Montessori-Inspired Colors and Diversity Activities Using Free Printables

By Deb Chitwood from Living Montessori Now

I have some new printables and activities to welcome spring! Instead of the more traditional color mixing and rainbow activities, though, I'm featuring colors and diversity. There's also a colors and diversity themed 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 Colors and Diversity Themed Activities

Montessori Shelves with Colors and Diversity Themed Activities

You’ll find Montessori-inspired colors and diversity 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 Colors & Diversity Printables and Montessori-Inspired Colors & Diversity Activities post at Living Montessori Now for the free printables and activity ideas you see on the shelf and collage above!

Free Montessori-Inspired Colors and Diversity Pack

Montessori-Inspired Colors and Diversity 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).

Color Mixing and Rainbow Activities 

• Montessori Color Mixing Activities – Rainbows of Color
• Montessori-Inspired Rainbow Activities
• DIY Color Tablets
• Water-Bead Sensory Bottles for Babies, Toddlers, and Preschoolers
• Easter Egg Rainbow Practical Life and Sensorial Activity
• Montessori-Inspired Rainbow Activities with Spielgaben {Free Printables}
• Free Rainbow Printables and Montessori-Inspired Rainbow Activities
• Montessori-Inspired Mess-Free Finger Painting and Color Mixing
• Free Eat-a-Rainbow Printables and Montessori-Inspired Activities
• Free Fruit Rainbow Do-a-Dot Printable (Montessori-Inspired Instant Download
• Free Eat-a-Rainbow Cutting Strips (Montessori-Inspired Instant Download)
• Rainbow Unit Study Pinterest Board

More Multicultural Color Resources

• Montessori-Inspired Respect for Diversity
• Montessori Inspiration for Martin Luther King Day
• Free Martin Luther King Day Songs and Rhymes for Circle Time
• Free Chinese New Year Songs and Rhymes for Circle Time
• Free Cinco de Mayo Songs and Rhymes for Circle Time
• Equality and Peace Resources for Parents and Teachers
• The Snowy Day Eggshell Crushing and Pin-Poking Activity
• Promote Peace with Holidays Around the World Resources
• The Best Peace Books for Kids
• Free Multicultural Songs Celebrating Diversity and Inclusion {Character Education Resources}
• Multicultural Children’s Book Day Review: If a Caterpillar Can Fly, Why Can’t I?
• Multicultural Children’s Book Day Review: Midnight Teacher: Lilly Ann Granderson and Her Secret School
• Does Your Preschooler Have This Fabulous Multicultural Children’s Book?
• Multicultural Children’s Book Day Review: B Is for Breathe: The ABCs of Coping with Fussy and Frustrating Feelings
• Anti-Racism Resources for Parents and Teachers
• Free Juneteenth Songs and Educational Videos
• Free Black History Printables and Montessori-Inspired Black History Activities
• Multicultural Children’s Book Day Review: The Switch (The Misadventures of Tarah and Darah)
• Favorite Black History Books for Kids
• Free Family Do-a-Dot Phonics Printable (Montessori-Inspired Instant Download)
• Free Black Family Cutting Strips (Montessori-Inspired Instant Download)
• Free Black History Songs and Educational Videos for Kids
• Multicultural Education Pinterest Board

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

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

 

Happy soon-to-be-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 46 years (and lives in the city where her kids, kids-in-law, and grandkids live). She blogs at Living Montessori Now.

Montessori-Inspired Black History Activities Using Free Printables

By Deb Chitwood from Living Montessori Now

February is Black History Month. Whether you observe Black History Month or like to feature Black history books and activities throughout the year, you'll find lots of helpful resources in our current Black history unit. You'll also find a Black history themed newsletter 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 Black History Themed Activities

Montessori Shelves with Black History Themed Activities

You’ll find Montessori-inspired Black history 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 Black History Printables and Montessori-Inspired Black History Activities post at Living Montessori Now for the free printables and activity ideas you see on the shelf and collage above!

Free Montessori-Inspired Black History Pack

Montessori-Inspired Black History 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).

Free Montessori-Inspired Black History Pack

 Montessori-Inspired Black History 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).

