Montessori-Inspired All About Me Activities Using Free Printables

By Deb Chitwood from Living Montessori Now

An "all about me" unit is perfect for the beginning of the school year! Our "all about me" unit has Montessori-inspired activities using free "all about me" printables along with a new Montessori-inspired all about me pack for subscribers to our free newsletter at Living Montessori Now!

You'll find many activities for preschoolers through early elementary throughout the year in my previous PreK + K Sharing posts. 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 page with lots and lots of free printables.

Disclosure: This post contains some affiliate links (at no cost to you).

Montessori Shelves with "All About Me" Themed Activities

Montessori Shelves with All About Me Themed Activities

You’ll find Montessori-inspired all about me themed numbers, letters, and more (part of my subscriber freebie pack, so just sign up for my newsletter to get the link and password … or check the bottom of your latest newsletter if you’re already a subscriber) 

 

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

Free Montessori-Inspired All About Me Pack

Montessori-Inspired All About Me 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 newsletter to get the link and password – or check your inbox if you’re already a subscriber). 

 Note: I also have a free Montessori-Inspired Me on the Map Pack and a free Montessori-Inspired Feelings Pack that are great for an "all about me" theme!

"All About Me" Activities - Geography

• Me on the Map Children's Books
• Free Me on the Map Printables and Montessori-Inspired Me on the Map Activities
• DIY Cosmic Nesting Boxes, Map Towers, and “Me on the Map” Activities (my roundup post)

"All About Me" Name Recognition Activities

• Montessori-Inspired Name Recognition Activities for Preschoolers (my roundup post)
• My Name Children's Books

"All About Me" Activities  - Feelings

• Free Feelings Printables for a Montessori-Inspired Emotions and Feelings Unit
• Favorite Books for an Emotions and Feelings Theme

"All about Me" Free Printables and Activities for Back to School

• First Day of School Children's Books
• "All About Me" Free Printables and Activities for Back to School

All of my back-to-school posts:

• Montessori-Inspired Kindergarten Readiness Activities
• Starting a Montessori Playgroup or Montessori Homeschool Co-op
• Start the School Year with a Celebration
• 30+ Free Printables for First Day of School Photos
• Grace and Courtesy for a New School Year
• How to Manage Interruptions in Your Montessori Classroom or Homeschool
• Montessori-Inspired Name Recognition Activities for Preschoolers
• 100+ Back-to-School Celebration Ideas
• Back-to-School Songs and Rhymes for Circle Time
• “All About Me” Free Printables and Activities for Back to School
• Free Kissing Hand Songs, Poems, and Videos to Ease Separation Anxiety
• Sweet Kissing Hand Craft with Handprint and Poem
• Free Raccoon Printables and Montessori-Inspired Raccoon Activities {Kissing Hand Unit}
• First Day of Montessori Photos {Free Printables – Instant Downloads}
• How to Have a Healthy and Courteous First-Day-of-School Tea Party
• Fun Shoe and Coat Tricks for Toddler and Preschooler Independence
• Fabulous First-Day-of-School and Back-to-School Free Printables and Activities
• How to Have a Healthy and Courteous Back-to-School Tea Party

Follow Deb @ Living Montessori Now's board Back to School on Pinterest. 

If you’d like ideas for calendar-based themes throughout July and August, see my July Themed Activities for Kids. and my August Themed Activities for Kids.

Be sure to go to my Free All About Me Printables and Montessori-Inspired Activities for lots of free printables and activity ideas.

 

I hope you have a great start to your school year!

  

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 51 years (and lives in the city where her kids, kids-in-law, and grandkids live).

September Songs - Keep the HAPPY Going!

Sticking your head to the floor - with bubblegum?

    Happy September to all from Miss Carole of Macaroni Soup!  By now some of the routines of school are humming, others are still being assimilated into the day.  The one thing that shouldn’t get lost in the mix is a commitment to keep the music flowing.  For some students, the little song or chant that you’ve put in their heads is a comfort.  For some it’s a joyful outburst!

Miss Chris is in bubblegum pink on the right!

   I recently saw a post on my FaceBook page from a teacher who’s been using my music for about 15 years.  Miss Chris – I’m talking about you!  Miss Chris’ classroom sings a lot. They move a lot. They’re really good learners!  In this case she posted, “Made it through the first week of preschool with our new favorite song, Sticky Bubblegum, Carole Stephens , we sang it today 3-times in a row! Can't wait to hear the next CD!!!”

