Inside: Use these Kindness Countdown Calendars Printables Paper Chains to spread kindness each day and countdown to the next holiday or school break.
It seems like every time we finish a holiday…and I mean the second we wake up the next day…my kids want to know how many days are left until the next holiday.
It’s a constant cycle, following the calendar from holiday to holiday, school break to school break.
The predictability of that is comforting. We know what’s coming next and we can get excited about what’s next.
And for our educators, each month of the calendar is filled with a specific list of holidays, themes, and topics to be covered with February taking the cake for the most themes squeezed into one month: President’s Day, Black History Month, Dental Awareness Month, Valentine’s Day, the 100th Day of School, Groundhogs Day, and sometimes Leap Year.
So we need resources to make it all easier. We can use these Year Long Kindness Crafts or this Year of Kindness Emergent Readers or connect crafts and holidays to writing with this Year of Kindness Craft and Writes.
And we can create Kindness Countdown Calendars for each holiday and school break so we can look forward to the day, mark the passing of time, and spread daily kindness all at the same time.
Why Countdown Calendars are Helpful to Kids
Countdown calendars provide a clear, visual way to tell time and the passing of time. Kids understand that one link represents one day. And so they are able to understand the shorter the chain, the less time they have to wait.
Countdown chains also allow them to be independent with telling time without having to ask, “How many more days until…?” That’s helpful for both them and the adults in their lives.
And these kindness countdown calendars encourage them to spread kindness each day as they countdown in anticipation of the big day. Each day, they’ll rip off a link, and do the kindness activity for that day. They’ll be one day closer, and one day kinder at the same time.
And these calendars help kids learn about the holidays and the cycle of a year, just like these books:
A Year Full of Celebrations and Festivals
And since we love connecting kindness to other learning opportunities, if they help create the countdown calendar before they use it, it sneaks in fine motor skills and math patterning skills.
Kindness Countdown Calendars Printables:
Depending on when you’re reading this, choose the kindness countdown calendar that is up next for you. You can print off as many days as you need, depending on when you decide to start.
We have countdown kindness calendars for these holidays/events/vacations:
- Back to School
- Thanksgiving Break
- Winter Break
- Christmas
- Hanukkah
- Valentine’s Day
- Easter
- Spring Break
- Summer Break
- Birthday (coming soon!)
Back to School Countdown Calendar– this one is so good as they wait for Kindergarten to begin to create excitement around school starting! We also use the Back to School Fairies to get even more excited about school.
Thanksgiving Break Kindness Countdown Calendar– The first real break of the school year. It’s not a long break, but it signifies we’re close to Winter Break and that is a huge deal.
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Winter Break Kindness Calendar– while Winter Break isn’t halfway through the school year, it often feels like it. This is perfect for classrooms who want a winter-themed version perfect for December.
Christmas Kindness Countdown Calendar– count down to Christmas advent with these 24 kind acts, perfect for spreading Christmas cheer for all to hear.
Hanukkah Kindness Countdown Calendars Printables– spend the 8 nights of Hanukkah doing 8 kind things as a mensch who helps others! The Maccabees would be proud.
Valentine’s Day Kindness Countdown Calendar– winter can feel long and dreary but a Valentine’s Day party or Valentine’s Day card exchange can keep us going. Fingers crossed you get the good candy with the cards!
Easter Kindness Countdown Calendar– The Bunny is coming and he’s bringing the chocolate and the Golden Egg and maybe a few toys. It’s so exciting, we have to count down!
Spring Break Kindness Countdown Calendar– I never appreciated Spring Break until I lived where it’s cold and we all migrate somewhere warmer to thaw out for a week. That is absolutely something to countdown to.
Summer Break Kindness Countdown Calendar– This is the best one of the bunch because this is a countdown to no more alarm clocks being set, no more school lunches made, and no more homework to do and turn in. And for our educators, this is their time to finally recharge and hopefully get some much-needed rest and recuperation time.
No matter what you’re counting down to, do it with kindness. It’ll make the wait time so much easier.
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