12 Months of the Year for Kids: Names, Order & Activities 

Children often hear month names when they talk about birthdays, school events, holidays, family trips, or special days. However, they may not understand how all the months fit together in one year yet.

Learning the months of the year for kids helps children say the month names, remember their order, and use simple calendar words like this month, last month, next month, before, and after with more confidence.

What Does a Month Mean for Kids?

A month is one part of a year. A full year has 12 months, and every month has its own name.

Children see months in real life. A birthday may be in March, a school event may happen in September, and a family trip may take place in July. Calendars use months to show when important days and plans happen.

The 12 months are:

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

A simple way to explain months is:

Twelve months make one year. When December ends, a new year begins with January.

12 Months of the Year in the Right Order

Children should first learn the months in the correct order. Saying the names aloud helps them remember the pattern of the year.

1. January
2. February
3. March
4. April
5. May
6. June
7. July
8. August
9. September
10. October
11. November
12. December

The months move in order from January to December. After December, the next month is January again because a new year begins.

A simple chant can help children remember the order:

January, February, March, April, May,
June and July are on the way.
August, September, October too,
November, December, the year is through.

Parents and teachers can point to each month on a calendar while saying the names. That way, children connect each word to a real place in the year.

Month Names with Easy Pronunciation

Some month names are short and easy to say, while others need more practice. February, September, October, November, and December are often harder for young learners because they are longer.

Month	Easy Pronunciation	Listen and Say
January	JAN-yoo-air-ee	🔊 January
February	FEB-roo-air-ee / FEB-yoo-air-ee	🔊 February
March	March	🔊 March
April	AY-pril	🔊 April
May	May	🔊 May
June	Joon	🔊 June
July	joo-LY	🔊 July
August	AW-gust	🔊 August
September	sep-TEM-ber	🔊 September
October	ok-TOH-ber	🔊 October
November	noh-VEM-ber	🔊 November
December	dee-SEM-ber	🔊 December

Helpful pronunciation notes:

• January has four parts: Jan-u-ar-y.
• February has an r in the spelling after Feb, but some people say that sound softly.
• March is short and clear.
• April starts with the long a sound.
• July is stressed at the end: joo-LY.
• September, November, and December all end with ber.
• October has a strong middle sound: TOH.

Children can also clap the word parts:

• Jan-u-ar-y
• Feb-ru-ar-y
• March
• A-pril
• May
• June
• Ju-ly
• Au-gust
• Sep-tem-ber
• Oc-to-ber
• No-vem-ber
• De-cem-ber

Beginning, Middle, and End of the Year

The 12 months can feel like a long list, so it helps to group them into smaller parts. This is not a strict rule; it is just an easy way for children to remember where months belong.

• Beginning of the year: January, February, March, April
• Middle of the year: May, June, July, August
• End of the year: September, October, November, December

Simple examples:

• January is at the beginning of the year.
• June is near the middle of the year.
• September starts the last group of months.
• December is the last month of the year.

Try this quick question:

Is October near the beginning, middle, or end of the year?
Answer: End of the year

This Month, Last Month, and Next Month

The words this month, last month, and next month help children talk about time. These words change as the calendar moves.

Term	Meaning	Example
This month	The month we are in now	This month is April.
Last month	The month before this month	Last month was March.
Next month	The month after this month	Next month is May.

More practice:

• If this month is January, last month was December, and next month is February.
• If this month is March, last month was February, and next month is April.
• If this month is June, last month was May, and next month is July.
• If this month is October, last month was September, and next month is November.
• If this month is December, last month was November, and next month is January.

Real-life examples make the words easier:

• This month is March. My birthday is this month.
• Last month was February. We made a class craft last month.
• Next month is April. We will visit the zoo next month.

A useful daily question is:

What month is it now?

The child can answer:

This month is June.

What Month Comes Before or After?

Once children know the month order, they can answer before and after questions. This helps them understand sequence.

Before means earlier.
After means next or later.

Simple examples:

• February comes after January.
• March comes before April.
• July comes after June.
• December comes before January when a new year starts.

Try these practice questions:

Question	Answer
What month comes after January?	February
What month comes before April?	March
What month comes after June?	July
What month comes before September?	August
What month comes after December?	January
What month comes before November?	October
What month comes between May and July?	June

For younger children, month cards make this easier. Place the cards in order, remove one card, and ask:

Which month is missing?

Easy Spelling Help for Month Names

Month names can be hard to spell because some are long. Children should first learn to recognize and say the names before they memorize every spelling.

Break each month into smaller parts:

• Jan-u-ar-y
• Feb-ru-ar-y
• March
• A-pril
• May
• June
• Ju-ly
• Au-gust
• Sep-tem-ber
• Oc-to-ber
• No-vem-ber
• De-cem-ber

Helpful spelling tips:

• Every month name starts with a capital letter.
• May is the shortest month name.
• September is the longest month name.
• January and February both end with -uary.
• September, November, and December end with -ber.
• October begins with Oct.
• February is tricky because it has Feb-ru at the start.

