Stars and constellations make a fabulous unit for almost any age. This unit will be for preschoolers through first graders, although older kids could love some of the activities as well!
At Living Montessori Now, I have a list of free star and constellation printables. The free printables include my latest subscriber freebie (a Montessori-inspired constellation pack).
Here, I'm sharing ideas for using free constellation printables to create Montessori-inspired activities for preschoolers through first graders. You'll find many activities for preschoolers through first graders throughout the year along with presentation ideas in my previous posts at PreK + K Sharing. You'll also find ideas for using free printables to create activity trays here: How to Use Printables to Create Montessori-Inspired Activities.
At Living Montessori Now, I have a post with resource links of Free Printables for Montessori Homeschools and Preschools.
Disclosure: This post contains some affiliate links (at no cost to you).
Montessori Shelves with Constellation-Themed Activities
My shelves with constellation-themed activities include a free constellations culture card designed by The Montessori Company. You’ll also find Montessori-inspired constellation numbers, letters, and and more (part of my subscriber freebie pack, so just sign up for my email to get the link and password … or check the bottom of your latest newsletter if you’re already a subscriber)
I also have some fun glow-in-the-dark constellation lacing cards from Montessori Services on the top shelf along with the books and culture card. They come with laces, but you could extend the work by adding a needle for sewing, too.
You could mix your constellation-themed activities among your shelves according to curriculum area. Or you could have a special constellation-themed area something like the one pictured. My shelves this month have a mixture of skill levels. Many of the activities can be adapted for a variety of levels. If you’re a homeschooler, just choose the activities that work for your child’s interests and ability levels. If you don’t have room for all the activities you’d like to do, simply rotate them.
Constellations Culture Card with the Glow-in-the-Dark Night Sky Book
The Glow-in-the-Dark Night Sky Book is a wonderful book that I had from homeschooling my now-adult kids. It doesn't appear to be in print any longer, but you can get it used inexpensively from Amazon. My glow-in-the-dark constellations still worked great!
I'm happy to share with you this lovely constellation culture card from The Montessori Company. I’m hosting the free printable as an instant download at Living Montessori Now. You can always access the free constellations culture card here.
The description says: “Constellations are different patterns found in the night sky's stars. Most are connected to old stories and myths!”
C is for Constellations Sand Writing Tray with Glow-in-the-Dark Stars
Free Printables: Constellation Letters for constellation writing tray (part of my subscriber freebie pack, so just sign up for my email to get the link and password … or check the bottom of your latest newsletter if you’re already a subscriber)For the sand tray, I used the wooden tray from the Melissa & Doug Lace and Trace Shapes. You can use whatever tray or container work best for you, though. I already had the blue sand from a hobby store from previous activities. Amazon has some even darker blue sand that would be perfect for the night-sky look.
My 4½-year-old granddaughter, Zoey, absolutely loves anything glow in the dark, so we have a lot of glow-in-the-dark activities for our constellation unit! For the sand tray, I even added the glow-in-the-dark stars to be placed on the letter that's traced. The bathroom off my kitchen can be made completely dark, so Zoey likes to take her completed work in there to see the glow-in-the-dark effect.
If you would like help with introducing phonetic sounds, introducing objects with sounds, or beginning phonics in general, check out my DIY Beginning Montessori Phonics with Preschoolers.
I Have, Who Has? Greek Mythological Constellation Game
Free Printable: I Have Who Has Greek Mythological Constellations from Fifth Is My Jam at Teachers Pay Teachers Zoey also loves I Have, Who Has? games, so we added a super-easy-to-prepare game to our work. It just needed a Montessori Services basket.
Montessori ar Phonogram Cards and Movable Alphabet Work
Free Printables: “ar” stars font cards (part of my subscriber freebie pack, so just sign up for my email to get the link and password … or check the bottom of your latest newsletter if you’re already a subscriber) Free Printable: Green Series ar Letters from MontessoriSoul
I love the simplicity of this! It was so easy to prepare, yet it isolates the ar phonogram very well. I have a post and video on how to introduce words starting with phonograms, even with very young children.
