Mini Minds Hub · Free printable
Calendar Maths: Free Printable Worksheet for Year 2
- ForYear 2
- StageKey Stage 1
- CostFree
- FormatPrintable PDF
Calendar Maths is a free printable maths worksheet for Year 2 (ages 6 to 7), in Key Stage 1. Children work with the names and order of the days and months, and count the days in a week. They answer questions about which day or month comes before or after another. Page 2 gives the grown up notes, help ideas, a stretch task and the answers.
It comes from the Mini Minds Hub, the free library of printables from Jaques of London, the British games and toy company that has been making games for families since 1795. Print both pages, give page 1 to your child and keep page 2 for yourself. Black and white printing works well.
What is on the sheet
Children answer short, numbered questions about the calendar and write each answer in the space provided. Some ask what comes before or after a named day or month. Others ask children to count days or name a month in the year. The questions need no reading beyond a single line, so children can concentrate on the order of time words they already hear every day.
- How many days are in a week?
- How many months are in a year?
- Which day comes after Tuesday?
- Which day comes before Monday?
- Which month comes after March?
- Which month comes before June?
- Which is the first month of the year?
- How many days are in a weekend?
How the sheet builds understanding
Names
Children say and read the names of days and months. Many of these words are hard to spell, so seeing them written down is useful.
Order
The questions rely on knowing the fixed order of days and of months. Saying the lists aloud helps the order stick.
Before and after
Children think about what comes just before and just after a named point. This is the same idea as number order, applied to time.
Counting
Counting days links the calendar to the counting skills children already have, and shows that time can be measured.
Why teach the calendar in Year 2?
A calendar is one of the first ways children meet measurement in everyday life. Most calendars show one month at a time. Each week is a row, and the days of the week run across the top as columns. The months follow one another in a set order through the year. Spotting this pattern helps children see that time is organised, not random.
Children hear day and month words constantly, from school timetables to birthdays and holidays. Knowing the order helps them plan, talk about what has happened and look forward to what is coming. It also supports later work on dates, time and comparing how long things take. Short, regular practice works better than one long session.
Fun facts about calendars
- The word month comes from an old word for the moon.
- Some days of the week are named after the Sun, the Moon and the Roman god Saturn.
- In a leap year, February gets one extra day.
- Not every month is the same length.
- A year is about the time the Earth takes to travel once around the Sun.
Skills and curriculum link
- Days of the week
- Months of the year
- Sequencing
- Before and after
- Counting
- Measuring time
This sheet supports the area below. It is matched to the published England framework. Please check it against your own school plan.
| Framework | Subject or area | Strand | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Curriculum (England) | Maths | Measurement | Year 2 |
What children will be able to do
- I can say the days of the week in order.
- I can say the months of the year in order.
- I can count the days in a week.
Ideas for helping children with the calendar
- Say it as a chantSaying the days or months in a rhythm, like a song, helps children remember the order. Start from the beginning each time.
- Use a real calendarPoint to each day or month as you say it. Children see the order laid out and can check their answers.
- Link to their own lifeUse birthdays, school days and holidays as anchor points. Familiar events make the order easier to remember.
- Ask both waysPractise before and after together. Ask what comes next, then what came just before, so children think in both directions.
Key words
- DayA period from one morning to the next. Each day in the week has its own name.
- WeekA block of days that repeats again and again, with the same day names each time.
- MonthA part of the year with its own name. The months always come in the same order.
- YearAll of the months, from one New Year to the next.
- WeekendThe days at the end of the week, when many children are not at school.
- CalendarA chart that shows days, weeks and months so we can plan and keep track of time.
How to use it
- Print both pages. Page 1 is for your child. Keep page 2, which has the notes and answers.
- Read the first question aloud together. Let your child say the days or months quietly to themselves if it helps.
- Work through the first few questions together, and talk about how your child decided on each answer.
- Check against page 2. Ask, "How did you know?" The reasoning matters as much as the answer.
