• About/Contact
  • Disclosure | Privacy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Sponsorship
  • Home

Tips, activities and support for staying home with your children and joyfully surviving it!

  • Mom Survival Store
  • Complete Guide for SAHMs
  • Kids Activities
    • Infant Activities
    • Toddler Activities
    • Preschool Activities
      • Preschool at Home Curriculum
    • School Age Activities
    • Free or Cheap Kids Activities
  • Motherhood
    • Motivation
      • Me time
    • Homemaking
      • Organization
      • Quick Tips
      • Recipes
    • Faith
    • Parenting
    • Marriage
  • Natural Living
    • Young Living Starter Kit
    • Essential Oils Recipes
    • Cleaning Tips

Calendar Photo Crawl Activity for Infants and Toddlers

January 26, 2015 by Jaimi Erickson 6 Comments

Ready to have the ENERGY to be the best mom you can be? Get started! Thanks for stopping by!

Welcome back! Did you already get started here?

Sitting and crawling infants will love exploring photos on the floor and all you need is a calendar to try this calendar photo crawl activity for infants.

Do you happen to have an old calendar? Does it have a few big images of animals, or trucks, or even nature scenes? You can use it for this simple learning activity that can be adapted for infants, toddlers and preschoolers. Even my first grader had some fun with it.

No leftover calendar? I have some options for you in the post.

I try to create activities that can be adapted for multiple age groups, because I have children in multiple age groups! It is much easier to do an activity that can be interesting to all of them at once than try to always have three different learning activities ready to go.

This calendar photo crawl activity uses two supplies-that’s it!

Calendar Photo Crawl Activity for Infants

You need:

1) calendar images (or big images from a magazine or book; you can print off images online too)

2) clear packing tape

Start by removing the staples and cutting apart the calendar photos from the calendar pages.

 

(You can use one of the months as a great counting chart for learning to count numbers and number order. More on that later.)

Then you tape the calendar pictures down to the floor using the clear tape. (It doesn’t have to be clear. You can certainly use duct tape or masking tape-whatever you have on hand.)

I taped a few in the kitchen to create a little hopscotch grid.

 

 

The others I taped in a narrow walkway in our living room.

We do have tile floor in our house in California, so the tape removes easily, but if you have carpeting just remove the tape after a day so it doesn’t stick too much.

As an alternative, tape these to the wall low enough for a crawling infant to see as they move by or a walking toddler can view as they pass.

The point of this is to engage children in movement while teaching animal names. It is similar to the activity I shared called Learning Animal Names with Animal Nametags. This calendar crawl activity is more of a listen, move and learn activity rather than one about print.

 

Babies will enjoy this crawling activity that uses large animal photos for visual interest and vocabulary exposure. Fun for toddlers and preschoolers too-adaptations for multiple age groups included!

Guide your baby to crawl over the images while you say the name of each animal or object. Our calendar was really fun because it showed images of zoo animals which were perfect for keeping the interest of my infants.

I patted the animal image, and said its name, as my infants crawled or walked to the animal image. Then I moved to the next image and repeated.

 

Animal names activity using calendar photos-adaptations for infants, toddlers and preschoolers from The Stay-at-Home-Mom Survival Guide.

My preschooler jumped from animal to animal saying each name. I quizzed her by asking what letter the animal name started with, and emphasized the letter sound to help her figure it out. (This was a bit challenging for my almost-4 year old, so we worked through it.)

We worked on identifying letters with another simple activity using stickers as well.


Calendar Crawl Activities

For Infants:

-Guide your baby to crawl to the animal and pat it. You say the animal name and sound.

-Guide your baby to walk onto each animal (if they are a newly walking infant).

-Talk about the colors of each animal.

For Toddlers: 

-Walk on the letters, stopping on each one. Ask your child to name the image.

-Try walking backwards from image to image to work on balance and spatial awareness.

For Preschoolers:

-Tell them what letter or sound the image name begins with to extend learning the alphabet and letters.

