Montessori-Inspired Caterpillar to Butterfly Activities Using Free Printables

By Deb Chitwood from Living Montessori Now

Spring is almost here, and I'm ready for a caterpillar to butterfly unit! I also have a brand new Montessori-inspired caterpillar to butterfly pack for newsletter subscribers at LivingMontessoriNow.com!

You'll find many activities for preschoolers through first graders throughout the year 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 Caterpillar to Butterfly Themed Activities

Montessori Shelves with Caterpillar to Butterfly Themed Activities

You’ll find Montessori-inspired caterpillar to butterfly 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) Go to my Free Caterpillar to Butterfly Printables and Montessori-Inspired Activities post at Living Montessori Now for the free printables and activity ideas you see on the shelf and collage above!

Free Montessori-Inspired Caterpillar to Butterfly Pack

Montessori-Inspired Caterpillar to Butterfly 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).

More Butterfly Resources 

• Montessori-Inspired Caterpillar-Butterfly Unit
• Montessori-Inspired Life Cycle Activities
• Free Butterfly Printables and Montessori-Inspired Butterfly Activities
• Free Butterfly Printables and Montessori-Inspired Butterfly Letter Activities
• Free Butterfly Cutting Strips (Montessori-Inspired Instant Download)
• Butterfly Sensory Bin with Scavenger Hunt and Life Cycle Activities {Free Printables}
• Montessori-Inspired Spring Activities with Spielgaben {Free Printables}
• Free Butterfly Do-a-Dot Printable (Montessori-Inspired Instant Download)
• Free Oviparous Animal Printables and Montessori-Inspired Oviparous Animal Activities
• Caterpillar-Butterfly Unit Study Pinterest Board

If you'd like ideas for calendar-based themes throughout March and April, see my March Themed Activities for Kids and April Themed Activities for Kids.

Be sure to go to my Free Caterpillar to Butterfly Printables and Montessori-Inspired Activities post at Living Montessori Now for lots of free printables and activity ideas!

 

Wishing you a happy spring!

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 47 years (and lives in the city where her kids, kids-in-law, and grandkids live). She blogs at Living Montessori Now.

TAKE A 30-SECOND SURVEY: When A Child Misbehaves in Your Classroom?

When my child was in kindergarten, she went through a stage of challenging behavior for the teacher. The steps she took surprised me.

As teachers, I'd love to hear from you on what you do when this happens to you. The survey is anonymous and I don't plan to take any actions as a result of the answers. I'm just curious how you might respond.

CLICK HERE to begin and I thank you for the 30 - 60 seconds it may take you to answer.

Montessori-Inspired Birthday Activities Using Free Printables

By Deb Chitwood from Living Montessori Now

I love celebrating birthdays with young children! Our new unit has lots of free birthday printables and activities! You'll also find a brand new Montessori-inspired birthday pack for newsletter subscribers at LivingMontessoriNow.com!

You'll find many activities for preschoolers through first graders throughout the year 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 may contain affiliate links (at no cost to you).

Montessori Shelves with Birthday-Themed Activities

Montessori Shelves with Birthday-Themed Activities

You’ll find Montessori-inspired birthday-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) Go to my Free Birthday Printables and Montessori-Inspired Birthday Activities post at Living Montessori Now for the free printables and activity ideas you see on the shelf and collage above!

Free Montessori-Inspired Birthday Pack

Montessori-Inspired Birthday 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).

More Birthday Resources 

• Montessori Birthday Celebration - A Lovely Celebration of Life Ceremony
• Free Celebration of Life Songs and Printables for a Montessori Birthday
• Montessori Birthday at Home - How to Have a Simple Celebration of Life Ceremony
• Simple Montessori Birthday Celebration for a 1 Year Old
• Birthdays as Homeschool Holidays
• Montessori-Inspired Age and Birthday Activities

More Resources with Printables and/or Activities for a Montessori Birthday

• Free Solar System Printables and Montessori-Inspired Solar System Activities
• Free Y for Year Do-a-Dot Printable (Montessori-Inspired Instant Download)
• Free Months and Seasons Printables and Montessori-Inspired Months and Seasons Activities
• Montessori New Year’s Celebration (includes a fun way for young children to understand the science behind months and seasons)

If you'd like ideas for calendar-based themes throughout February and March, see my Feburary-Themed Activities for Kids and March Themed Activities for Kids.

