Mini Minds Hub · Free printable

Months of the Year: Free Printable Card Set for Year 1

  • ForYear 1
  • StageKey Stage 1
  • CostFree
  • FormatPrintable PDF
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Months of the Year is a free printable card set for Year 1 (ages 5 to 6). Children cut out the cards, shuffle them and put the twelve months in order. They say each month aloud as they place it, then talk about which month comes before and after. It takes 10 to 15 minutes for one child and needs only scissors and a flat space. Page 2 gives the grown-up notes, help ideas, a stretch idea 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

Page 1 is a set of month cards to cut out. Children shuffle the cards and lay them in a row, then work out the order of the year. They read each month, say it aloud and decide where it belongs. Once the row is built, they look at it again and say which month comes before and which comes after. It is a hands on way to learn a sequence.

  • July
  • March
  • December
  • May
  • January
  • October
  • April
  • August
  • February
  • November
  • June
  • September

Getting the most from the cards

Cut out together

Cutting along the lines is good fine motor practice. Let your child do the cutting with safe scissors, or cut the cards yourself if time is short.

Say it as you place it

Saying each month aloud as the card goes down links the written word to the sound. It also helps children remember the order.

Build a long row

Lay the cards left to right on a table or the floor. A clear line from start to finish makes the idea of a sequence easy to see.

Shuffle and go again

Mix the cards up and rebuild the row. A second go is usually quicker, and children enjoy seeing how much they remember.

Why learn the months in order?

Months are one of the first ways children meet the idea of time passing in a fixed order. A year has twelve months, and they always follow the same pattern. Children at this age hear month names at home and at school. They talk about birthdays, holidays and seasons, so the names often feel familiar before they can read or order them.

Learning a sequence is a big step in early maths. Children begin to see that position matters, and that each item has something before it and something after it. The same thinking helps with number order, days of the week and telling the time. Handling cards makes the order physical, because children can move a card and see the row change.

Fun facts about months

  • A year is made up of twelve months.
  • The word month comes from the word moon.
  • February is the shortest month of the year.
  • Some months have 30 days and some have 31.
  • A year is about the time it takes the Earth to travel once around the Sun.

Skills and curriculum link

  • Months of the year
  • Ordering
  • Sequencing
  • Before and after
  • Reading month names

Ideas to help children remember the months

  • Use a calendarKeep a wall calendar where your child can see it. Let them turn the page at the end of each month and say the new month aloud.
  • Link to birthdaysAsk your child which month their birthday falls in. Then try family and friends. Personal dates are easier to remember.
  • Say it with a rhythmChildren often learn a sequence faster when it has a beat. Try clapping or chanting the months, or find a months song to sing together.
  • Notice them in daily lifePoint out months on letters, shop signs and school notices. Seeing the words in real places helps them stick.

Key words

  • MonthOne of the twelve parts of a year.
  • YearAll twelve months together.
  • OrderThe way things are lined up, one after another.
  • SequenceA set of things that follow each other in a fixed order.
  • BeforeComes earlier. In a row of cards, it is the one to the left.
  • AfterComes later. In a row of cards, it is the one to the right.

How to use it

  1. Print both pages. Page 1 is for your child. Keep page 2, which has the notes and answers.
  2. Cut out the cards, shuffle them and lay them in a row. Plan on 10 to 15 minutes for one child.
  3. Say each month aloud as you place it. Work through the first go together and talk about each choice.
  4. Check the row against page 2. Ask, "How did you decide where that one goes?" The thinking matters as much as the answer.
  5. Come back to it another day. Repeating a familiar activity builds confidence.

Help, stretch and game ideas

If it feels too hard

Start with just two cards. Put the first month of the year and the last month of the year on the table. Then add a few cards at a time, saying each month aloud before you place it. Build the row slowly.

To stretch confident children

Build the full row, then turn three cards face down. Ask your child to say which months are hidden, using the cards on either side as clues. Turn the cards over to check. Try more hidden cards each time.

Make it a game

Month snap: print two sets and shuffle them together. Players turn over cards one at a time and shout "snap" when two matching months appear. Say each month aloud as it is turned. This keeps the names fresh.

Mistakes to watch for

Watch forA child puts the months in alphabetical order.

Try thisRemind them that months follow the year, not the alphabet. Point to a calendar and follow it from the start.

Watch forA child mixes up months that start with the same sound or letter.

Try thisSay the words slowly and look at the whole word, not only the first letter. Place those cards side by side and compare them.

Watch forA child starts the row in the middle of the year.

Try thisAsk, "Which month does the year begin with?" Put that card down first, then build from there.

Talk about it

  • Which month is your birthday in? What is special about it?
  • Which month do you like best, and why?
  • What can you see outside in different months of the year?
  • Can you say all the months without looking at the cards?
  • What did you do to decide which card goes next?
  • Which months were the hardest to place? Why do you think that was?

Take it off the page

Birthday chart

Make a simple chart on paper with a space for each month. Write the names of family and friends under their birthday months. Say the months in order as you go.

Weather diary

Draw a small picture of the weather each day for a week, and write the month at the top. Keep a new page each month.

Human calendar

Write each month on a piece of paper and put them on the floor in order. Take turns to stand on a month and say which comes before and after.

Who it is for

Parents

Sit with your child for the first go, then let them lead. Keep it short and playful. If they get stuck, put the first and last months down and build from there. Praise effort as well as correct answers.

Teachers

Use it as a starter, a plenary, an early finisher task or a table activity. It needs no preparation beyond printing and cutting. Page 2 has support and stretch ideas for mixed ability groups, so it can be used across the class.

Home educators

Print it as part of a wider maths plan. It pairs well with a wall calendar, nature walks and talk about seasons and birthdays. Because it is free to print again, it works for brothers and sisters or for a quick revisit a few weeks later.

Where this fits in your child's learning

Before this, children learn the days of the week and the idea of before and after in daily routines. They also count and order numbers, which uses the same skill of putting things in a fixed sequence.

After this, children can use a calendar to find dates, talk about seasons and begin to read the time. In the National Curriculum for England, this sits in the measurement strand, within time. It builds towards using time language with confidence.

Questions parents and teachers ask

What age is Months of the Year for?

It is written for Year 1 (ages 5 to 6), in Key Stage 1. It also works for younger children who are ready to try, and for older children who need a gentle recap of the order of the year.

What will children practise?

Children practise reading the names of the months, putting them in order and saying which month comes before and after. They build a sequence from cards, saying each month aloud as they place it.

How long does it take?

It takes 10 to 15 minutes for one child. Cut out the cards, shuffle them and build the row. Short, repeated goes work better than one long session, so come back to it another day.

What if it feels too hard?

Start with fewer cards. Put the first and last months of the year on the table, then add a few cards at a time. Say each month aloud and use a calendar to check the order.

Is it free?

Yes. It is free to print for home and classroom use. You can print it again for brothers and sisters, or to revisit the order of the months a few weeks later.

Is this a screen free activity?

Yes. It needs only paper, scissors and a flat space. It works well for quiet time after school, a rainy afternoon or a holiday activity, and it gets children talking and moving cards by hand.

Do I need to print in colour?

No. It prints well in black and white on plain A4 paper. If you want to make the cards last, print on thin card, or stick the printed sheet to card before cutting out.

Preview the full PDF

Made by Jaques of London, making games for families since 1795. A printable supports classroom learning and does not replace a teacher.

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