   Why would Miss Chris sing the same song THREE TIMES IN A ROW? I’m guessing:

1. The kids said “Do it again!” when they finished.

2. They heard it the first time to get how it goes. They enjoyed it the second time because they now understood the pattern and words.

3. They did it the third time because they knew what to do and that’s truly when the fun kicks in!

Toe to nose?  Got it!

   


 SO, remember, just because YOU are tired of a song or activity, keep doing it.  Your typical preschooler needs to hear something 4-6 times before it is theirs and they can reproduce it with joy and abandon!  For K’s, that number is 2-5 times.  So even though you are thinking “I can’t do that song again” –

               Oh Yes You Can!

Clapping side to side!

   What’s the “Sticky Bubble Gum” song?  Well, aside from being the title track of my very first recording, “StickyBubble Gum …and Other Tasty Tunes”, it’s one of the all-time most popular songs I sing!  It’s a quick zipper song (same song over and over, just insert a new body part to stick to another body part!)  Learn it, and you can keep the class listening for what to do next.  Here’s my version:

STICKY BUBBLE GUM

Sticky sticky sticky bubble gum

Bubble gum, bubble gum.

Sticky sticky sticky bubble gum

Sticking my hands to my shoes – Un-STICK!

Sticky Bubble Gum lover!

       
                                                                        

    Sing it again (and again and again), changing what body part sticks to what.  I stick elbows to knees, toe to nose, hand to someone else’s hand, back to someone else’s back, and head to the floor.

HELPFUL HINT:  I always use “Head to the Floor” for my final verse.  The children know that when I do that, it’s the end. Final. Kaput!  Plus, while they are in that position – head stuck to the floor, I give them a direction for what to do when they Un-Stick!  Usually it’s “when you say ‘Un-Stick’, sit down criss-cross applesauce, eyes on me!”  This exit strategy means we’ll be ready to move on to the next activity in an orderly fashion.

sticking hands to shoes!

MOVEMENT:  Clap hands on the beat from one side to the other during this song.  Children whose brains are ready to do cross-lateral movement will, those that aren’t ready will clap directly in front of them.  Model where to stick their hands – to their shoes – and then pull hands off with a gleeful “UN-STICK!”

What’s next?  (That’s what my students usually ask!)  Well, you could do “The Wiggle Song” from last month’s blog.  OR a circle dance like “B-I-N-G-O”, from last month’s blog.  

OR how about a rhythmic chant?  First, ask if anyone has ever been camping?  Did they sleep in a sleeping bag?  Was there a tent?  What sounds did they hear? 
    This is a great time to practice taking turns by raising a hand to signal that a child has an idea.
    Take the first idea (unless it’s totally inappropriate, in which case you can suggest one to get things started.)  Hear the rhythm HERE, and it’s on my H.U.M.: Highly Usable Music cd.

Great howling!

THE SLEEPING BAG CHANT

I was lying in my sleeping bag

I couldn’t get to sleep

When the winds began to howl –

And the bugs began to creep

So I rolled to the left

And I rolled to the right

And I heard every sound that you hear at night!

Owls:  Hoo, Hoo, Hoo!

This is a scaffolding song.  Ask for another sound to add, 
start at the beginning and add the new sound, then do the last one, too!  Like this:

…And I heard every sound that you hear at night!

Bats:  Fl-ap, fl-ap, fl-ap!

Owls:  Hoo, Hoo, Hoo!

Urban students may hear traffic/car horns, people talking, etc.  Rural students may hear cows mooing or coyotes (even if they haven't ever heard a real one, it’s a favorite sound because kids love to howl!)

walking hands on legs

MOVEMENT:  Gently tap alternating hands on legs for the first 4 lines.  Then lean to the left, lean to the right, and go back to tapping for the last line, ending on “night!”

This chant can also be enjoyed with shakers – eggs, maracas, bottle shakers (check out my FB page for a video tutorial of how to make Bottle Shakers.)  But teach the chant several times before adding instruments.

Teachers practicing blowing bubbles!

Have a wonderful September.  I’ll be all over Illinois and Iowa, and in North Carolina, too!  Check my website Events Calendar to see if I’m coming to your state!  If not – why not?  Call me and we can talk about the possibilities for a Professional Development workshop, Family Concert of other event in your area!
   October? California here I come!
   November - Indianapolis!

Yours for a Song!