Be sure to go to my Free Birthday Printables and Montessori-Inspired Birthday Activities post at Living Montessori Now for lots of free printables and activity ideas!

 

Wishing you a happy soon-to-be March and spring!

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 47 years (and lives in the city where her kids, kids-in-law, and grandkids live). She blogs at Living Montessori Now.

14 DAYS OF TIPS FOR DEMONSTRATING LOVE TO YOUR CHILD

14 DAYS OF TIPS FOR DEMONSTRATING LOVE TO YOUR CHILD

The antidote for battling all of the pain and hardships in the world is to practice and demonstrate love to our children. What better month to do this in than the month of LOVE, February. So to get you jump started in showing your child love, here are tips for each of the first 14 days of the month of February. And if you don’t find this article until well after February 1^st, it’s never too late to start it.

DAY 1: HIDE LOVE NOTES OR SURPRISES – Toddlers to teens love to be surprised. Hide a small valentine, an encouraging note, or a small valentine chocolate somewhere for them to find each day leading up to Valentine’s Day. Get creative and mix it up.  You could also leave a note each day in one place that contains clues to helping them find what you’ve hidden.

DAY 2: READ A SPECIAL BOOK – Find a child’s illustrated book that sends a message of love and commit to reading it to your children every night, leading up to Valentine’s Day.  My favorite is the book LOVE YOU FOREVER by Robert Munsch and illustrated by Sheila McGraw.  It sends the message that I’ll always love you unconditionally, no matter how you behave and well into your adult years.

DAY 3: PLAN A PARTY – Help your child plan a V-Day party with all of their friends. For one activity at the party, provide a personalized mailbox (or bag) for each child. On blank slips of paper, have each child write down words that describe what they like about each of the other kids, one child per slip of paper. They will deposit them in each other’s’ mailboxes.

DAY 4: BE AFFECTIONATE WITH YOUR SIGNIFICANT OTHER – Teach your children about love by expressing love for your significant other in front of them. Children who have healthy models of affection around them are likely to recreate in their adulthood what they witnessed as children. When your significant other and you argue or fight in front of the children, be sure and let the kids see the two of you makeup.

DAY 5: SCHEDULE A DATE – Schedule a special Valentine date with each of your children. Put it on your calendar and tell your child so they will have something to look forward to. Scheduling in these dates ahead of time ensures they will happen. Then everything else that is less important can fill in around them. Why not schedule a date with your significant other as well?  Do this every Sunday night for the week to come.

DAY 6: FRAME A PICTURE OF THE TWO OF YOU – Take a picture of you and your child, frame it, and then give it to your child to put in his or her room on the dresser or night table.  If you have more than one child, create one for each of them.  For an older child, put a picture of the two of you in a locket that the child can wear.  This will also help calm a child who feels anxious when being away from the parent.

DAY 7: THE ENCOURAGEMENT FEAST – Use the ENCOURAGEMENT FEAST exercise with your family. Each person takes a turn in the center of the circle, facing each person who states one thing they love about the person in the center. Before the person in the center steps back into the circle, they must state one thing they love about them self. Then someone else steps into the circle. See the video http://bit.ly/xsueNx.

DAY 8: GIVE 100% OF YOUR ATTENTION – When your child approaches you to get your attention, stop what you’re doing, get to your child’s eye level, silence your mind-chatter, and remain completely quiet while your child speaks. Nothing feels better to a child (or an adult) who has something to say, than the sense of getting 100% of that adults attention in that moment.

