Get Ready for Back to School with Routine Printables

We try to keep a relatively regular sleep schedule during the summer, but the morning routine kind of flies out the window when we don’t have anywhere in particular to be. To get little kids back in the groove of getting up and getting ready for school — or to help kids who are new to having a routine learn what to do when — printable routine cards can be a big help.

There are lots of different ways to do these. I like the flip chart style like this one from Mama Papa Bubba. This one is made with a file folder and you add magnets to each section so kids can close the flap on the items they’ve completed for the day. The post includes a free printable with some basic morning activities that kids can cut out and color.

Another version of this that is just paper comes from My Party Design. This one uses little pieces of peel and stick Velcro to close the sections when each step is completed, and there are versions for the morning and evening. (These are not free but might give you an idea of how to make your own with the steps you need.)

For a more detailed, full day schedule great for preschoolers, check out this one from The Savvy Sparrow. This paid resource includes tons of different icons from daily routine items to things like riding bikes, dance class and watering plants. There are 120 icons in all so you’re likely to find everything you need to visually build out your days.

If you want to see how a daily routine printable works for you without putting a lot of work in, try this printable checklist from Little Mager House. You can laminate it or stick it in a plastic sheet protector and mark off things as they get done. Then just wipe it off and start again the next day. This one is free when you sign up for emails.

Natural Beach Living has a free visual schedule printable with all sorts of items and including special things like picnics and nature walks. This one can be used at home or in the classroom and it includes days of the week. (Some of this is free for subscribers but there is also a bundle you can purchase.)

I also love the set of printable routine cards from Look We’re Learning, which includes a bunch of basic daily activities in both English and Spanish if you’re raising a bilingual child or just want to practice a little vocabulary. There are 16 activities in all and there’s a pronunciation guide if you need help with the Spanish. (This is a free resource for subscribers.)

In our continuing exploration of lesser known holidays, let’s take a look at Terry Fox Day, which is probably one you know if you’re Canadian.

Terry Fox was a Canadian athlete who had a leg amputated at age 18 because of cancer and then did a cross-country run to raise awareness and funding for cancer research. He was born July 28, 1958, and the first Monday in August is celebrated as Terry Fox Day in Manitoba.

Fox is considered a kind of folk hero in Canada despite the difficulties of traveling across Canada on foot (no one on his team spoke French, for example, the weather was often bad and cars would force him off the road) and the low number of donations at the beginning of his run. He ultimately had to end his run after 143 days and 3,339 miles, or 5,373 km, because his cancer had returned and spread to his lungs, but he raised $1.7 million, and a telethon a week after he ended his run raised $10.5 million.

Check out some Terry Fox quotes collected by My Little Desire. You can learn more in this video from CBC Kids, and listen to the Terry Fox song illustrated by a first grade class.

Twinkl has a bunch of Terry Fox related activities in both English and French, including an activity pack with a maze and word search, a coring challenge, a fact sheet and coloring page.

Most of the resources I could find were at Teachers Pay Teachers, but you can learn more about the activity pack for grades 1-3 that Mrs. Bremer’s Class has made, which tells his story and has kids write things they learned and discuss why they think he is a hero.

Creative Classroom Core has a few paid resources include writing activities, reading comprehension and a Terry Fox fact book.

That Fun Reading Teacher has a K-2 singalong with a differentiated reader and activity to teach kids about him.

You can also celebrate Terry Fox Day by talking about what makes a person a hero and who the kids in your home or classroom think of as heroes. And if you’re Canadian, there are Terry Fox runs in more than 650 communities in September, so you can make plans to participate or cheer on the runners to remember his legacy.

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