Multicultural Resources and Activities That Include Topics Relevant to Black History

• Montessori-Inspired Respect for Diversity
• Montessori Inspiration for Martin Luther King Day
• Free Kwanzaa Songs and Rhymes for Circle Time
• Free Martin Luther King Day Songs and Rhymes for Circle Time
• Equality and Peace Resources for Parents and Teachers
• The Snowy Day Eggshell Crushing and Pin-Poking Activity
• Promote Peace with Holidays Around the World Resources
• The Best Peace Books for Kids
• Free Multicultural Songs Celebrating Diversity and Inclusion {Character Education Resources}
• Multicultural Children’s Book Day Review: If a Caterpillar Can Fly, Why Can’t I?
• Multicultural Children’s Book Day Review: Midnight Teacher: Lilly Ann Granderson and Her Secret School
• Does Your Preschooler Have This Fabulous Multicultural Children’s Book?
• Best Martin Luther King Jr. Quotes
• Multicultural Children’s Book Day Review: B Is for Breathe: The ABCs of Coping with Fussy and Frustrating Feelings
• Anti-Racism Resources for Parents and Teachers
• Free Juneteenth Songs and Educational Videos,
• Multicultural Education Pinterest Board

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

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

 

I hope you find these helpful :) 

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

Las Posadas: A Mexican Christmas Celebration

Hi! I'm Ayn and I am a Ga. Pre-K teacher, serving 4 and 5 year olds in an inclusive setting. I share my classroom adventures on my blog, little illuminations. 

      ***This post contains affiliate links for your convenience. Little Illuminations is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program.***

The holidays are a great time to learn about a variety of cultures! One of the many holidays from around the world my Pre-K class will learn about in the coming weeks will be Las Posadas, a Mexican Christmas celebration. My Sunday School class learned a little about Las Posadas this week, and I thought I would share some of the fun we had with you!

Las Posadas is a nine day celebration (nine days to represent the nine months Mary carried Jesus). During that time, families take turns  each night re-enacting the Christmas story in their homes to symbolize  Mary and Joseph's journey to Bethlehem. Two family members dress up as Mary and Joseph, and the home is the "inn". A procession follows Mary and Joseph to the "inn" and when the innkeeper lets them in, the procession follows and the guests come in to kneel and pray in front of the nativity scene. At the end of the journey, Christmas carols are sung and often children take turns to try to break a pinata filled with treats.

In our church this year, families will take turns to host statues of Mary and Joseph, each night staying at a different home. This week, our Sunday School class read Tomie dePaola's "The Night of Las Posadas". 

We then made Mary, Joseph and burro statues from clay. The children were very creative making their statues! We listened to multicultural holiday music as we worked. It was a lovely way to explore the holiday traditions of another culture.

We also talked about some of the German Christmas traditions and had a little German holiday snack!

The holidays are such a great time to enjoy traditions from all over.  Kindness, joy and and love are universal, no matter which country or faith you hail from. I hope however you celebrate this winter, that your holidays are merry and bright!

 Stop by and visit me anytime at littleilluminations.blogspot.com or visit the little illuminations fanpage on facebook! And be sure to check out PreK+K Sharing EEE!

MULTICULTURAL CHILDREN’S BOOK DAY – THE LIONS OF GIR

#ReadYourWorld: Celebrating Children, Diversity and Humanity

“Our mission is to not only raise awareness for the kid’s books that celebrate diversity, but to get more of these of books into classrooms and libraries.”

Hello, everyone. Ms. Brigid here, from Merit School of Music  in Chicago, IL. Thank you for joining me. I’m starting off 2015 by promoting books and multicultural literacy through the 2^nd annual Multicultural Children’s Book Day (MCCBD), #ReadYourWorld.

Co-founders Valerie Budayr from Jump Into a Book, and Mia Wenjen, from Pragmatic Mom write, “Despite census data that shows 37% of the US population consists of people of color, only 10% of children’s books published have diversity content. (We’re) on a mission to change all of that….to not only raise awareness for the kid’s books that celebrate diversity, but to get more of these types of books into classrooms and libraries....Our young readers need to see themselves within the pages of a book and experience other cultures, languages, traditions and religions within the pages of a book.” 

Young readers won’t find access to these books, however without adult help – from parents, caregivers, teachers, librarians and booklovers - and bloggers! That’s where I come in. I’m one of over 150 bloggers writing posts on a multicultural book this month! On January 27, 2015, all contributing bloggers – and their book reviews – will be linked together on the MCCBD site for a multi-faceted gala reveal.

MCCBD is also partnering with First Book to create a Virtual Book Drive for the event, and with The Children’s Book Council to offer readers quality resources. Be there or be ☐. No worries, however, the resource will be archived on the MCCBD website for all eternity…or until the internet ends, whichever comes first!

I was delighted to be matched with Meera Sriram, an author born and raised in India, now living in the U.S. In our introductory emails, Meera wrote, “When I decided to follow my heart and start writing for children, I really wanted to address the void in the children's literature scene in India. I now have four books published in India.” The book she chose to share was Dinaben and the Lions of Gir, co-authored by Praba Ram. http://www.tulikabooksusa.com/Dinaben-and-the-Lions-of-Gir-978-81-8146-761-4.htm.

