising Benefits of Hidden Object Games You Must Know
Days of the Week Bingo
Bingo is a classic game that never fails to capture children’s attention. Create bingo cards with the days of the week instead of numbers. Call out random days, and the children mark the corresponding day on their cards. To add a layer of excitement, use colourful markers or stickers.
Teaching Calendar Skills: ‘Days of the Week Bingo’ aids in reinforcing the order of days and recognising their names through a fun and interactive experience.
Seasonal Sorting
Incorporate the concept of seasons into calendar games by introducing ‘Seasonal Sorting.’ Provide pictures representing different seasons and have the children place them under the correct month on a large calendar chart. This hands-on activity not only teaches the months but also connects them to the corresponding weather and activities associated with each season.
Teaching Calendar Skills: The game enhances comprehension by linking months to specific seasonal changes, making the learning experience more holistic.
Countdown to Celebration
Engage children’s excitement by incorporating countdowns to special events or holidays. Use a colourful calendar with countdown stickers, and every day, the children can remove one sticker, eagerly anticipating the upcoming celebration. This game not only reinforces numerical order but also introduces the concept of anticipation.
Teaching Calendar Skills: ‘Countdown to Celebration’ instils a sense of time passing and helps children understand the chronological progression of days leading up to an event.
Also Read: Cooperative board games for kids – Benefits
Weather Wheel
Introduce a ‘Weather Wheel’ to teach both calendar skills and basic meteorological concepts. Create a large circular chart with the days of the week and attach movable weather symbols. Each day, the children can adjust the symbol according to the weather outside, fostering an understanding of the cyclical nature of days and the changing weather patterns.
Teaching Calendar Skills: The ‘Weather Wheel’ game integrates the calendar with observations of the environment, making the learning experience dynamic and relevant.
Story Time with Days and Dates
Transforming calendar skills into a storytelling adventure can captivate young minds. Create a narrative that unfolds over several days, with each day representing a specific date on the calendar. As the story progresses, children can actively participate by placing date markers on a visual timeline.
Teaching Calendar Skills: ‘Story Time with Days and Dates’ offers a narrative context for learning, making it easier for children to grasp the concept of days, dates, and their sequential order.
Numbered Calendar Puzzles
Transforming the calendar into a puzzle can add an extra layer of fun to learning. Create puzzle pieces with numbers, months, and corresponding images. Children can assemble the puzzle by matching the numbers with the correct months and arranging them in chronological order. This game enhances numerical recognition and sequencing skills.
Teaching Calendar Skills: ‘Numbered Calendar Puzzles’ provide a tactile and visual approach to learning, reinforcing the order of months through a hands-on activity.
Days of the Week Hopscotch
Combine physical activity with calendar learning by playing ‘Days of the Week Hopscotch.’ Draw a hopscotch grid with each square labelled with a day of the week. Children must hop through the grid, calling out the days as they land on them. This game not only reinforces the order of days but also improves coordination and balance.
Teaching Calendar Skills: ‘Days of the Week Hopscotch’ makes calendar learning an active and dynamic experience, engaging both the mind and body.
Also Read: Fun Music Games for Kids That Are Excellent for Development
Calendar Charades
Bring an element of drama into calendar skills with ‘Calendar Charades.’ Assign each child a specific month, and they must act out activities or events associated with that month while others guess. This game not only reinforces the sequence of months but also introduces the concept of different activities occurring in specific seasons.
Teaching Calendar Skills: ‘Calendar Charades’ promotes creativity, social interaction, and a deeper understanding of the events and activities associated with each month.
Time-Telling Relay Race
Combine the teaching of time and calendar skills with a ‘Time-Telling Relay Race.’ Set up stations representing different hours on a clock. Children must run to the correct station when the teacher calls out a specific time, reinforcing both the hours of the day and their position within the calendar.
Teaching Calendar Skills: The relay race format adds an element of excitement to learning about time and enhances the connection between hours, days, and the broader calendar.
Counting the Weeks
Reinforce the concept of weeks within a month with the ‘Counting the Weeks’ game. Provide children with a calendar grid and ask them to count the number of weeks in each month. Encourage discussions about the varying number of days in different months and how this affects the number of weeks.
Teaching Calendar Skills: ‘Counting the Weeks’ adds a mathematical dimension to calendar learning, helping children understand the irregularities in the monthly calendar.
Also Read: 15 Easy Balloon Games for Kids
The games mentioned – from musical chairs to storytelling adventures – serve the dual purpose of entertaining and imparting essential calendar skills. By infusing creativity and