DAY 9: MOVIE NIGHT – Have a movie night with your child(ren), complete with big pillows to snuggle up with and a big bowl of popcorn. The one difference in making this night special is that the movie being featured will be the home movies you have of your child(ren)!

DAY 10: CRAFT PROJECT – Using a family meeting, have everyone create a craft project that represents love to them.  Provide a wide selection of construction paper and craft supplies and allow your children to create whatever comes to mind.  Put the creations on display for everyone to see and enjoy, and photograph them to look at for many years to come.

DAY 11: SHARE HOW YOU LOVE YOURSELF – Create teachable moments with your child when they are open to learning, by explaining (and demonstrating) what you do to love yourself. This might be a tough exercise for some, but teaching a child to love himself starts by setting a healthy example they can see.

DAY 12: MAILBOXES – In a family meeting have everyone make and decorate a mailbox using any household craft items.  On slips of paper, have everyone write short love notes to everyone at the table as a practice run and then insert them in the appropriate mailboxes.  Have everyone hang their mailboxes on their bedroom door knobs for accepting mail whenever someone desires to write a note.

DAY 13 FIND OUT WHAT MAKES THEM FEEL LOVED – Ask your child what he likes others to do to or for him that makes him feel loved.  Dr. Gary Chapman, in his book THE FIVE LOVE LANGUAGES OF CHILDREN (Northfield Publishing, 1997), explains how each individual feels loved in different ways; receiving gifts, hearing words of affirmation, acts of kindness, or touch. Ask your child which one makes him feel loved.

DAY 14: COMPOSE A POEM FOR YOUR CHILD – Compose a poem about your child or describing how much you love her. Print if off on special preprinted paper with a border that can be purchased at office supply stores. Frame it and hang it on your child’s bedroom wall. You could even include the child’s picture or her foot or handprints if you had them done earlier. Sign it and read it to her nightly.

Bill Corbett has a degree in clinical psychology and is the author of the award winning book “Love, Limits, & Lessons: A Parent’s Guide to Raising Cooperative Kids,” in English and in Spanish.  He is a Massachusetts native, happily married with three grown children, three grandchildren, and three step children.  You can visit his Web site www.CooperativeKids.com for further information and parenting advice.

Helping Children to Transition Between Activities

I'm the author of the book LOVE, LIMITS & LESSONS: A PARENT'S GUIDE TO RAISING COOPERATIVE KIDS and I've been working with parents and teachers for a long time. How would you like to have some easy-to-implement tools in your parenting or teacher toolbox to help you gain your child's cooperation when you're in a rush or need to suddenly change gears? That's what you're about to learn in this episode of the COOPERATIVE KIDS PODCAST.

As a parent educator and behavior specialist, I spent over 25 years talking to parents about the things that frustrated them most about their kids. And it was easy for me to agree with them, having 3 children of my own who drove me absolutely crazy. The fact is that children don't naturally transition well, and parents need some strategies for helping them to do this. In this episode of the podcast, I'm speaking to a group of parents and teachers who invited me to offer advice on creating cooperative kids. Here are some solutions to helping children and teens to transition easier.

THE COOPERATIVE KIDS PODCAST

To summarize quickly, 3 techniques for helping children to transition between activities is to
provide as much advance notice as you can, have them help you set up rules before a segment begins, and use visual timers to help them see the passing of time. My favorite device can be found at www.timetimer.com. One last bonus tip is to create some motivation for a child to stop an activity and to want to follow your lead to the next. One day I couldn't get my son to stop an activity in the playroom and to put his shoes and get in the car. I suddenly had somewhere I had to go and I needed his full cooperation. I could have pulled the toy out of his hands and picked him up kicking and screaming and put him in the car, but no effective parent ever wants to do that. So in that moment, we needed to drive to a relatives home. I thought to myself, "what does my son really like about going to that home," and I remembered that he loves playing with his cousin. So getting to my son's eye level, I said in a very excited voice, "Hey buddy, we're going to your uncle's house and I bet Timmy is waiting right at the door for you to show up and play with him!" Instantly, he dropped the toy he was playing with, ran to get his shoes and coat on and off he ran to get into the car. What motivating factor can you come up with the next time you need your child to transition suddenly.

Thanks again for listening and please consider subscribing to the Cooperative Kids Podcast. All information in the podcast is the property of Bill Corbett and Cooperative Kids. Copyright 2023. All rights reserved. 

Montessori-Inspired Germ Activities Using Free Printables

By Deb Chitwood from Living Montessori Now

I have some helpful, free printables and activities for parents, teachers, and caregivers. Our new unit is a germ (and hygiene) unit! You'll also find a brand new germ pack for newsletter subscribers at LivingMontessoriNow.com!

You'll find many activities for preschoolers through first graders throughout the year 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 Germ-Themed Activities

Montessori Shelves with Germ-Themed Activities

You’ll find Montessori-inspired germ-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) 

Go to my Free Germ Printables and Montessori-Inspired Germ Activities post at Living Montessori Now for the free printables and activity ideas you see on the shelf and collage above!

Free Montessori-Inspired Germ Pack

Montessori-Inspired Germ 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).

More Hygiene and Medical Worker Printables and Activities

• Handwashing Activities for Kids – Free Songs and Lessons
• Fun with Handwashing + Handwashing Song by a 2 Year Old
• Montessori-Inspired Hygiene Lessons to Help Kids Stay Healthy
• Free Songs about Getting a Shot {Kids' Vaccination Resources}
• Free Medical Worker Printables and Montessori-Inspired Medical Worker Activities
• Free Doctor and Nurse Do-a-Dot Printables (Montessori-Inspired Phonics Instant Download)
• Free Medical Worker Cutting Strips (Montessori-Inspired Instant Downlaod)
• Free Ambulance Printables and Montessori-Inspired Ambulance Activities
• Free Dental Health Printables and Montessori-Inspired Dental Health Activities
• Free Dentist Do-a-Dot Phonics Printable (Montessori-Inspired Instant Download)
• The Ultimate Montessori-Inspired Dental Health Unit

Montessori-Inspired General Anatomy Activities

• Montessori-Inspired Skeleton Activities
• “All About Me” Free Printables and Activities for Back to School
• Free Skeleton Printables and Montessori-Inspired Skeleton Activities
• Hands-on Fun with Montessori-Inspired Human Skeleton Activities
• Free Brain and Growth Mindset Printables and Montessori-Inspired Brain Activities
• Brain Hemisphere Hat and Montessori Activities to Learn about Parts of the Brain
• Free Brain Cutting Strips (Montessori-Inspired Instant Download)
• Free Brain Do-a-Dot Printable (Montessori-Inspired Instant Download)
• Free Heart Printables and Montessori-Inspired Heart Activities {Human Heart and Valentine Hearts}
• Montessori-Inspired Heart and Circulatory System Activities
• Montessori-Inspired Heart Unit {Hundreds of Human Heart and Valentine Heart Resources}
• Free Heart and Valentine Do-a-Dot Printables (Montessori-Inspired Instant Downloads)
• The Best Heart Books for Kids {Human Heart, Love, and Valentine’s Day Books}
• Human Body Unit Study Pinterest Board

If you'd like ideas for calendar-based themes throughout January and February, see my January-Themed Activities for Kids and Feburary-Themed Activities for Kid

Be sure to go to my Free Germ Printables and Montessori-Inspired Germ Activities post at Living Montessori Now for lots of free printables and activity ideas!

 

I hope you have a happy, healthy 2023 :) 

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 47 years (and lives in the city where her kids, kids-in-law, and grandkids live). She blogs at Living Montessori Now.

Montessori-Inspired Snowy Day Activities Using Free Printables

By Deb Chitwood from Living Montessori Now

I love snow-themed activities in the winter regardless of the climate where I live. So I'm sharing our new snowy day unit today! You'll also find a brand new snowy day pack for newsletter subscribers at LivingMontessoriNow.com!