A simple spelling practice can follow this order:

1. Say the month.
2. Clap the word parts.
3. Trace the word.
4. Copy the word.
5. Use the month in a sentence.

Example:

September
Clap: Sep-tem-ber
Sentence: School starts in September.

Short Month Names and Abbreviations

Month names are sometimes written in a short form. These short forms are called abbreviations. Children may see them on calendars, worksheets, planners, and classroom charts.

Full Month	Short Form
January	Jan.
February	Feb.
March	Mar.
April	Apr.
May	May
June	Jun.
July	Jul.
August	Aug.
September	Sept.
October	Oct.
November	Nov.
December	Dec.

Helpful notes:

• May is already short, so it usually stays the same.
• Short month names often use a period.
• Abbreviations save space on small calendars.

Simple examples:

• Jan. means January.
• Feb. means February.
• Oct. means October.
• Dec. means December.

How Kids Use Month Names in Sentences

Children need to use month names in real sentences, not only say them in order. Sentence practice helps them speak and write naturally.

Useful sentence patterns:

• January is the first month of the year.
• My birthday is in March.
• May comes after April.
• August comes before September.
• December is the last month of the year.
• This month is October.
• Last month was September.
• Next month is November.
• We have a school event in February.
• Our family trip is in July.

Question practice is also helpful:

• What month is it now?
• What month was last month?
• What month is next month?
• What month is your birthday in?
• Which month comes after June?
• Which month comes before December?

Children can answer in short, simple sentences:

• This month is April.
• Last month was March.
• Next month is May.
• My birthday is in August.
• July comes after June.

Common Mistakes Kids Make with Months

Children often mix up month names, order, spelling, and time words. These mistakes are normal because a year has many more parts than a week.

Common Mistake	Better Way to Teach It
Mixing up June and July	Place the cards side by side and say each name slowly.
Forgetting what comes after December	Show that a new year begins with January.
Misspelling February	Break it into Feb-ru-ar-y.
Writing month names with small letters	Teach that month names begin with capital letters.
Confusing last month and next month	Use three cards: last month, this month, next month.
Forgetting the long months near the end	Practice September, October, November, and December together.

For quick practice, children can complete this sentence frame:

This month is ____. Last month was ____. Next month will be ____.

Simple Ways to Practice the Months of the Year

Children learn month names better when they see, say, move, and repeat them in different ways. These simple activities work well at home or in class.

1. Calendar pointing
   Show a yearly or monthly calendar. Point to each month and say the name aloud. Then let the child point and repeat.
2. Month card ordering
   Write the 12 month names on cards. Mix them up and ask the child to put them in order from January to December.
3. Missing month game
   Place the month cards in order, then remove one card. Ask, “Which month is missing?”
4. This, last, next month chart
   Make three boxes labeled Last Month, This Month, and Next Month. Change the cards when a new month begins.
5. Birthday month talk
   Ask children to say their birthday month. For example, “My birthday is in May.”
6. Beginning, middle, end sort
   Make three groups: Beginning, Middle, and End. Ask children to place each month card in the correct group.
7. Clap and say
   Say each month name and clap the word parts, such as Jan-u-ar-y, Feb-ru-ar-y, and Sep-tem-ber.
8. Draw the year
   Ask children to draw one small picture for a few months. They may draw a birthday cake for their birthday month, a school bag for a school month, or a suitcase for a travel month.

Months of the Year Practice Worksheet

Use this simple practice block for quick review at home or in class.

A. Fill in the missing months

1. January, February, ________, April
2. May, June, ________, August
3. September, October, ________, December
4. November, December, ________
5. March, April, ________

B. Circle the correct answer

1. What month comes after January?
   February / June / October
2. What month comes before May?
   April / August / December
3. Which month is the last month of the year?
   January / December / July
4. If this month is March, next month is:
   February / April / November
5. If this month is August, last month was:
   July / September / May

C. Complete the sentences

1. This month is ________.
2. Next month is ________.
3. Last month was ________.
4. My birthday is in ________.
5. The first month of the year is ________.
6. The last month of the year is ________.

Answer key:

• A1: March
• A2: July
• A3: November
• A4: January
• A5: May
• B1: February
• B2: April
• B3: December
• B4: April
• B5: July
• C5: January
• C6: December

Months of the Year Quiz for Kids

Try the questions first, then check the answers below.

1. How many months are in a year?
2. What is the first month of the year?
3. What is the last month of the year?
4. What month comes after February?
5. What month comes before August?
6. Which month comes between May and July?
7. If this month is October, what is next month?
8. If this month is April, what was last month?
9. Which month starts with “Dec”?
10. Which month is the shortest month name?

Answers:

1. 12 months
2. January
3. December
4. March
5. July
6. June
7. November
8. March
9. December
10. May

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