-Talk about the colors of the image, what sound it makes or what it does.

-Count the numbers pointing to each number on the grid side of the calendar pages that you cut away from the big images.

-Point to numbers individually and ask your child to identify them.

For School-age children: 

-Ask your child to try spelling the animal/object names.

-You can provide them with paper and pencil to take a risk and sound out the words to write them out as well.

I found this was a great activity while preparing a meal. I could easily distract my kids with this learning activity and focus on cooking. That time of day is always challenging!

I also left the pictures taped to the floor when we had a playgroup come over. It is an easy way to give kids an activity that does not need to be adult-led.

Use a calendar for learning numbers and the images for a fun activity for multiple age groups.

Do you have any other ideas for using this activity for learning and play in your home?

This activity is linked up on my Infant Activities page and my Toddler Activities page. There are lists of activities for you there to try-simply-in your home. We don’t do complicated in our house.

Follow The Stay-at-Home-Mom Survival Guide: 

  1. Subscribe to the newsletter to receive weekly updates plus snippets of mom motivation via email.
  2. Join with me and other moms over on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Google+ or Pinterest.
  3. Looking to connect with other Stay-at-Home Moms for support and connection with others who “get it”? Join our private Facebook group.

 

Successful Mom Daily Checklist to help you gain balance between housework and play time with the kids. Get more done, and feel more successful as a mom and homemaker.

Enjoy your time at home!

Your Name

Filed Under: activities Tagged With: crawling, frugal, infants, sitting, toddlers

Comments

  1. Nina says

    January 31, 2015 at 8:17 pm

    Such a good idea and something I totally could've done! Unfortunately I already got rid of my 2014 calendar and it even had great pictures of animals. This year, our calendar is all food lol.

    Reply
    • Jaimi says

      February 4, 2015 at 9:04 pm

      Bummer! I usually keep mine for about a month into the new year, BUT I bet many have tossed them already-if there are even many that still use the paper ones. You can still use printouts of large images! 🙂 I added that adaptation because I figured many would not have their calendars remaining. Now you can save this idea for next year's calendar before you toss it away.

      Reply
  2. Melissa Matters says

    January 27, 2015 at 12:35 am

    How creative! I love all the modifications for different ages.

    Reply
    • Jaimi says

      January 27, 2015 at 5:21 am

      Thanks, Melissa! I appreciate that.

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. 99 Fun Activities with Your Toddlers at Home - Familylol says:
    April 6, 2020 at 9:37 pm

    […] 54. Calendar Photo Crawl Activity […]

    Reply
  2. Activities for Teaching Baby How to Crawl - How Wee Learn says:
    October 27, 2019 at 7:22 pm

    […] Photo Crawl, By The Stay-at-Home Mom Survival Guide – Use photos from an old calendar or magazine and tape them to the floor for baby to explore. […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Follow Me on Instagram!

sahmsg_jaimi

They were posing nicely, but I said make some funn They were posing nicely, but I said make some funny faces. They did. 🤣🤣

#motherhoodjourney
#faithblogger
#momentsinmotherhood
#momssupportingmoms
#familytimeisthebesttime
#mommytime
#familymoments
#momlifestyle
#lovemyhome
#momproblems
#thisismotherhood
#familymatters
#momlifebelike
#stayathomemom
#motherhoodunplugged
#momlife
#familytime
#amomentinmotherhood
#momsonamission
#stayathomemama
#momswhoinspire
#mominspiration
#familyactivity
#familyqualitytime
#familytimeisqualitytime
#momliferules
#sahmlifestyle
#mommoment
#faithfamily
#faithandfamily
All troubles in life can be solved with more Jesus All troubles in life can be solved with more Jesus. 

