Circle Time Board

Such a big part of Kindergarten in the public schools and private schools is circle time, and I didn't want my Kindergartener to miss out on that.  No, there's not 25 other kids distracting her from learning, but she still gets to have a fun start to each morning.  Before we started in August I made this circle time board for less than $7.

Supplies used:

- Black poster board from dollar store (do not buy other places or they will charge you upwards of $5!!!)

- Double sided clock (dollar store)

- Calendar (dollar store)

- Adhesive velcro circles

- Index cards (dollar store)

- Little flag

- Plastic paper protectors

- Marker

- Colored pencils

- Tupperware box with lid (storage).

With this circle time board we do: Weather, telling time, days of the week, months of the year, calendar marking, counting to 31 (calendar), pledge of allegiance, word of the week, virtue of the week, and verse of the week.

How it was made:

I wanted to re-use this poster board next year so I attached the velcro to each of my elements  (the other sticky side still attached to the velcro) and put it in place.  This way I can pull the elements off I don't want next year and put new velcro on to new things.  I used plastic paper protectors to slide the calender into, and I cut those same protectors to size for index cards so I can slide these in and out easily without wasting velcro.  I wrote everything out on index cards and colored them different bright colors or used different colored markers.  

How we use it:

The clock is reversible, on the other side it teaches her to tell time on digital clocks.  She has fun going up to the clock each morning and moving it's hands as I ask her to put it to a certain time.  She also gets to attach the weather cards each day after going to the window to see what the weather is like that day.

All in all circle time takes about 10 minutes, and it's a good way to start the day and get her involved in the activities and excited for school because she gets to interact in some way with every element on the board.

Questions?  Comments?  Do you do circle time for your pre-schooler, Kindergartner, or first grader?  Do you have a circle time board and if so what does it look like?  Let us know in a comment below!

Also, don't forget to check us out on Pinterest!