The Countdown Caterpilar

Does your Child find the Concept of Time Hard to Grasp?

Do they ask, "How many sleeps until? Or do you have trouble getting them to understand days of the week and weekends or the concepts of yesterday, today and tomorrow? Here is a helpful resource for children struggling to get to grips with the time, to learn about days of the week and how long they have to wait until a special event.

It's common for young children to find the concept of the passing of time and days hard. My foster children often think it's not long until the next family time with Mum and Dad, or to a birthday or significant event, but as they don't fully understand time, they seem to be constantly asking, "Am I seeing Mummy today? or "Is it a school day?" "Am I going to the birthday party today?" And telling them, “No, it's next week” doesn't work! Explaining that the party is on Tuesday or Thursday, is sometimes way beyond their understanding, if they still don't know the days of the week and it’s like talking double Dutch to them. I often tell children how many sleeps until the event. But sometimes this isn't enough either. Especially if they are visual or can't count reliably yet.

So, let me introduce you to the Countdown Caterpillar. It can be used for any number of days, teaching children how long a week is or helping them to visualise the amount of time until a holiday, a party or anything they might be looking forward to. You don't need to be an artist or even very creative to use it. You can draw or just cut and stick. It's simple but it works. Take a look.

Click to play the video: