It can be hard to explain invisible concepts like “today” and “tomorrow” to children, can’t it?
Why not try introducing an educational calendar when your child starts asking questions like “What’s today’s date?”
An educational calendar not only helps children develop a sense of dates and days of the week, but also sparks interest in events and holidays, and deepens their understanding of numbers and letters—supporting growth in many ways.
In this article, we’ll share some DIY ideas for educational calendars.
From designs featuring characters and vehicles that kids love to clever mechanisms that make them want to check the calendar every day, we’ve gathered plenty of ideas for educational calendars that make learning fun.
Give them a try!
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Perfect for children's cognitive development! Handmade flip calendar ideas (1–10)
Simple! Tear-off Daily Calendar
Here’s an idea for a tear-off calendar that’s fun to make part of your daily routine.
The steps are very simple: first, prepare 50 sheets of cardstock cut into squares.
On 12 of them, write the numbers 1 through 12; on 31 of them, write the numbers 1 through 31; and on 7 of them, write the weekdays from Monday to Sunday.
Then punch a hole in all the sheets, thread them onto a ring, and you’re done.
After that, try arranging and pasting them onto a backing sheet, or stand them up for display.
Adding little illustrations to each sheet would be lovely, too.
Roulette-style perpetual calendar
How about a playful roulette-style perpetual calendar? First, just like a roulette wheel, take three circles cut from construction paper and label them with the months, dates, and days of the week respectively.
Next, attach them to a base sheet of construction paper or cardstock, fixing their centers with a pushpin or similar fastener so they can spin.
On the base, write words like “Today,” “Yesterday,” and “Tomorrow,” so that when you spin the wheels, you can see what today’s date is and what tomorrow’s date will be.
Try spinning the roulette with your kids every day and ask, “What day of the week and what date is it today?”
Paper Plate Perpetual Calendar
The perfect option for anyone who wants something to hang on the wall is a paper-plate perpetual calendar.
First, write the numbers 1 through 31 around the rim of a paper plate.
Then stack another paper plate on top and cut a window so that only one number is visible.
Next, make a hole in the center and fasten them with a pin.
You can then rotate the plates to use it as a perpetual calendar.
Try making a separate paper plate for the months in the same way.
It’s also nice to hang it next to your planner or by your desk.
Calendar made with a calendar pocket and a cover
Here’s a recommended activity for developing a sense of numbers using a calendar pocket sold at 100-yen shops.
Prepare 31 bottle caps from items like PET bottles or drinkable yogurt—one for each day—and write a date on each cap.
Then, place each cap into the pocket with the matching number on the calendar pocket organizer.
When the day arrives, flip the cap over (or mark it somehow).
This helps children naturally develop a sense of what day it is.
Many calendar pockets have fixed dates and only allow the days of the week or month labels to be changed, so be sure to swap those parts each month.
If you have a type where the dates can also be moved freely, adjust the layout together with the children each month to match the calendar’s arrangement.
Character Perpetual Calendar
Let’s make a perpetual calendar that you can keep using no matter how the months or years change! Create the months, dates, and days of the week separately.
Then group each set—months, dates, and days—onto ring-shaped loops like the ones used for keychains.
Next, make a base to hang them from.
Thick paper, cardboard, or a thin wooden board might work well for the base.
If you draw characters that kids like on it, they’ll enjoy looking at the calendar even more—highly recommended.
Once the base is ready, hang the grouped months, dates, and days you made at the beginning, and you’re done! Each day, flip to the correct ones together with your kids while asking, “What’s the date today?”
A calendar that shows your schedule
How about a calendar that lists schedules so kids can check their own plans? If they can review their plans alongside the date and day of the week, it should be easier for them to get a feel for dates and days.
A recommended item to use is a whiteboard.
Divide the whiteboard into seven sections for the days of the week and create boxes for the date, day, and plans.
Then make individual magnets for the dates, days, and plans so they can be attached and removed.
At the end of each week, just swap out the dates and plans.
Since a whiteboard makes it easy to move magnets around, try updating them together with your child each week while reviewing the dates and plans.
A spinning calendar that also teaches the seasons and the Chinese zodiac
We want children not only to understand dates and days of the week, but also to really learn about the seasons and the zodiac.
In that case, try making a calendar that spins like a roulette wheel to show the date, day of the week, seasonal feel, and zodiac! First, prepare five round pieces of paper labeled with the month, date, day of the week, season, and zodiac.
If you like, we also recommend adding weather.
Once you’ve labeled each one, attach them to a base sheet of construction paper or cardstock using a pushpin through the center of the circles so they’re fixed in place but can spin.
On the base sheet, also create spots to align the circles under labels like “Today” and “Tomorrow.” Spin the date, day of the week, and weather every day, and switch the month, zodiac, and seasonal circle with the children when the time comes!