This weekly family planner lives on our fridge, and it changed how our whole week runs. Our fridge used to be covered in stuff. School flyers, a sports schedule, a birthday invite from three weeks ago. Somewhere under all of it was the one thing I actually needed to know: who has to be where this week.
I’d check my phone calendar, but nobody else in my house does that. My kids walk past the fridge 40 times a day. So I decided the plan needed to live there, and I made a weekly family planner we can reuse every single week. Yay to saving the earth!
Today I’m showing you how I made a magnetic dry erase weekly planner for our fridge. It took me about 10 minutes, and we use the same sheet every week. The printable is free, so you can make one tonight.
Table of Contents
Why a weekly family planner works better than a monthly calendar
Most family calendars try to hold the whole month. That’s great for planning, but it’s a lot to read when you’re standing at the fridge with a snack in your hand.
This sheet only shows one week, and it gives every person their own row. Here’s A weekly family planner only shows one week, and this one gives every person their own row. Here’s how it’s set up:
- Everyone row for stuff the whole family needs to know, like trash night or a minimum day.
- A row for each person so your kids can find their own line fast. It comes in a family of 3, 4, 5, and 6 version.
- Dinner row so nobody has to ask “what’s for dinner?” five times a night.
- Shaded weekends so Saturday and Sunday stand out at a glance.
- A small bottom section for one habit to track, things to remember (forms, fees, appointments), and what’s coming next week.
That’s it. Small enough to fill in on Sunday, clear enough that a 7 year old can read it.
What you need to make your weekly family planner
You probably have half of this already. I put everything I used in one spot: shop my Family Command Center supplies (Amazon affiliate links).
- The free weekly family planner printable in your family size (link below)
- Printable magnet sheets, 8.5 x 11, matte. Get the kind made for inkjet printers. I used a 24 pack, so I have plenty for extras.
- Clear dry erase sticker sheets. These are clear sheets with a sticky back that turn anything into a whiteboard. Mine came in a 10 pack.
- Dry erase markers. Fine tip works best for the small boxes. Bonus points for one color per person.
- Scissors
- A soft cloth or paper towel for wiping
Quick note: the dry erase sheets I bought are A4 size, which is a little longer than the planner but about a quarter inch narrower. Line it up at the top and the only part left uncovered is the white margin at the bottom. Totally fine. I also included larger sheets for you in my amazon links if you want it to be covered better. Just trim it to 8.5 by 11 before applying.
How to make a reusable weekly family planner
- Print it on magnet paper. Pick your family size and print it on the white side of the magnet sheet. Set your printer to landscape and “actual size” so nothing gets cut off. Let the ink dry for a few minutes before you touch it.
- Add the dry erase sheet. Peel back just the top edge of the sticker sheet and line it up with the top of your planner. Then slowly smooth it down as you peel the rest. I use the side of my hand (a credit card works too). Going slow is the trick to no bubbles.
- Trim it and stick it up. Cut off the extra sticker hanging past the edges. Then pop it right on the fridge. No frame, no tape, no pocket to slide it into.
- Fill it in. On Sunday, write in everyone’s stuff for the week. Give each person their own marker color so they can find their stuff in two seconds. Add dinners in the bottom row, even if it’s just “leftovers.”
- Wipe it on Sunday. When the week is done, wipe it clean and plan the new week on the same sheet. If marker has been sitting a while, a little dry erase spray or a damp cloth takes it right off.
How to keep using your weekly family planner
The making part is easy. The using part is where most of us fall off (I’ve had plenty of pretty planners sit blank by week three). Here’s what helps in my house.
Tie it to your Sunday reset. I fill in our weekly family planner during my weekly reset, right after I check my own calendar. It takes about 5 minutes. If Sunday gets away from you, Monday morning works too.
Let the kids write their own stuff. Hand them their marker color and let them add practice or a friend’s birthday party. When it’s their handwriting, they actually look at it.
Keep the markers on the fridge. Get a small magnetic cup or clip and keep them right next to the planner, or get markers that have magnetic caps, like the ones in my Amazon shop. If you have to go find a marker, it won’t get updated.
Leave some boxes empty. Empty boxes are good. They mean you have room to breathe that day.
Pick one tiny habit. Use the tracker for one small thing, like reading 20 minutes or drinking water. Circle each day you do it. Missing a day is fine. You just start again the next day.
Get the free weekly family planner printable
The This Week at Our House sheet is free in all four family sizes (3, 4, 5, and 6). Grab your free weekly family planner here: https://member.wendaful.com/free-this-week-at-our-house
Print it tonight, stick it up, and fill it in this Sunday. Something on the fridge beats a perfect plan that lives in your head.
Want the whole system?
This weekly sheet is one page from The Family Command Center, my printable family binder. It has the pages that keep your week running, all in one place. You’ll find a monthly calendar, a weekly meal plan and grocery list, daily routines, a Who Does What chore chart, and the info a sitter needs when you head out.
It also comes with how-to notes on the pages, so the whole family can use it, not just you.
Get The Family Command Center here
