Don’t toss those old calendars just yet! Here are 10 unique ways to reuse those old calendars. If you have young toddlers or work with children these are fun, simple, and don’t require much preparation. And the best thing is that you are using something you already have. Not to mention that you help the environment and your children while doing it. Create fun simple learning experiences for your toddlers and young children using these simple exercises.
Don't Throw those old Calendars just yet!
Calendars are free and are available every year, everywhere. Sometimes we save them for different reasons, or just because they contain adorable images or illustrations that we hope to reuse sometime in the future. Sometimes we collect them for recipes that we probably never get a chance to try. Whatever the reason if you have some old calendars that you are thinking of throwing away nearby, don’t. Here are a few simple, meaningful ways to reuse them that you won’t regret. That is of course if you have or take care of young children. Here’s a list you can click through.
10 Unique ways to Reuse Those Old Calendars
1. Drawing, doodle and painting practice
Old calendars are great for toddlers to doodle on. For some reason or the other, my little daughter always enjoys a “good” colorful book to write on and leaves the white pages of the many drawing books I got her, for pages that already have writing and pictures on them. So I gave her some old calendars and she had a ball. Doodling is great to develop pre-writing skills, and since you plan to throw those calendars away it surely will hurt less than your toddler doodling over, that novel that you just bought to read once and plan to resell it after.
For older children like my four-year-old son, I use the calendars for drawing practice and also finger painting. Your toddler can simply draw or paint the lines or shape over the image that is already there. Also, trace the numbers and letters of the various months. It will be quite enjoyable. But don’t take my word for it, try and let me know in the comments below
Here is an absolutely fun way of helping your toddler match and recall the months of the year and days of the week. You would need to do one simple task before you begin. Firstly write the days of the week or months of the year on pieces of colored cardstock or paper. Of course, the age of your toddler will help you to determine which one you want to do first. You can do both simultaneously or one at a time.
If you are doing the months alone, there is usually a page at the back of most calendars with all the months. Simply select a month or have your child select a month and try to match it to the correct month on the page. And say Hooray!! Once they get it right.
3. Scrapbooking
Calendars can help in creating an unusual and delightful part of your scrapbook. You can select a month, cut out words pictures, and add a photo or two of some of the special moments that occurred in your life or your child’s life during that month. Pictures, months, days, and even numbers can make simple labels for your scrapbook activity. With each month having a merry moment you surely will have a reason to keep part of that calendar now.
4. Number matching
Another great activity you can do with your toddler is number matching. For this activity, you would need some plastic numbers. I find these work well and a desk calendar, if you have one. They are a great option since your toddler will have much more space to work with. If you don’t that’s fine too. Your toddler can match and count from 1 to 30 or 31 if you wish. This activity though simple will help your child identify numbers in a different format than a chart or a flashcard. This activity is also great for building motor skills and hand-eye coordination.
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5. Create Collages and wall decor
More often than not calendars have beautiful bright colors that are great to reuse to make collages and other forms of artwork. The possibilities are endless since calendars come in all shapes and sizes. And children can have tons of pleasurable moments creating one of a kind collage and artwork at an absolutely affordable cost to you. You can use cardboard to mouth collages, blank sheets of paper or even the back of the calendar if it is blank. Many options to choose from all budget-friendly. Try some today and let me know how much fun you had with your children. If you want to you can also make simple or extravagant wall decor using old calendars. Of course, the photos in the calendar will help determine how it will turn out.
6. Cutting practice for children
Cutting practice for children – paper dolls, cutting an actual picture out, cutting practice is a great motor skill that we love to see our children master as parents. Calendars are great for paper-cutting activities for toddlers and children. You can use the images and lines that are already there or you can make some of your own.
7. Flashcards or Picture book for learning
Flashcards or Picture books for learning – If you have a variety of calendars and you can gather a number of pictures that you cut out from. You can utilize them to help your toddler create their very own flashcards or picture book. The size of your flashcards or book will depend on the size of your photos of course. I stick phots on one side and write the words to the back of the card. These one of a kind flashcards are surprisingly entertaining. I know your children are going to love creating them and using them. Try it and let me know in the comments below.
8. Paper folding
Paper folding – If you love paper folding try using old calendars for a change. You can get creative and make simple paper toys your toddler can use and toss at no extra cost to you. Have a boat race, fly and plane, or even a kite. If you want to get more creative you can make classic simple centerpieces using your old calendars folding them into one-of-a-kind items.
Make great simple bookmarks and cards from pictures and parts of your old calendars. I can’t mention enough that calendars have awesome photos that you can reuse for all kinds of things. And it won’t take too much time to cut them out and dab some glue, stick them on some matching cardstock and you now have one of a kind bookmarks and cards that you can warm the heart of someone you know or don’t know with.
10. Theme Learning Activities
Many time calendars carry an overall theme, for instance, you may have one that has images of different flowers, or cosmetics, tractors, or baby items, there’s a lot of variety when it comes to calendars. You can use these to create learning activities for your toddler based on the pictures from the calendar. I had a great calendar with several fruits on it. It turned out to be a great option to use to teach my son some fruits that he would not come across very often. Each page had a different fruit along with a description of what that fruit is along with other facts. See what calendars you have lying around and before you toss them out. Look for ways you can recycle them for books etc. and get one more use out of them.
Don’t Just Take My Word For It Try some!
Great! I hope you enjoy trying some of these activities as much as I enjoyed them with my children. Let me know which ones you tried and those that are beneficial to you and your family.
As usual, thank you so much for reading this post. God Bless You as you look to 2021. Keep positive and stay safe and blessed.
And feel free to share things you discover and those you tried in the comments below.
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In the meantime stay safe and blessed.
And as always thank you for reading this post.
