In this post I will be offering a free printable daily and weekly rhythm charts and lunch planner for kids and their grown-ups to brighten up your daily grind this winter!
I had so much fun earlier in the fall designing my weekly lunch planner, so I wanted to try my hand at Waldorf-inspired daily and weekly rhythm charts too.
Update: I have a new post with rhythm charts for kids that are perfect for summer break.
If you are reading this in the future…
Picture this: it’s January 2022. We have sub-zero temps and all our gyms, schools and activities have been shut down again (where we are) for The Reason That Must Not Be Named 3.0 *insert doomsday music here.* Our kids are climbing the walls like feral cats, and demanding endless Minecraft and snacks!
We are the homemakers. It’s on us!
Even in a regular year, it can be hard on us mamas to keep the spirits up and the energy positive in our homes after the fun and bustle of holidays wear off and the day-to-day life comes back in full force. And this year, we need to be extra on top of these things for the mental health and wellness of our families.
So, what to do about it?
Enter: Planning.
I am not at all the girl to tell someone about how to plan. I won’t even try!
If you are interested in tips on daily planning I highly recommend checking out this post by my friend Kelly of the blog Simple Home Mom. She is a mom of 4 and just the best with simple daily routines and how to work them into your life in a flexible way!
However, I can once in a while do a little planning of my own, and it is usually super spontaneous and fun! Sometimes there are waterfalls! It drives my plan-in-advance husband nuts.
But back to the topic here. Instead of typical planning, I like to create some rhythms and routines that keep us on track during the day and keep our moods up! I plan these out so the kids can see them on daily and weekly rhythm charts.
This post may contain affiliate links. See my full disclosure here.
What is a rhythm chart?
Children greatly benefit from rhythm and structure. Like me, kids don’t have a great sense of time. Therefore, planners and schedules with timetables mean little to them. A rhythm chart is a simple visual cue to help kids stay on track during the day and know what to expect.
While we are on the topic, isn’t this one from Treasures From Jennifer so darling?
Why use a rhythm chart?
Rhythm Charts give just the right amount of structure
Firstly, I am not a natural planner at all. In fact, I really struggle with both micro-planning and scheduling. In my homeschool, I rarely plan that way, at least in this phase of my life. Funny story, I even purchased this amazing homeschool planner this year, which I really like, but it is almost blank! Not kidding. I could have one a tenth of the size!
Secondly, I do not think that adhering to a tight schedule is natural or effective for many homeschool families.
However, no plan is not a good plan. Too little structure is just as overwhelming as too much structure, for kids and parents alike.
Planning out the days and weeks in a simple, Waldorf-inspired way combats both of those problems.
That’s why I adore these daily and weekly rhythm planning pages. It is so simple to print these and fill them out daily and weekly, as much or as little as needed.
How do you use a daily or weekly rhythm chart?
These printable PDF charts can be used in a variety of ways in your home or even in a classroom setting.
- Print off multiple copies and store in a binder or on a clipboard for daily and weekly use.
- Or, print off a single copy and laminate or place inside a slipcover to use and reuse with a dry erase marker.
- Print them off in a larger format to use as a wall poster for a command centre or kid’s bedroom.
- Screenshot to use digitally as digital wallpaper.
- To add more structure, write in dates and times.
- For younger children or a more relaxed time period, omit times and dates.
Things to put on your rhythm chart:
- Morning routines
- Personal reading time
- Chores
- Schoolwork
- Activities or outings
- Quiet time
- Meals and snacks
- Evening routines
- Family read-aloud time
- Family prayers
Here is how I use the daily and weekly rhythm charts for my family
How we use the daily rhythm chart
You may be wondering, how do I like to use these planning pages in real life?
I say, there is no right or wrong way to utilize planning resources. What works for me may not work for you, and that is just fine. However, I will let you in on what we do with these.
Personally, I like to use resources like this more heavily when we are going through transitions or re-entering our homeschool routines (like now, after Christmas for instance!)
What I do is I print these off, one copy per child, and laminate them. Each of my children has a clipboard to help them stay on task. These work great for my kid’s clipboards! That way we can write with a dry-erase marker and it is easy for plans to change or pivot.
How we use the weekly rhythm chart
Currently, in this winter lockdown situation our weekly routines have been abruptly interrupted yet again and that can leave kids and parents feeling ungrounded and off-kilter.
Therefore, I have decided to use the weekly planner as a way to promote fun bonding activities. For example, tomorrow on the weekly rhythm we are having an at-home judo class led by my eldest son and making a batch of granola. They say the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. And, I happen to know that also applies to boy children, because I get so many hugs whenever I bake!
For those of you who are new here, I am a homeschool mama to four boys. You can meet us here or come visit us on instagram where I can get to know you, too!
Your free printable daily and weekly rhythm charts
Without further ado, here are your free printable daily and weekly rhythm charts with the bonus lunch planner page I threw in just for fun! Simply drop your email in the box below, then check your inbox for the printable.
Even though I am not much of a planner, I love making planning pages
I absolutely loved making these planner pages for your kids. Actually, as I was making them, I came up with so many other fun ideas! For example, I would love to do a daily journaling or reflection page, a doodling page, a page of affirmations, reading trackers, and so on. I even went back into my design and added a BONUS fresh lunch planner since my friend Claire has me all motivated to plan lunches again.
Let me know in the comments section below if you have any requests!
No time right now? Pin it for later!
If you liked this post, check out some of my recent posts:
Katie
I cannot get the site to send me the link to download these charts.
Deirdre Skipper
Hi Katie! I just checked and it worked for me. Could it have gone to your spam? It will say it’s from Dee Skipper 🙂 let me know if you continue to have trouble and thanks for reaching out.
Mandi
Hi Dee
Love this
Second time I’ve read this in a few months
I’d love to SEE a filled out example of the daily and weekly rhythm charts to get a better visual/understanding of them and what they look like in real time
Thanks for all you share through writing!
Mandi
Deirdre Skipper
That’s fair! I should do this in a story highlight or something! I found them in the background of an old reel but you can’t really see anything! https://www.instagram.com/reel/CZH93c1hV8H/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link