Then the movable alphabet can be used to build ar words (or any words).
Pin Punching Work for DIY Daytime Constellations
Free Printable: Constellations from Full of Great Ideas
I used a star flashlight from the Montessori By Mom Space Explorer Toolbox along with a wood-handled puncher from Montessori Services, craft sticks, craft glue, and a Multicraft tray.
We studied the Big Dipper before Zoey punched the holes for the main stars along with punching out the circle.
Then we went into a dark room and experimented with shining a few different flashlights through the circle toward the ceiling. The little star flashlight worked but was a bit dim, a big flashlight was almost too bright, and my iPhone flashlight was perfect!
Constellation Cards for Matching and Recreating Constellations
Free Printable: Constellation Cards from Lie Back Look Up (With a double sided printer, these have information on the backs.)
This was another super-easy-to-prepare activity. It just needed a Montessori Services basket. These cards have helpful information on the backs and work well for matching or for children to place stars on to make the constellations.
Recreating Constellations with Glow-in-the-Dark Stars, Counting, and Writing Numbers
Free Printable: Constellation Numbers (part of my subscriber freebie pack, so just sign up for my email to get the link and password … or check the bottom of your latest newsletter if you’re already a subscriber)
Again, I used some of the glow-in-the-dark stars along with a magnifying glass to magnify the constellations on the number cards. The child could choose a constellation, make it with the stars, count the number of stars, and write the number with chalk. Then, of course, watch it glow in the dark!
A younger child could place stars on the cards from the previous activity or a card from the printables list. Then just count the stars and place the appropriate number card.
More Free Star and Constellation Printables
Go to my post at Living Montessori Now for links to free star and constellation printables from around the blogosphere: Free Star and Constellation Printables and Montessori-Inspired Constellation Activities. And be sure to subscribe to my email list if you'd like to get an exclusive free printable each month (plus two more awesome freebies right away): Free Printables.More Astronomy Activities and Resources
- Astronaut Unit
- Montessori-Inspired Astronomy Activities
- Montessori-Inspired Star and Constellation Unit
- Montessori-Inspired Moon Unit
- Montessori-Inspired Solar System Activities and World Space Week Blog Hop
- Montessori-Inspired Astronomy Units
- Montessori-Inspired Moon Activities for Toddlers and Preschoolers
- Montessori-Inspired Phases-of-the-Moon Playdough Tray
- Free Moon Printables and Montessori-Inspired Moon Activities
- Montessori-Inspired Moon Activities with Spielgaben {Free Printables}
- Free Moon Do-a-Dot Printable (Montessori-Inspired Instant Download)
- Free Moon Cutting Strips (Montessori-Inspired Instant Download)
- The Best Moon Books for Kids
- Astronomy Unit Study Pinterest Board
Have a great rest of the summer!
If you'd like to focus on manners with children, please check out my eBook Montessori at Home or School: How to Teach Grace and Courtesy! It's written for anyone who'd like to feel comfortable teaching manners to children ages 2-12. I'm also one of the coauthors of the book Learn with Play – 150+ Activities for Year-round Fun & Learning!
Deb Chitwood is a certified Montessori teacher with a master’s degree in Early Childhood Studies from Sheffield Hallam University in Sheffield, England. Deb taught in Montessori schools in Iowa and Arizona before becoming owner/director/teacher of her own Montessori school in South Dakota. Later, she homeschooled her two children through high school. Deb is now a Montessori writer who lives in San Diego with her husband of 43 years (and lives in the city where her kids, kids-in-law, and grandkids live). She blogs at Living Montessori Now.
Very cool post, Deb! I think the constellation cards could be the basis for a fun movement activity. STEM to STEAM!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Connie! The constellation cards definitely could be the basis for a fun movement activity! :)
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