Thursday, February 23, 2017
Organizing Our Days
Organizing Our Days
I dont have an elaborate system for organizing and planning activities. In general, I try to keep things simple and routine but also fun and stimulating for my daughters. Our days and weeks follow a rhythm (posted on the side of the blog) which helps prevent me from wondering what to do each week and allows my daughters the predictability and routine they need. With certain days already dedicated to certain activities, half of the organizing seems like it is already done.
The organizing details of what songs to sing, finger plays to use, crafts to make and more are planned out each month in this planning binder. The binder is divided into months. Each month holds a paper (like the one below) which will be used to plan that month. At the end of every month I sit down for a few minutes and plan for the upcoming month (I have learned to use pencil when writing plans out). At the start of the week I check to see what is planned.
This is my second year doing this, so I have last years to use as a guide which is helpful in knowing what crafts they loved and would like to do again, what finger plays and songs we sang and can use again and what didnt work so well. Of course, there are areas like our cleaning days which I sometimes leave blank because often my daughters are drawn to different tasks or whatever I am cleaning at the time. The planning paper is also helpful for those times when I am on the internet or looking at other blogs and come across a great craft or finger play. I can flip to the month it would work best in and pencil it in. Sometimes the month is half planned just by doing this! Under each month I also store recipes needed, instructions for crafts and any other resources that will be needed.
Behind each monthly planning paper I keep printouts of our finger plays for the month as well as songs or poems we will use. When we have circle time I open up the binder in case I need the words for songs or finger plays. In the back of the binder there are also labeled sections for bean bag games, parachute games, and other circle time activities we may use at any given time.
I have added the planning printout to the list of downloads on the side of the blog for anyone wanting to see it or use it. And, please let me know of any planning tips you may have!
Available link for download
Labels:
days,
organizing,
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