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As young children continue to grow, they encounter various concepts, one of which is understanding the measure of time. As they embark on their pre-primary journey, it becomes essential to introduce the days of the week into their vocabulary. You can discuss with them about attending school on a Monday or enjoying a day of rest on Sunday. They might eagerly anticipate a particular day of the week for activities like swimming or indulging in their favorite treats. Understanding days as a measure of time proves beneficial as the child gradually establishes routines and gains control over their daily and weekly activities.

In addition to simply imparting the names of the days of the week, if you’re seeking enjoyable activities to teach this concept to your little one, here are some suggestions. These activities aid in learning the days of the week and make the process enjoyable for the child. So, let’s get started:

1. Calendar

Start by introducing the concept of a calendar. Nothing excites young children more than their birthdays, so it’s a good idea to focus on their birthday month and determine which day of the week it falls on. You can also highlight favorite festivals, such as Diwali and Christmas, and discuss the days of the week they occur. While exploring the calendar, consider introducing concepts like weekdays and weekends.

To make it engaging, turn it into a fun art activity where you assist the child in drawing out a calendar. Please point out the exciting activities they have scheduled for the upcoming week.

2. Put days in order

It would be a good idea to have the different days of the week written on paper. You could ask the child to spell the days of the week and then arrange them in order. If you are conducting this activity in a class, pairing up students and having each pair perform this activity would be great. You can also add to the fun by having pairs race against time to see which one completes it first.

3. Wall Activity

You could elevate the fun from the earlier activity by placing cards with the names of the days of the week on different walls. All you need to do is call out the week’s name and have the children run to the wall where that day is posted. You can be confident that the children will enjoy playing this game repeatedly. This activity is guaranteed to turn learning into a lot of fun!

4. Sing out loud

Get creative and turn the days of the week into a fun song that the children can sing along with. It is one way to guarantee that they will never forget the days of the week. You could put on your creative hat and assign some gestures to each day or even use some props.

5. Worksheets

You could also have some fun worksheets around the concept of the days of the week where the children can colour the various days of the week in their favorite colours.

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6. Caterpillar art activity

Get the child to make a caterpillar with coloured paper. On each colourful circle of the body, you could help the child write the days of the week. The next time you ask the child how many days there are in the week, the child is sure to see the fancy caterpillar in his mind’s eye and promptly say “Seven”.

7. Hopscotch

The next time you play Hopscotch with the child, let it be with the days of the week. As they jump across the hopscotch grid, they can call aloud the week’s name. There cannot be a more fun way to learn the week’s names.

8. Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow

Besides familiarizing the child with the names of the days of the week, it is important to familiarize them with the concepts of yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Get the child to draw the fun activities they did yesterday, the ones they are doing today, and the ones slated for tomorrow. This will help them put the time in context.

9. Picture Books

There are a few picture books to help preschoolers understand the days of the week. Whether The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle or Today is Monday by the same author, you are spoilt for choices. Read these books aloud to your little one and help them grasp the concept. That you are also getting them to pick up the habit of reading early is an added perk.

10. Conversations

There is nothing quite like mentioning the days of the week in regular conversations with your child to reinforce the concept. Engaging in frequent discussions about this topic will make the days of the week an intrinsic part of life rather than something they need to commit to memory.

With these fun activities, you can rest assured that the child will pick up the concept of time and days. The fact that it will not feel like a laborious study activity will make all the difference.

At Footprints, a preschool and daycare centre that has become a preferred parenting partner across the country, we are committed to sparking curiosity among our little learners and turning them into lifelong learners.