It's time to expand another fun, popular unit for preschoolers ... our Montessori-inspired farm unit! I've added a lot of free farm printables and activities along with a free farm pack (subscriber freebie at LivingMontessoriNow.com)!
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 Farm-Themed Activities
You’ll find Montessori-inspired farm 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 always have related books available throughout a unit. On the top shelf, I have two classic and endearing Montessori-friendly books: Our Animal Friends at Maple Hill Farm and The Year at Maple Hill Farm.
On the right side of the shelf ( book on a wooden cookbook holder), I have DK Smithsonian Picturepedia (beautiful photos and a fabulous reference book I use for many, many units!).
You could mix your farm-themed activities among your shelves according to curriculum area. Or you could have a special farm-themed area something like the one pictured. My shelves this month have a mixture of skill levels mainly from toddler through first grade. 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.
I always have related books available throughout a unit. On the top shelf, I have two classic and endearing Montessori-friendly books: Our Animal Friends at Maple Hill Farm and The Year at Maple Hill Farm.
On the right side of the shelf ( book on a wooden cookbook holder), I have DK Smithsonian Picturepedia (beautiful photos and a fabulous reference book I use for many, many units!).
You could mix your farm-themed activities among your shelves according to curriculum area. Or you could have a special farm-themed area something like the one pictured. My shelves this month have a mixture of skill levels mainly from toddler through first grade. 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.
Safari Ltd Farm Animals and Key with Maple Hill Farm Books
These animals are from the Safari Ltd. Farm TOOB, although a variety of farm TOOBS are available. Matching the figures to the TOOB keys is a simple-to-prepare activity that's great for toddlers and young preschoolers.
Farm Booklet
Free Printable: Farm Booklet (Farm Picture-Word Cards) from PreKinders This is next to the open Picturepedia book on the top shelf. It's so easy to prepare! Just print and cut it out. The printable even has places to punch holes to make a booklet using a binder ring.Farm Books, Spanish Farm Animal 3-Part Cards, and Schleich Farm Animals
Free Printable: Spanish 3-Part Cards from Totschooling at Teachers Pay Teachers
The materials were easy to prepare. I display them simply on a Multicraft tray with the added Montessori cards display box (which I love and typically use for all my 3-part cards now). I used Schleich farm animals.
There are eight Spanish farm animal cards in the printable (along with many other Spanish words), although I just started with six of the cards.
My toddler grandkids love My First Farm: Let's Get Working! (and the rest of the series). National Geographic Kids Farm Animals has easy-to-understand facts and gorgeous photographs.
Because of the Spanish vocabulary, this can be used for multiple ages.
My 18-month-old grandson, Caleb, and 21-month-old granddaughter, Sophia, are learning some Spanish vocabulary, so Caleb's mom, Christina, introduced them to the Spanish words while they matched the animals to the pictures.
Caleb and Sophia didn't use the Spanish word cards, although those would be perfect for my 5½-year-old granddaughter, Zoey.
Manuscript and Cursive Writing and Spelling Materials
It's a personal preference if you like to introduce manuscript or cursive first. Many Montessorians introduce cursive first, and many Montessorians introduce manuscript first. It often depends on what your child will be encountering most. When I was a Montessori teacher, my students went on to traditional schools, so I always introduced print first. I did the same with my now-adult children as a homeschooler. I'm doing the same with my grandchildren, since they're exposed to print so often in books and other areas.I do think that learning cursive is essential so that (at a minimum) children grow up able to read their grandparents' and great-grandparents' handwriting (and the handwriting of others from those generations). When my grandchildren are comfortable writing and reading manuscript print, I focus a lot on cursive. I do focus on it earlier with the font cards I design to go with each unit. But it isn't a thorough, focused emphasis until they're comfortable with manuscript letter writing and reading.
F is for Farm Corn Writing Tray (Middle of Middle Shelf in Shelf Photo)
Free Printables: Farm letters for corn 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. I just used popping corn for the corn. It doesn't work as well for writing as sand or salt, but it's fun and an interesting sensory experience. 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.
Montessori Farm and Barn ar Phonogram Cards
Free Printables: “ar” farm and barn phonogram 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 (Print two sets if you want to use the pictures for movable alphabet word building.)