The book opens a window into the world of the Maldhari community of Gujarat, India, some of who live in the Gir Forest. A bit of backstory may be helpful: The Gir Forest is famous for being sole remaining habitat for the Asiatic lion, and the Gir Forest National Park  and Wildlife Sanctuary were established for their protection. No human activity is allowed in the National Park, and only the Maldhari, famous for their dairy farming, are allowed to graze their cattle in the adjacent Wildlife Sanctuary. The Maldhari and the lions have coexisted for centuries, but the existence of both is challenged by other complex issues. 

 

In the first part of the book, the reader is introduced to Dinaben and the world she occupies. Standing in her house between suspended silver-colored water vessels, the richness of her clothing, and the textiles of other Maldharis shown on the next page, stands in stark contrast to a modest way of life.

Dinaben’s village is in the middle of the Gir Forest, home to a vast array of plants, birds and animals – including lions! The domestic cows and buffalos of the villagers also graze in the Gir. This can cause problems: “Sometimes, there are accidents among animals and humans. Generally, the Maldharis do not trouble the animals in the forest. They are busy with their work.”

The last part of the book looks closer at what Dinaben does during her day whlle her husband is busy with their cattle.  

Dinaben also is responsible for churning butter, making curd from milk, and making ghee, similar to clarified butter.  Her husband, as is the custom, takes these products to sell.  The book ends, "The Gir is Dinaben's home. It also belongs to the lions. So, let us help protect the forest."

What I liked:

-The book sheds light on a part of the world and a way of life very different than what is generally known in the U.S. It is also shows how rural people live and work (dairy farming) in relatable terms for young children – with the additional bonus of lions in the neighborhood! 

-The book’s photos document a wide variety of animals and birds, most of them uncommon to North America.

-Text is straight-forward and bi-lingual. The book I received had Tamil and English text, but is available in multiple languages, including Hindi, Telugu, Gujarati, and others.

-Many pages include a charming line drawing of a playful young lion, which adds a touch of whimsy to an otherwise strict, non-fiction presentation.

-The “More about lions” at the end of the book, offers kid-friendly information on lions in general, and clearly describes the differences between Asiatic and African Lions.

What I would have liked:

-More connection between the two stories.

-The development of a clearer message. The ending, “….let us help protect the forest.” gives no clear directive or action plan.

-People-animal conflict is alluded to, but in vague terms. The photos could better support the text, “Sometimes, there are accidents among animals and humans.” I can imagine the authors wanting to be sensitive on this subject, given that the book is written for children 4+-6 years old. More information for the adult reader (me) would have been helpful, perhaps as an afterword. That being said, the book is written for children living in India, so perhaps the adults reading it there are already well informed about Gir, the lions, and the Maldhari, in a way that I wasn’t.

-More, and larger photos of Dinaben and Maldhari life. Captions of what is portrayed would have been helpful.  

-I would like to know more about Dinaben – how she felt about her life, the lions, or what gave her pleasure.

After I finished reading the book, I wondered about what Dinaben wondered, e.g., what did she think about her family, her life, and the lions. What inspired her exquisite textile work? It also made me curious about the Asiatic lions, the Maldhari, and the resettlement of families that took place when the preserve was created. I spent hours searching the internet for articles and images on both subjects. Final verdict: The book made me care about Dinaben and prompted me to go on a further journey. I would share it with young children.

Connections:

Many ideas for pre-K and K family and classroom connections come to mind. Some of the following activities were suggested by my friend, Allison Ashley, who teaches at Covenant Nursery School.

1.    Make butter.

2.    Bring in ghee – widely available in grocery stores – and serve it with crackers.

3.    Explore lion lore, using the book’s  “More about lions” pages. Play Saint Saen’s “The Royal March of the Lion”  from Carnival of the Animals, and invite the children to move like lions, with the occasional “roar” thrown in.

4.    Provide paper, glue, and brightly colored tissue paper for children to make their own artwork inspired by Dinaben’s appliqué and stitched textile. Talk about geometric and organic shapes, repeated patterns. Invite the children to include family pets in their compositions.

5.    Share Indian “nursery rhymes” or simple songs. Mama Lisa’s World is a great place to start.

Day by day, more bloggers are publishing their reviews, which can be found on MCCBD ‘s Twitter (https://twitter.com/MCChildsBookDay) or Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/MulticulturalChildrensBookDay). These links will not work if you do not have an account. More information can be found on MCCBD’s paper.li, https://paper.li/MCChildsBookDay/1419776073#, an intriguing, new (yes, another new thing) social media platform.