- Come back to the sheet another day. Repeating a familiar activity builds confidence.
Help, stretch and game ideas
If it feels too hard
Keep a real calendar beside the sheet. Point to each day or month as you say it, then find the one before or after. Say the list aloud from the start each time. Try a few questions first and return to the rest later.
To stretch confident children
Write the months in order from memory, then check with a calendar. Next, write the name of the month each family member was born in. Can you put the family birthdays in order through the year?
Make it a game
Ask a grown up to quiz you on the order of the days. Take turns: one person names a day, the other says what comes after or before it. Then try the same game with months.
Mistakes to watch for
Watch forA child mixes up before and after.
Try thisSay the list aloud from the start. Pause at the named day or month, then ask which way you need to go. Use a real calendar to check.
Watch forA child guesses because they do not know the order yet.
Try thisPractise the list as a chant for a few days. Point to each day or month on a calendar as you say it.
Watch forA child miscounts when counting days.
Try thisTouch each day name once as you count aloud. Tick each one as you go so none is counted twice or missed.
Talk about it
- Which day of the week do you like best, and why?
- What do we do on different days of the week?
- Which month is your birthday in? What comes just after it?
- How can a calendar help us plan ahead?
- What is the same about the days of the week and numbers in order?
- How would you teach a younger child the months of the year?
Take it off the page
Make a family calendar
Draw a grid on paper and fill in the days. Add birthdays, trips and special days. Talk about which ones come soonest.
Day and month cards
Write each day on a card, then shuffle them. Race to put them back in order. Do the same with the months.
Daily weather chart
Each day, record the weather on a simple chart with the day name. At the end of the week, talk about what you see.
Who it is for
Parents
Sit beside your child for the first few questions, then let them lead. Keep a real calendar nearby and praise effort and thinking. Short, calm sessions work best, and the sheet is easy to repeat another day.
Teachers
Use it as a starter, plenary, early finisher task, homework or table activity. It needs no preparation beyond printing. Page 2 has help and stretch ideas for mixed ability groups, and the curriculum link is the Measurement strand.
Home educators
Pair it with a wall calendar and everyday talk about the day and month. It works for one child or several, and can be printed again for brothers and sisters or for revision a few weeks later.
Where this fits in children's learning
Before this sheet, children name familiar events in order, such as what happens in the morning and the afternoon. They begin to use words like yesterday, today and tomorrow, and learn the names of the days and months through songs and daily routines.
After this sheet, children move on to using dates, reading the time on a clock and comparing how long different things take. Secure knowledge of the order of days and months makes all of this easier.
Check it worked
Ask these when the sheet is finished. Listen for the reasoning, not just the answer.
- Which day comes after Thursday?
- How many days are there in a week, and how do you know?
- Which month is your birthday in, and what comes next?
Questions parents and teachers ask
- What age is Calendar Maths for?
It is written for Year 2 (ages 6 to 7), in Key Stage 1. Younger children can try it with help, and older children can use it as quick revision of days and months.
- What will children practise?
Children use the names and order of days and months, and count days in a week. They think about what comes before and after a named day or month, which builds sequencing skills.
- Is it free?
Yes. It is free to print for home and classroom use. You can print it again for brothers, sisters or revision, and use it as often as you like.
- What if it feels too hard?
Use a real calendar to check. Point to each day or month as you say it, and try a few questions at a time. Come back to the rest on another day.
- Is Calendar Maths suitable for teachers to use in class?
Yes. Teachers can use it as a starter, plenary, early finisher task, homework or table activity. It needs no preparation beyond printing, and page 2 has help and stretch ideas for mixed ability groups.
- Is this a screen free activity?
Yes. It is a screen free printable that needs only paper and a pencil, so it works well for quiet time, rainy days and school holidays.
- Do I need to print in colour?
No. It prints well in black and white on plain A4 paper, so you do not need colour ink.
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Made by Jaques of London, making games for families since 1795. A printable supports classroom learning and does not replace a teacher.