You'll find many activities for preschoolers through first graders throughout the year 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 Snowy Day Themed Activities

Montessori Shelves with Snowy Day Themed Activities

You’ll find Montessori-inspired snowy day 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) 

Go to my Free Snowy Day Printables and Montessori-Inspired Snowy Day Activities post at Living Montessori Now for the free printables and activity ideas you see on the shelf and collage above!

Free Montessori-Inspired Snowy Day Pack

Montessori-Inspired Snowy Day 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).

Snowperson Resources (and Posts with at Least One Snowperson Activity) 

• Free Snowperson Printables and Montessori-Inspired Snowperson Activities
• Free Snowman Printables and Montessori-Inspired Snowman Activities
• Free Winter Printables and Montessori-Inspired Winter Activities 
• Free Winter Songs and Rhymes for Circle Time
• Montessori-Inspired Snowman Color Activities Using Free Printables
• Montessori-Inspired Snowman Letter Activities Using Free Printables
• Montessori-Inspired Winter Activities
• Montessori-Inspired Winter Playdough Activities
• Free Winter Printables and Montessori-Inspired Winter Math Activities
• 25+ Snow-Themed Sensory Tubs
• Simple Snowman Sensory Bin {A Fun Way to Work on Essential Skills for Toddlers and Preschoolers
• Montessori-Inspired Winter Themes and Activities
• Teaching Toddlers about Winter with the Montessori 3-Period Lesson and Activities
• Free Snowflake Printables and Montessori-Inspired Snowflake Activities
• Montessori-Inspired Winter Activities with Spielgaben {Free Printables}
• Free Winter Playdough Math Pack (Montessori-Inspired Instant Download)
• Montessori-Inspired Playdough Math Activities for Winter {Free Printables}
• How to Prepare a Simple Winter Playdough Tray with Super-Soft Playdough
• Kids’ Winter Activities Pinterest Board.

More Winter Resources

• Free Winter Printables and Montessori-Inspired Winter Activities
• The Snowy Day Eggshell Crushing and Pin Poking Activity
• Montessori Winter Resources for Classroom or Home
• Montessori Winter Activities Printables for Preschool Through Elementary from Every Star Is Different
• Free Winter Songs and Rhymes for Circle Time
• Free Winter Songs and Educational Videos
• Free Winter Do-a-Dot Phonics Printable (Montessori-Inspired Instant Download)
• Montessori-Inspired Snowman Color Activities Using Free Printables
• Montessori-Inspired Snowman Letter Activities Using Free Printables
• Montessori-Inspired Winter Activities
• Montessori-Inspired Winter Playdough Activities
• Free Winter Printables and Montessori-Inspired Winter Math Activities
• 25+ Snow-Themed Sensory Tubs
• Simple Snowman Sensory Bin {A Fun Way to Work on Essential Skills for Toddlers and Preschoolers
• Free Snowman Printables and Montessori-Inspired Snowman Activities
• Montessori-Inspired Winter Themes and Activities
• Teaching Toddlers about Winter with the Montessori 3-Period Lesson and Activities
• Free Snowflake Printables and Montessori-Inspired Snowflake Activities
• Montessori-Inspired Winter Activities with Spielgaben {Free Printables}
• Free Winter Playdough Math Pack (Montessori-Inspired Instant Download)
• Montessori-Inspired Playdough Math Activities for Winter {Free Printables}
• How to Prepare a Simple Winter Playdough Tray with Super-Soft Playdough
• Kids’ Winter Activities Pinterest Board.

If you'd like ideas for calendar-based themes throughout December and January, see my December Themed Activities for Kids and January-Themed Activities for Kids.

Be sure to go to my Free Snowy Day Printables and Montessori-Inspired Snowy Day Activities post at Living Montessori Now for lots of free printables and activity ideas!

 

I hope you have a wonderful 2023 :)

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 47 years (and lives in the city where her kids, kids-in-law, and grandkids live). She blogs at Living Montessori Now.