Time Book About the Day

What You Need:

• Construction paper
• A hole punch
• 3 paper fasteners, or ribbon
• Markers
• Old magazines
• Scissors
• Glue

What You Do:

1. Stack 7 sheets of construction paper and fold the whole pile in half hamburger-style to make a book.
2. Punch three holes in the left side (or spine) of the book, and close them using the paper fasteners.
3. On the cover help your child write, "My Book About Time." If your child can write his name, encourage him to add that, too!
4. Write a time on each page of the book, starting from the hour your child usually wakes up to the hour he goes to bed. If your child is learning to tell time, you can help him practice by drawing a clock face with hands that match the time on the pages.
5. Ask your child about what he does everyday at each time and use a marker to write his response on each page. For example, "Every morning I have breakfast at 7:30," and "Everyday at 2:00 I take a nap." He may need a helping hand, so don't be afraid to guide him to some answers!
6. Flip through the magazines with your child, looking for pictures of things he does in a normal day. Think food, activities, TV shows, places, etc.
7. Cut out the pictures and help your child glue them to the matching pages. For example, a peanut butter sandwich at noon, Elmo at 3:00, and a bathtub at 6:00. If you can't find pictures for every activity, hand your child the markers and let him draw it!
8. When you're finished, read the book together. Remind him about days that won't follow this pattern, like when he takes a trip to the zoo or stays the night with a friend, but let him know that this is a pretty typical routine. It's a fun way to help him understand time, and will encourage reading, too!