Multicultural Children’s Books Day would not be possible without the help of MCCBD’s 2015 Sponsors:                                                                                          

• Platinum Sponsors: Wisdom Tales Press, Daybreak Press Global Bookshop, 
• Gold Sponsors:  Satya House,  MulticulturalKids.com,  Author Stephen Hodges and the Magic Poof,                                                                                                             
• Silver Sponsors: Junior Library Guild, Capstone Publishing, Lee and Low Books,  The Omnibus Publishing.                                                                                 
• Bronze Sponsors: Double Dutch Dolls, Bliss Group Books, Snuggle with Picture Books Publishing,  Rainbow Books, Author FeliciaCapers, Chronicle Books,  Muslim Writers Publishing,  East West  Discovery Press.

I am continually inspired by The Children’s Music Network (CMN) community. an international group of socially conscious musicians, educators, librarians, families, songwriters and good people, who “celebrate the positive power of music in the lives of children by sharing songs, exchanging ideas, and creating community.” Please visit CMN, and find a gathering in your region.

©2015 Brigid Finucane  * 847-213-0713 * gardengoddess1@comcast.net

http://prekandksharing.blogspot.com

http://brigidfinucane.blogspot.com

@booksinger1

BLOG HISTORY

Dec.2014. Singing a Storybook – Wintertime / A Winter’s Tale

Nov. 2014. Singing a Story – The Magic of Musical Books: Part II

Oct.2104. Singing a Story – The Magic of Musical Books: Part I

Sept. 2014. Educators Who Care, Share. Singers, Sites & Songs from the Heartland Part III: From the Midwest & Great Lakes Regions (Listening Locally)

Aug. 2014. Educators Who Care, Share. Singers, Sites & Songs – Part II: Midwest & Great Lakes (Listening Locally)          

July 2014. Educators Who Care, Share. Singers, Sites & Songs Part I: Midwest & Ontario (Listening Locally)

June 2014. Garden Lessons, Typographic Art Apps and Thank You Notes

May 2014. Spring! Songs, Chants & Apps to Welcome the Season

April 2014. Part II. Dancing, Singing & Drawing Legato and Staccato

March 2014. Part I. From “Hush Little Baby” to Yo-Yo Ma – Using Books, Apps and YouTube Videos to Introduce Legato and Staccato

Feb.2014. Pete Seeger – A Time to Thank

Jan.2014. Gung Hay Fat Choy! Stories, Books & Apps to Celebrate the Chinese New Year

Dec.2013. Singing Time! Embracing Appadiction

Celebrating Diversity With Chinese New Year Activities

Hello again and Gung Hay Fat Choy, or Happy Chinese New Year! It's Ayn from little illuminations! 

If you know me or read my blog, little illuminations, you know that we celebrate diversity in my pre-k classroom. I try to include a variety of cultural celebrations throughout the year, especially those celebrated by my students. Sometimes it seems hard to present information on holidays that you personally don't celebrate, but even a few small activities can help every student feel included, special and important.

I usually touch on Chinese New Year in my class, but since we have a couple of Asian students in our Pre-K group this year, I'm giving it a little more attention. I had planned on several activities, but the children have really been interested in learning more so we keep finding fun ways to learn about this holiday!

Chinese New Year begins on February 10th this year and lasts for 15 days. Each year is named for one of the 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac. 2013 is the Year of the Snake.

Today I'm sharing some of the fun things we've done so far. There is still so much more fun ahead! On Friday, one of our class moms will bring the traditional costumes for both boys and girls for us to see, share some of the traditional holiday customs and also make Chinese dumplings for us to taste! We are very excited!

These Chinese lanterns are fun to make, great practice for cutting skills and make lovely decorations!

We are using kabob skewers as improvised chopsticks and practicing our chopstick skills by picking up pom poms. I thought the children would tire of this quickly, but even after a few days, it remains a popular free choice activity!

I was making one or two of these firecrackers to decorate a bulletin board and the kids jumped right in and started making tons of these! We just used small rectangles of red paper and made designs with markers and added a little white pipe cleaner for a fuse.

I made this little snake as a prop for one of our class discussions.

Later, some of the kids made some of their own snakes in art center.

They have also made a few dragons.

We've also been reading some great books about celebrating Chinese New Year. Here are a few of our favorites:

 

Be sure to stop by little illuminations next week for more of our Chinese New Year Activities! We will be making dragon puppets, paper fortune cookies (and writing our own fortunes!) and having a dragon parade! See you there!

Gung Hay Fat Choy!!!  

Stop by and visit me anytime at littleilluminations.blogspot.com or visit the little illuminations fanpage on facebook! And be sure to check out PreK+K Sharing EEE!