“Miss Carole” Stephens

Macaroni Soup! Active Music for Active Learners!
847-384-1404
carole@macaronisoup.com

Go Back To School SINGING!

Hi there!  I'm Miss Carole of Macaroni Soup, and it’s that time again!  Many students are already back in classrooms, and those that aren’t will be there soon.  Preschoolers and Kindergarteners look forward with anticipation, excitement and sometimes a little anxiety.  How do we make the first weeks less stressful and more engaging? 

                               MAKE MUSIC!

Children of all abilities enjoy the experience of making music – singing, dancing, and playing rhythm instruments.  It’s never wasted time!  

• Healthy social interaction and emotional connections made in those first weeks will last all year long.  
• Plus active participation in music is a great platform on which to build early literacy skills such as rhyme, pattern, sequence, vocabulary, and phonological awareness (that's the short list!)
• Children need to connect the neural pathways in their brains in multiple ways - Active Music provides yet another access point.

I love to put a simple little ditty such as “Back To School” into their heads.  It’s a positive message about school, and takes less than 15 seconds to sing!  It's also a steady beat - you can clap it joyfully as you're singing!

  

BACK TO SCHOOL!                           By C. Stephens c.2016

Back to school, back to school            

I’m so glad we’re back to school!

Learning something every day

School is where we learn and play!

Now what’s next?  Add something with motions that are easy to follow and repetitive.  A “zipper song” is perfect – the song repeats itself verse after verse, changing the motion each time.  Think “Old MacDonald Had a Farm” – the animal and animal’s sound changes but the song is basically the same.  

Here’s one of my favorites:

THE WIGGLE SONG

Tune:  “For He’s a Jolly Good Fellow”

My hands are starting to wiggle

My hands are starting to wiggle

My hands are starting to wig-gle

Around and around and around!

Easy, right?  Do what the song tells you to do, turning around in place on the last line.  Now sing it again with “foot”.  Next?  “Hips!”  Yup, it’s Elvis Time!  “Head” – sing it softer so that they do a gentler shaking of their heads.  It’s safer!  If you have space to really get the wiggles going, end with:

Now all of me is a-wiggle

Now all of me is a-wiggle

Now all of me is a-wig-gle

Around and around and around,

Sit down!

Need more help? You can hear a clip of this song on my "Sticky Bubble Gum" cd or on its' Song Of The Month page - HERE, where you'll find even more instructions.  

Next?  What could be more fun than singing the alphabet in different languages?  Um, I mean animal languages!  “There’s a Dog in School” by Bill Wellington is such fun, AND it’s also a zipper song.  Children will get the hang of it quickly.

What are we going to do?

THERE’S A DOG IN SCHOOL

(on my “H.U.M.” cd – listen to it HERE)

There’s a dog in school – OH NO!

What are we going to do?

As long as there’s a dog in school

He’ll have to learn his alphabet, too!

(woof the traditional ABC song – the whole thing!)

For motions – I put hands to cheeks, a la “Home Alone” face for “oh no!”  Questioning hands to sides for second line.  Waggle pointer finger for third line, and hands on hips for fourth line.  But you can make up your own motions, too!

    What other kind of animal could be in school?  Let the children make suggestions.  Be prepared for ALL kinds of animals beyond cats, ducks, etc.  Rabbits?  Let’s all HOP the alphabet!  Giraffes?  Well, I had to do a little research on this one!  The zoo docent told me that giraffes have a very long neck, but no vocal chords, so they can’t make a sound.  What do they do?  They nibble leaves off tall trees – one hand in the air making a mouth opening and closing, and sing the words “nibble nibble, nibble nibble, etc!

    Remember to change the gender of the animal, too – “She’ll have to learn her alphabet, too!” I’ve found that there are lots of male pronouns in music for children – cows, cats and more can be females!

B-I-N-G-O!

Now let’s get dancing!  A simple circle or partner dance will be just the thing.  Try “B-I-N-G-O!” for a great circle dance.  Hear it on my “H.U.M. – Highly UsableMusic”  recording, and check out the complete directions on the Song Of The Month page on my website HERE.  Be sure to do the "surprise ending!"

"Jump Jim Joe" - tap your toe!

OR teach “Jump Jim Joe” – a favorite partner dance for 4’s and older – or start with “The Muffin Man Dance” – for 3’s and younger.  Both were featured in my JANUARY 2015 blog – check it out!

Call it what you want – a brain break, energizer, arts exploration – music and movement are a must for developing healthy brains and bodies! 

              Have you had some music today?

