Every weekend I try to make a plan of activities for the coming week to start on Monday.
I start with the gauging what my child is interested in (using the “My Child This Week” sheet of the free weekly planner). I fill one out for each of my kids and what they’re into at the moment. I use this as my guide to plan our activities accordingly.
With each of my kids’ interests, I brainstorm 7 activities to do that week. I jot them down on the simple ‘Activities To Do This Week’ planner.
Below is a sample week of activities for one year olds.
For one year olds, I try to include the following in each week:
- gross motor activity
- fine motor activity
- craft or an art project
- sensory activity
- something just for fun
- a family activity
5 weekly plans of activities for each one year olds, two year olds, and preschoolers (plus a learning one too!)
Monday: Make a necklace by threading o-shaped cereal on a string. Tape the string to a surface to secure it for threading. Knot ends together. Supplies : o-shaped cereal, ribbon, or string tape (optional)
Tuesday: Push ribbons into a narrow-neck bottle and pull out again. Supplies: narrow-neck bottle and ribbons
Wednesday: Create a sensory bag with hair gel in a baggy. Add other small objects, such as googly eyes or sequins, if desired. Tape it to the window to explore in the sunlight. Supplies: gallon size baggy (2 to double bag it), hair gel, small craft items (sequins, googly eyes)
Thursday: Lay pillows and cushions on the floor in a line. Attempt to walk across them! Supplies: pillows and cushions
Friday: Make sensory foam with dish soap and a little bit of water and food coloring in a food processor. Put on a tray to explore! Supplies: dish soap, water, food processor or blender, baking sheet or tray
Saturday: Use canned foods from the pantry as blocks to stack towers! Supplies: canned food
Sunday: Look through photo albums (print or digital) together and name people you know.
Family Time Tip! Leave Saturday and Sunday open for things to do as a family (like a movie night or cuddles).