He is risen! ☀️ 

Happy Easter / Resurrection Sunday from the Erickson clan. 💕 

I pray each of you seek the ultimate truth and know God is working through you. You are significant, loved and appreciated. 🤗 

#faithlife
#amomentinmotherhood
#momsonamission
#stayathomemama
#instafamilytime
#homemakerlife
#momlifeisbestlife
#momlifeinspo
#homeschoolmomma
#momlifeunplugged
#spendingqualitytime
#homeschoolblogger
#stayathomemomma
#familytimeisqualitytime
#momliferules
#sahmlifestyle
#mommoment
#faithfamily
#faithandfamily
#realmoms
#lifeasamama
#momlifebestlife
#joyfulmama
#momsunite
#lovefamilytime
#mamatribe
#lifewithlittles
#momsofinsta
#mamahood
#honestlymothering
I pictured myself as a mom of boys before having m I pictured myself as a mom of boys before having my babies. I have learned so much from all my children but having my girls is a blessing I never knew I needed. 

Want to eliminate mean girls? Raise daughters to do the opposite.

Want to teach women to better communicate with each other? Raise daughters to listen and articulate.

They are my own little girl group and I am grateful for it. They love me on my bad days and give me compliments I do not even deserve. 

I do love being the mom of girls (and boys). They both teach me so much. 

What are the top lessons you wish girls would learn before becoming adults? 

#homeschoollife
#homeschoolmom
#momlifebelike
#stayathomemom
#sahm
#motherhoodunplugged
#momlife
#familytime
#mommytime
#familymoments
#momlifestyle
#thisismotherhood
#familymatters
#momtime
#thatmomlife
#stayathomemomlife
#motherhoodalive
#homeschoolfamily
#momswhoblog
#motherhoodthroughig
#mymamahood
#realmoms
#lifeasamama
#momlifebestlife
#joyfulmama
#momsunite
#momliferules
#sahmlifestyle
#mommoment
#joyfulmotherhood
Will you be spending time with family for Easter? Will you be spending time with family for Easter? 

My husband’s parents have arrived - adding one more big dog to our house and lots of crafts and fun. We have not seen them since June. Everyone is excited to spend time together.

Both of my big kids have birthdays and we will all get to spend time at the beach this month. Our school work will morph into field trips so we soak up every day we can being present with family. 

I am looking forward to making memories, soaking in time together and celebrating two milestone birthdays - one happening tomorrow. 💛 

#motherhoodjourney
#faithblogger
#momentsinmotherhood
#momssupportingmoms
#familytimeisthebesttime
#mommytime
#familymoments
#momlifestyle
#lovemyhome
#momproblems
#thisismotherhood
#familymatters
#momlifebelike
#stayathomemom
#motherhoodunplugged
#momlife
#familytime
#amomentinmotherhood
#momsonamission
#stayathomemama
#momswhoinspire
#mominspiration
#familyactivity
#familyqualitytime
#familytimeisqualitytime
#momliferules
#sahmlifestyle
#mommoment
#faithfamily
#faithandfamily
“Never underestimate the healing of a quiet mome “Never underestimate the healing of a quiet moment in the garden.” 
-Unknown

#momlifestyleblogger
#homeschoolingmoms
#organizingexpert
#gardenerslife 
#homemakerlife
#gardeningismytherapy 
#momlifeinspo
#homeschoolmomma
#momlifeunplugged
#spendingqualitytime
#homeschoolblogger
#stayathomemomma
#mommoment
#faithfamily
#faithandfamily
#homeschooladventures
#tidyhousetidymind
#unfilteredmotherhood
#decoratingtips
#joyfulmotherhood
#tidyingup
#homeschoolingmom
#homeschoolmama
#homestyledecor
#busymoms
#housedecoration
#momhacks
#simplymamahood
#realmomlife
#homeidea
🌟The faces we make when a Costco run with all t 🌟The faces we make when a Costco run with all the kids actually goes well!!! 🌟 

Ice cream after helped of course. 😂

All prepped for my in-laws coming to visit us after not seeing them since our move last summer. Looking forward to some fun events ahead that will make my kids think they are on spring break but they will technically be field trip days. Check, check. 

