Quartet Magnetic Chalkboard, $155, Staples, www.staples.com.
If you’re scheduling for a family of four (or more), you’ll need a chalkboard of ample proportions. This 36-by-48-inch board will keep your weekly planning on track, and it does double duty as a magnet board.

The Extras

1. Use the Magnetic Poetry ABC123 Kit alphabet magnets ($15, www.magneticpoetry.com) to mark the days of the week across the top of your board. Fill in the week’s field-hockey games, piano lessons, or play dates, then erase for a fresh start next week.
2. Extra information — like directions to your boss’s dinner party — never fits in the small boxes on monthly calendars. Hang invitations and schedules with Oxo magnetic all-purpose clips ($6 for four, www.oxo.com).