How to Make a Child's Timeline
Helping children to understand the flow of their lives can be essential. In addition, the concept of a timeline comes up often in history class, and having early exposure to this concept can help them understand the linear progression of time. You can make a child's timeline at home with nothing more than a long roll of paper and some basic art supplies. Although this article is aimed at parents, it can be easily adapted for the classroom as well.
Instructions
-
-
1
Help the child brainstorm a list of events that happened in her life. If she needs help with ideas, suggest listing the day she was born, the day any additional siblings were born, the day she began kindergarten or first grade, the day she learned to walk, the day the family moved, or the day she met a best friend. Make sure to include a date (or general time period) for each event.
-
2
Encourage your child to arrange the events in chronological order. If your child has a difficult time doing this, you may want to write each event on a notecard and help her arrange the notecards in a line from first to last.
-
-
3
Help your child draw a long horizontal line down the center of the butcher paper and write the dates and events on the butcher paper, leaving the appropriate amount of space between each event.
-
4
Let children draw a picture to illustrate each events. For instance, your child might draw a baby to represent when he was born, a bike to represent the day he learned to ride a bike, a house to represent moving day, and a profile of his best friend to symbolize the day that the friend moved away.
-
5
Hang your child's creation along a long stretch of wall, such as along the wall of the playroom. When people come to visit, direct them to look at the timeline on the wall. Encourage your child to talk about the events on the timeline and when they happened.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
You may want to look through old photo albums or play old videos before, during, or after making the timeline. This will give your child a visual image to connect with the events you have listed.