Are you guys on spring break this week? What do you have planned?

#momlifestyleblogger #stayathomemommylife #momlifeisbestlife #momlifeunplugged #sahmlifestyle #momlife101 #momsofmultiples #stayathomemama #momswhoinspire #momswithgoals #mommotivation #aintnohoodlikemotherhood #stayathomemommy #momlifeunfiltered #motherhoodlife #momhood #honestmommin #realmoms #lifeasamama #joyfulmama #mommymode #momtime #lifeasmama #justmomlife #motherhoodthroughig #momsofinsta #mamahood #momentsinmotherhood #thisismotherhood #momlifebelike
Some days you put on the 10 year old comfy jeans, Some days you put on the 10 year old comfy jeans, fill your mind with encouragement and just keep moving forward. 

Recovery days are not just for working out. They are for the mental state we walk around with too. Yesterday felt heavy. My God is a power lifter and takes the burden away. 

Today will be better.

Today we will rest and refocus.

Hooray for comfy jeans, motivational graphics and the Word to focus on through it all. 

(Faith fashion: @choseninchrist use code Jaimi to save.)

#faithmama #faithmamas #intentionalmotherhood #inspiredmotherhood #homemakerlife #homeschoolmoms #thisismotherhood #mindsetiseverything #faithiseverything #faithblogger #momblogger
🌟That Face!!🌟 That little boy is soon to t 🌟That Face!!🌟 

That little boy is soon to turn 13, guys! I mean in a few weeks. 😅

This is a throwback but brings back so many fun memories. 

—————————————

I love creating activities and crafts on the fly. Always have even before my kids were here.

I noticed that my son did not have a lot of little toy people to play with while he was pretending one day. We have a few cylinder blocks in a set. We never used them when we built. I thought we could turn them into little DIY toy people. 

They were so cute and easy to make. It was a preschool art project for him. We made them together.

If you don’t have wooden cylindrical blocks at home, you can use pieces of wood dowel or even a few square blocks glued together. You can even make DIY toy people out of toilet paper tubes. 

🌟Full details through Blog link in bio 🌟

——————————————

I am so excited and yet in complete shock by how fast these little lives grow. I have never missed moments and I am so so grateful especially as we approach the teen years in my house. 💛 Soak up even the hard days of being a mom. TOTALLY worth it. 

#preciousmomentsathome #stayathomemomlife #sahmlife #momofboys #myheartisfull #homeschoolgrace #familytime #motherhoodrealities #kidsactivities #kids #blogger #bloggerlife #blogging #momlife
👌 There are a lot of parenting opinions out the 👌 There are a lot of parenting opinions out there. I try to ignore a lot of them. 😂 

My kids stay up later than most recommend, but so did I when I was a kid. 

She loves to read. She loves to write. Abby writes plays, journal entries, songs and on a bad day she will write her feelings about it all, in depth, no holds barred. 

This night she was trying to finish up a play - setting, character details, order of lines - for a play she made for her younger sister. 

I am so thankful that we can count her love of writing in her free time as school work. I am so thankful that how we do school allows this passion and talent to thrive. She has stacks of drawings, plays and writing blurbs. They are all precious to her.

There are days I question whether this choice or that choice is right or “approved,” but it does not matter when I see my children dive deep into the things they love. 

#realschool #teachermom #homeschool #homeschoollife #lifeisgood #findjoy #teachthemyoung #teachyourchildrenwell #neverstoplearning #parenting #parentingopinions #motherhoodinspired #inspiredhomeschool #unschooling
Give me my people any day. Family time this Sund Give me my people any day. 

Family time this Sunday was a 5k fundraiser race. We helped raise 💵 for the spouses’ club scholarship fund. Scholarships will be awarded for post secondary education to military kids and spouses. 

If you can choose any action in life, choose to help others. Side bonus when it involves fun family time together.