Check out my AUGUST 2015 post for more Back-To-School musical ideas!

Yours for a Back-To-School Song!

"Miss Carole" Stephens

Macaroni Soup!  Active Music for Active Learners!

For information about professional development workshops, concerts and classroom visits contact Carole at 847-384-1404 or carole@macaronisoup.com.

Montessori-Inspired Raccoon Activities Using Free Printables {Kissing Hand Unit}

By Deb Chitwood from Living Montessori Now 

I love The Kissing Hand book and activities for helping young children (and their parents) cope with separation anxiety. So I've been preparing printables and activities for preschoolers, kindergartners, and first graders to go along with the book. 

You'll find lots of free raccoon printables in my Free Raccoon Printables and Montessori-Inspired Raccoon Activities {Kissing Hand Unit}. Here, I'm sharing some Montessori-inspired raccoon activities using free printables 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 affiliate links at no cost to you.

Raccoon Dice Roll (Quantity Game) Free Printable: Dice Roll (Quantity Game) from Kissing Hand Math and Literacy Stations by Kinderbabies at Teachers Pay Teachers 

For this activity, I used a large plastic tray from Montessori Services, a dice, and two glass gems for game pieces. 

This is a fun way for young children to get used to playing by game rules and counting dots on dice. If you wish, you could have children get an extra turn if they land on a spot with Chester and go back 2 spaces if they land on a spot with a tree stump. 

You could also make this a cooperative game by having one game piece that the children take turns moving until they reach the finish.  

DIY Raccoon Cards and Counters Free Printable: Raccoon 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) 

For this activity, I used a a Multicraft tray, 55 popcorn kernels, and a Bambu large condiment cup to hold the pieces. 


 

For our floor layouts, I always use a Montessori Services hemmed work rug. I like to lay out my numbers and counters in the traditional Montessori way of rows of two counters with a left-over counter centered below the bottom row. This gives a visual impression of odd and even. 

For more about creating DIY numbers and counters and a link on how to present the lesson, check out my DIY Cards and Counters post.  

Raccoon Addition Roll and Cover Game (or Number Recognition Game) Free Printable: Raccoon Number Recognition or Addition Roll and Cover Games by Herding Kats in Kindergarten at Teachers Pay Teachers 

For this activity, I used a large plastic tray from Montessori Services, two dice, and enough glass gems to cover the numbers. I used ones that could be seen through so the numbers would still be visible. 

In this printable, you'll find options for number recognition, addition with 2 dice, and addition with 3 dice.  

Raccoon Name Recognition Puzzle Free Printable: Blank Card from Raccoon 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) 

For this activity, I used a Montessori Services basket, printable with name printed twice and bottom name cut into puzzle pieces (strips), and a small Bambu condiment cup to hold the puzzle pieces. 

This just took a few minutes to prepare! It's a simple activity to help young children learn to recognize their name. This particular printable would only work best with a name of 5 letters or less.  

For beginning letter sound activities using my subscriber freebie pack, check out my phonics ideas from previous months. Raccoon Rhyming Match-Up Free Printable: Back to School Raccoon Rhyming Match-up by Herding Kats in Kindergarten at Teachers Pay Teachers 

I used small tabletop easels for this activity to make it very easy to prepare and display. I simply placed the easels with the cards on a Montessori Services medium-size tray. I use 1/4" color coding label dots to place one color dot on the back of each of the first set of cards and another color dot on the back of each of the second set of cards. That way the child will always have the correct rhyming cards to choose from.  

Raccoon Phonogram Sorting Activity Free Printable: Raccoon Digraph Sorting Activity by Nicole O’Connor – Firstie Favorites at Teachers Pay Teachers 

 For this activity, I just used a Montessori Services basket to hold the cards. I used 3 cards for each to use only the simplest word cards. I wanted to isolate the concept, so I tried to have simple words that started with a specific phonogram.  

More Free Raccoon Printables  

Go to my post at Living Montessori Now for links to free raccoon printables (and Chester raccoon) printables from around the blogosphere: Free Raccoon Printables and Montessori-Inspired Raccoon Activities {Kissing Hand Unit}. 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.

Helpful Post with Animal Classification

Montessori Animal Classification

More Kissing Hand Posts at Living Montessori Now

Free Kissing Hand Songs, Poems, & Videos to Ease Separation Anxiety Free Kissing Hand Craft with Handprint and Poem

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!

I hope you have a great school year! :)
 

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