Back to School Planner for Kids
Posted by MeckMom on Aug 15, 2007 in Popular Posts: Organizing | 2 comments
Keeping track of your kids activities and school schedules can be an overwhelming challenge. My solution? Take the pressure off yourself by helping your kids do it on their own. In our house my kids use their fridge planners to keep track of all their weekly to-dos. When I posted this idea early on in my blog only my oldest daughter was in school. Now that all three of my kids have schedules to manage I reworked the original idea and created a smaller, more versatile version. I added lots of new icons to accommodate their changing activities and moved the velcro strips to the back so I could fit all three on the front of the fridge easily. I’ll list the original post description as well as the new downloads below.
During the morning rush to get the kids off to school, I found myself checking multiple papers to find out what was happening that day. Did we need to pack library books or p.e. shoes? Is it a hot lunch day or do I need to pack a lunch? Does she need to bring her girl scout vest or ballet shoes? Some things were on the calendar and some were tacked up on the fridge. I felt like I was wasting time that I couldn’t spare, so I created this weekly planner to help my first grader manage her own schedule.
It’s a very simple velcro system. On it I list the days of the week Monday through Saturday. I created icons in MS Word (you should be able to adapt them easily) for each of my daughter’s usual activities and color coded the titles for easy sorting. Under each day on the chart, I’ve added a strip of velcro that can hold three icons. The first icon shows what’s happening at school that day (art, library, pe, music, computer). The second icon shows what type of lunch she’s having (cold or hot). The third icon shows reminders and afterschool activities (test, homework, gymnastics, etc.).
Usually, on Sunday night at family council we’ll gather all the various calendars and reminders and my daughter will arrange the icons on her chart. She’ll also use this chart to help her know what clothes to put in her under-bed clothes organizer. For example, if she sees that she’s got PE on Tuesday, she knows that she needs to pack an outfit that will work tennis shoes.
We post this “planner” on the fridge so she can see it each morning when she’s getting dressed and packing her backpack. It has made a huge difference in our morning routine. I’ll also use it throughout the week when her teacher sends home reminders and other info. I think this one will stick with us for several years. Just thought I’d pass it on.
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I just wanted to let you know how impressed the parents of my first graders have been with your planner idea! I’ve taken your format and designed it around school activities, (field trip, library, pe, clean out folder, check website, project due, etc…, and used the back inside cover of their take home binders for a “Tomorrow…” planning area. I have large icons that I post on the board for the kidsto see and imitate in their own planner so the parents and kids have a heads up or reminder of any homework &/or activities for the following day! I used individual icons on velcro strips last year and stored them in a pencil pouch in their binder…however, after creating a set of icons for each 24 students turned out to be a ridiculous workload, I opted for a simpler approach this year and kept the grouped chart, laminated it, stuck it on with velcro and then included a dry-erase crayon in thier binder’s pencil pouch. Now the kids simply circle the appropriate icons to remind them of tomorrow’s tasks. I’ll send you a picture–but thanks SO much for your work! It’s an organization lifesaver!
Super idea! I’m going to be making one for my two sons. I love your entire blog. You provide such great tips and ideas. Do you mind if I include a link to your blog in an upcoming post about organization tips on my ADHD & LD Resource Blog?
http://www.adhdguide.blogspot.com