Engaging Morning Circle Time Lesson Plan: Calendar, Weather & Days of the Week Activities

Transform your daily morning routine with this fun and engaging circle time lesson plan for preschoolers and kindergarteners. Perfect for homeschool, this 10-minute warm-up teaches the days of the week, date, and weather through songs, movement, and creative play like the 'Weather Reporter' and 'Days of the Week Detective' activities.

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Mirabelle's Morning Warm-Up Lessons

Lesson 1: The Morning Weather Reporter

Learning Objectives:

  • Mirabelle will identify and state today's date, day of the week, and current weather.
  • Mirabelle will participate in a physical warm-up that corresponds to the day's weather.
  • Mirabelle will sing the "Days of the Week" song to reinforce sequence.

Materials Needed:

  • Your daily calendar with changeable date, day, month, weather, and season cards.
  • A small object to act as a "microphone" (optional, like a block or a hairbrush).
  • A little bit of open space for movement.

Lesson Activities (Approx. 10 minutes)

  1. Welcome & Wiggles (2 minutes)
    • Start with a "Good Morning" song or a special handshake to signal the start of the day.
    • Say, "Time to wake up our bodies! Let's do 5 big star jumps! 1-2-3-4-5!"
    • Then, "Now let's shake our wiggles out! Shake your right arm! Shake your left arm! Shake your right leg! Shake your left leg! Now shake your whole body!"
  2. Calendar Time: Chief Calendar Officer (3 minutes)
    • Announce, "Calling our Chief Calendar Officer, Mirabelle, to duty!"
    • Go to the calendar and ask, "What is our new number for the date today?" Help her find and change the number.
    • Say the full date together: "Today is [Month] [Date], [Year]."
    • Ask, "Can you find our season? Is it still [Season]?" Have her point to or adjust the season card.
  3. Days of the Week Song (2 minutes)
    • Say, "Let's get ready for the day of the week. To figure it out, we need our special song!"
    • Sing together (to the tune of The Addams Family theme song), snapping your fingers:
    • "Days of the week, (snap, snap)
      Days of the week, (snap, snap)
      Days of the week, days of the week, days of the week. (snap, snap)
      There’s Sunday and there’s Monday,
      There’s Tuesday and there’s Wednesday,
      There’s Thursday and there’s Friday,
      And then there’s Saturday!"
    • After the song, say, "Yesterday was [Yesterday's Day]. So if we move one forward, what is today?" Help her find and change the day of the week card.
  4. The Weather Report (3 minutes)
    • Hand Mirabelle the "microphone" and say, "And now for the official Mirabelle Morning Report! Reporter Mirabelle, please go to the window and tell us, what is the weather like today?"
    • Encourage her to use descriptive words (e.g., "It's cloudy and a little windy," "It's bright and sunny").
    • Have her choose the correct weather card on the calendar.
    • End with a weather-themed movement. Say, "Thanks for the report! Since it's [Weather], let's act it out!"
      • Sunny: Stretch your arms out wide like sunbeams.
      • Cloudy: Make yourself a small, floating cloud ball.
      • Rainy: Wiggle your fingers down to the floor like raindrops.
      • Windy: Woosh your arms back and forth like the wind.
      • Snowy: Twirl around like a delicate snowflake.

Lesson 2: The Days of the Week Detective

Learning Objectives:

  • Mirabelle will identify "yesterday," "today," and "tomorrow."
  • Mirabelle will recite the days of the week while performing a corresponding motion for each day.
  • Mirabelle will complete the daily calendar routine (date, season, weather).

Materials Needed:

  • Your daily calendar with changeable date, day, month, weather, and season cards.
  • Three pieces of paper or sticky notes labeled: YESTERDAY, TODAY, TOMORROW.
  • A magnifying glass (real or imaginary).

Lesson Activities (Approx. 10 minutes)

  1. Welcome & The Detective March (2 minutes)
    • Start with your special good morning signal.
    • Say, "Good morning, Detective Mirabelle! We have a case to solve: The Case of the Missing Day! To get our detective bodies ready, we need to do the Days of the Week March!"
    • Lead the march with a different action for each day to help with memorization:
      • Sunday: Stretch up to the sun.
      • Monday: March in place.
      • Tuesday: Touch your toes.
      • Wednesday: Wiggle your whole body.
      • Thursday: Throw your hands up high.
      • Friday: Do a fun freeze dance pose!
      • Saturday: Sit down criss-cross.
  2. Calendar Investigation (4 minutes)
    • Go to the calendar. "Okay, Detective, let's gather the first clues."
    • Have her update the number for the date and confirm the month and season, just like a detective gathering facts.
    • Lay out the days of the week cards from your calendar in a row on the floor or table.
    • Hand her the "magnifying glass." Say, "Our first clue is from yesterday. What day was it yesterday?" Help her find the day it was. Place the YESTERDAY label above that card.
    • "Excellent! Now, if that was yesterday, what does that make today?" Have her find today's day and place the TODAY label above it.
    • "You've cracked it! And what day will it be tomorrow?" Help her place the TOMORROW label.
    • Have her put the correct "TODAY" card on the main calendar.
  3. Weather Stakeout (3 minutes)
    • Say, "Great work, Detective. One last piece of the puzzle: the weather. Go on a secret stakeout at the window and report back."
    • When she returns, ask, "What did you observe on your stakeout, Detective Mirabelle?"
    • Have her select the correct weather card and place it on the calendar.
    • End with a quick movement. "Let's celebrate solving the case! Let's do 10 happy claps!"
  4. Case Closed! (1 minute)
    • Give a high-five and say, "Case closed! You figured out that today is [Day], [Month] [Date]. You are a super detective! Now, are you ready for your next mission?" (referring to her formal lessons).
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