Best day yet. 💛💛💛

#sundayfunday #sunday #sundaywiththefam #raceday #5k #runwalk #familylife #familyfirst #homeschool #homesweethome #homeschooling #hometime #fundraising #fundraiser #osc #camplejeune #closc #eastnc #easternnc #optoutside #adventuretime #outdoorfun #foracause
💛 Friday Introductions💛 It has been a while 💛 Friday Introductions💛

It has been a while since I did a good run-down here to give ya the cliffs notes (are those still a thing) version of me. 👋 

💛 Detroit-born a few blocks from where Eminem lived. The city is still my hometown despite moving away as a kid.

💛 I am a big believer in traditional values, but with a modern woman twist. My husband drives his career and I drive this household.

💛 We live in eastern NC 30 mins from the beach. I want to stay here forever, truly, but military life will come to an end some day...still don’t know specifically when that will be.

💛Born and raised to be a planner, Type A personality, having 4 kids beat that out of me 🤣 and I am very “day at a time” now. 

💛I was a teacher turned stay at home mom turned blogger turned entrepreneur that had to set it all on the back burner a bit to focus on homeschooling my kids. I can only have so much on my plate and complete it successfully. (When we listen, God guides and is loud and clear with His direction. 💛)

💛I believe I can be humble and confident; I can be fully present with my kids and make space to rest and rejuvenate; I believe the biggest successes I will achieve in life will not have a paycheck as its valuation. 

💛I believe that true peace, value and love all come from Jesus. 

You will find me sharing the ups AND the downs of motherhood, wife life, homeschooling and being a Christian woman with the modern day pull to fight what that can mean. (There is def a force trying to convince us to push those values aside, my friends.)

👌What is the cliffs notes version of you? What do you want people to know/realize most of all?

#happyfriday #fridayintroductions #thisisme #gardenathome #homeschooling #naturalliving #motherhoodjourney #stayathomemoms #militarylife #Faithmamas #cliffsnotes #motherhoodsocial
🌟Teaching Kids to Make Friends🌟 Often our c 🌟Teaching Kids to Make Friends🌟

Often our children learn hard lessons when they have to move to a new state or school. 

My kids have become all too familiar with this through military life. Every three years they have to make new friends.

It is not always simple.

As a child, my family moved a lot. We were not military, but in junior high I moved to a new state and had to make all new friends.

This was a challenging and even to some extent a traumatic time of life.

Being the new kid, is a humbling experience. Suddenly you are hoping that your peers will want to get to know you and like you. It creates some self-consciousness.

Reading is such a beneficial way to teach children about life lessons. It teaches much more than that. It teaches self esteem through the cuddle time. It teaches language skills, and it teaches children to use their minds to be creative.

As they have grown and navigated more friendships, books are a resource for us to discuss tough challenges. I have found a great series of books that present friendship challenges and help children learn to navigate them.

It just so happens that the author is my neighbor too! How cool is that?! Moms are amazing.

These books will be treasured by your family for their quality values. The @stingrayjelly series teach children how to make friends and navigate friendships to love others well and support them through shared similarities and recognized differences.

Author, Lauren Giannella is a military wife and my neighbor! Anna Perdue is the illustrator and also a military child. 

Read my blog post for details on each book and links to purchase through @barnesandnoble 

We love our military community and all they do to give back.

What are your favorite children’s books that teach children how to make friends or help them maneuver through tough life challenges?

#books #booksforkids #militaryspouse #militaryspouses #militarywife #militarylife #militarykids #teachingkids #goodbooks #readtokids #readingtime #homeschoolreading #homeschoolmoms #eastnc #usmclife #marinecorpsfamily #motherhoodsocial
Follow on Instagram





Copyright © 2021 · Magazine Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in



©2018 The Stay-at-Home-Mom Survival Guide – Jaimi Erickson

HOME | ABOUT | DISCLOSURE/PRIVACY | SPONSORSHIP

Facebook | Pinterest | Email