We loved our previous Arctic animals unit. There are so many areas to explore in the Arctic. Today, I'm sharing a new Arctic unit with Montessori-inspired Inuit activities using free printables. I also have a new Montessori-inspired Inuit pack (subscriber freebie) for you today!
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 affiliate links (at no cost to you).
Montessori Shelves with Inuit Themed Activities
You’ll find Montessori-inspired Inuit themed 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)
Zoey also loves our globe. It's a combined world globe and a constellation light globe and nightlight. We use this globe when we want to do a more detailed study of a country or region.
On another shelf (shown in the photo below with Zoey), you'll see The Top and Bottom of the World (Rookie Read-About Science), The Polar Bear Son: An Inuit Tale, and Over in the Arctic Where the Cold Winds Blow (a fun sing-a-long book). We're enjoying all the books for our Inuit unit.
On the top shelf here, I also have a basket of free printable Arctic vocabulary word cards, including Inuit words by LaMonica Smith at Teachers Pay Teachers. We'll use them for reading and scavenger hunt activities using some of our Safari Ltd. and Schleich Arctic figures.
You could mix your Inuit-themed activities among your shelves according to curriculum area. Or you could have a special Inuit-themed area something like the one pictured. My shelves 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.
Salt Writing Tray with I for Igloo and oo Phonogram in Igloo
Free Printables: I for Igloo in manuscript, D'Nealian, or Cursive and "oo" igloo font cards for igloo salt 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 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. Since salt looks somewhat like snow, I just used plain salt for this month's writing tray.
I have a variety of writing trays and ways to introduce phonetic sounds in my unit studies. Check out my other unit studies for lots of ideas for presenting phonics activities using my subscriber freebies.
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 a post and video on how to introduce words with phonograms, even with very young children.
Safari Ltd Arctic Figures with Montessori 3-Part Cards
Free Printable: Arctic 3-Part Cards (to match Safari Ltd. Arctic TOOB) by MontessoriSoul This is an easy activity to prepare if you have the Safari Ltd. Arctic TOOB. It used to have 12 figures, but now it has 10, so I used the 10 figures along with the matching 3-part cards from MontessoriSoul. I placed everything on a Multicraft tray.
You could use these materials in a variety of ways. I previously used them in an Arctic sensory bin.
Inuit Pin Poking and Design Activity
Free Printable: Multicultural Coloring Page - Inuit from Education.com Free Printable: Inuit Pattern from Pattern Universe
Pin poking is a great activity for preschoolers ... wonderful for both fine-motor coordination and concentration. And kids tend to love it, too! I simply printed out both printables and added the Wood-Handled Puncher from Montessori Services (Read the push pin warning and why I recommend using the wood-handled puncher.)
I also used the Felt Pad from Montessori Services. (Note: The Montessori Services felt pads are now black so they don’t get dirty as easily.)
You could have the child color the Inuit coloring page from Education.com and then punch out and design the clothing and face for the Inuit image on the right.
Inukshuk Paper Craft and Rock Design
Free Printable: Inukshuk Paper Craft from DLTK's Crafts for Kids (This includes a page of colored paper rocks to fit the outlines.) The inukshuk stone sculptures are fascinating to study, and this work is a great extension. There's a short description on the paper craft itself, although you can read more online about an inukshuk .
The craft is a simple cut-and-paste craft. You could add to the activity by going on a nature walk to find flat rocks that would work for making and remaking an inukshuk. We had some flat polished rocks that Zoey loves, so I added some to the tray in similar shapes to the paper craft image.
Arctic Yoga Cards
Free Printable: Iqaluit, Nunavut Arctic Animal Yoga Poses by Megan's Creative Classroom at Teachers Pay Teachers This is super easy to prepare! I just printed out the cards and placed them in a Montessori Services basket. I love that the cards not only show the yoga pose but also tell a bit about the Arctic animal, place, or object.
Static and Dynamic Addition Game Using Inuit Number Cards and Montessori Golden Beads
Free Printables: Spinner and Inuit Doll 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)You can read about other work Zoey and I have done with static and dynamic addition here. For many of our themed addition activities, we've done simple addition counting objects or using matching Montessori bead bars.
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| Dynamic Addition Work Using Inuit Number Cards and Montessori Golden Beads |
This time, Zoey just used the golden beads. I had her count the units and then exchange them for a ten when they reached 10. Zoey and I love these little Inuit male and female doll number cards! They add interest to addition practice.
Of course, you can use the number cards for a wide variety of activities, depending on your child's age and ability level. Again, just look at my previous themed posts for lots of ideas.
Nunavut Territory Study and Booklet Making
Free Printables: Nunavut map, flag, official bird, and official flower printables from KidZoneI'll be rotating the shelves to add this activity soon. I love the KidZone activities for helping the child learn about the Nunavut Territory in Canada. When the child is finished with the pages, you can easily put them together into a book using a binder ring or ribbon.
Free Inuit Printables for Preschoolers-First Graders
Montessori-Inspired Inuit Pack for DIY Cards and Counters, Number or Letter Matching, Number or Letter Basket, Bead Bar Work, Hands-on Math Operations, Number or Letter Salt/Sand Writing Tray, Letter Tracing, Phonogram Work, DIY Movable Alphabet, and Creative Writing (subscriber freebie, so just sign up for my email to get the link and password – or check your inbox if you’re already a subscriber)
More Free Inuit Printables
Go to my post at Living Montessori Now for links to free Inuit printables from around the blogosphere: Free Inuit Printables and Montessori-Inspired Inuit 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.All My Arctic and Antarctic Activities and Resources
- Montessori-Inspired Arctic and Antarctic Unit {Hundreds of Resources}
- Montessori-Inspired Continent Activities – Penguins of Antarctica
- Montessori-Inspired Multi-Level Penguin Activities
- Montessori-Inspired Toddler Geography Activities with Baby Beluga
- Free Arctic Animal Printables and Montessori-Inspired Arctic Animal Activities
- Free Polar Bear Do-a-Dot Printable (Montessori-Inspired Instant Download)
- Free Arctic Animal Cutting Strips (Montessori-Inspired Instant Download)
- Simple Arctic Sensory Bin with Vocabulary or Grammar Activity
- Free Penguin Printables and Montessori-Inspired Penguin Activities
- Free Penguin Cutting Strips (Montessori-Inspired Instant Download)
- Free Penguin Do-a-Dot Printable (Montessori-Inspired Instant Download)
- Simple Arctic vs. Antarctic Cut-and-Paste Activity {Free Printables}
- Free Arctic Animal Songs and Educational Videos
- Free Penguin Songs and Educational Videos
- Free Arctic vs. Antarctic Songs and Educational Videos
- Easy and Fun Antarctic Sensory Bin for Winter or Summer
- previous themed posts
- Kids’ Winter Activities Pinterest Board
- Antarctica Educational Resources Pinterest Board
Happy winter!
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.