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.
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.
Matching Cursive Chicken Alphabet Cards to Manuscript Chicken Alphabet Cards
Free Printable: Chicken movable alphabet cards in manuscript and cursive (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) My 5½-year-old granddaughter, Zoey, really enjoyed this activity when we did it with the apple alphabet cards. I introduced it with a cursive tracing board.
After tracing the letters on the tracing board, Zoey placed the manuscript letters in alphabetical order. Then she matched each of the cursive letters to the manuscript letters. We'll do a similar activity with the chicken alphabet cards.
DIY Holstein Cow and Button Cards and Counters
Free Printables: Holstein Cow 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) I love making DIY themed cards and counters to introduce odd and even and add interest and variety to cards and counters. I found these micro (6mm) buttons that are an inviting way to represent the Holstein cows spots. You need exactly 55 buttons if you want to do the numbers and counters 1-10. The package contains 100 buttons, so there are even some left over. (Note: I used them last year in our fire safety unit for Dalmatian cards and counters.)
For kids who are already comfortable with symbol and quantity, I’ll typically use the cards and counters for hands-on addition, subtraction, and other mathematical operations. (See some of my other themed posts for ideas.) But sometimes I like to use the odd and even labels like I did with the Dalmatian cards and counters.
Farm Number Matching or Addition and Subtraction Game
Free Printable: Farm Math from Teacher Mom Plus 3 (I had this printable from before, and I just discovered it's no longer available. I'll try to find something similar for you.)
Free Printable: Holstein Cow 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)
I often like to use flat glass marbles as markers for many activities (although I don't leave them out when I have toddlers around). The way I would use this printable for multiple ages is to have younger children roll the numbered dice to find a matching number. Then they could put a clear flat marble over the number.
An older child can use the number cards and symbol cards to create an addition or subtraction problem to match the number that's rolled with the dice.
Farm Bingo
Free Printable: Farm Animal Bingo Printable from The Preschool Toolbox
Again, flat glass marbles are fun to use as markers, although I don't recommend them when toddlers are around. I just have the printables on the tray on my shelves now.
This printable only has one page plus a page of duplicate images. You could use it as a cooperative Bingo game, or just use it for matching.
I printed out 3 copies of the first page and cut apart the pictures on one of the pages. For my toddler grandkids, we'll use the printables for picture matching. For Zoey, I've written the words in cursive on the backs of the individual cards. She can draw a card, read the name, and match it.
Free Farm Printables for Preschoolers-First Graders (some printables for up to grade 3)
Montessori-Inspired Farm 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, 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).
For more free printables for this unit, go to my post at Living Montessori Now with Free Farm Printables and Activities for a Montessori-Inspired Farm Unit.
More Farm Resources
- Montessori-Inspired Corn Unit,
- Safari Ltd. Farm TOOBS and Keys
- Free Farm Printables and Montessori-Inspired Activities Using Farm Replicas and Printables
- 40+ Farm Sensory Tub
- Inexpensive, Simple-to-Prepare Montessori Grammar Farm
- Montessori-Inspired Farm Animal Matching/Vocabulary for Babies and Toddlers
- Farm, Zoo, & Ocean Animal Sensory Bottles for Babies and Toddlers
- Montessori-Inspired Horse Unit
- Story Stones - Farm Animal Families Treasure Basket
- Free Lamb Printables and Montessori-Inspired Lamb Activities
- Free Lamb Cutting Strips (Montessori-Inspired Instant Download)
- Free Lamb Do-a-Dot Printable (Montessori-Inspired Instant Download)
- Montessori-Inspired Farm Unit {Hundreds of Resources}
- The Montessori Grammar Farm for Learning Grammar the Hands-on, Fun Way
- Free Duckling Printables and Montessori-Inspired Duckling Activities
- Free Make Way for Ducklings Do-a-Dot Printable (Montessori-Inspired Instant Download)
- The Best Duck and Duckling Books for Kids
- Fun 100 Board Extension - Count 100 Ducks {Free Printable}
- Free Duckling Cutting Strips (Montessori-Inspired Instant Download)
- Farm Unit Study Pinterest Board
Happy autumn!
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.
