One of my latest realizations about homeschooling is that being flexible and following my children's interests instead of my own agenda – with specific, traditional Montessori lessons, for example, is key to our success. So, with that acceptance, I took a step back, put my ego on the back burner, and observed my boys, which is why I've chosen to embrace Star Wars. I hope you enjoy these Montessori inspired activities with a Star Wars theme. We're kicking off our learning with Star Wars Math.
Star Wars Math
Materials
- Darth Vader Mask Outline
- Black Construction Paper or Cardstock
- Star Wars Light Sabres
- Die
- Piece of Felt or Mat
- Addition, Subtraction, and Equals signs
Approach
- Print out an outline of Darth Vader's mask from online
- Cut out three outlines from black paper & laminate
- Introduce the activity to the child with him sitting to your left
- Place a piece of felt in front of you with the three Darth Vader masks on the felt
- You or the child roll die
- Ask the chid to gather the number of light sabers that matches the roll & to place the light sabers onto the first Darth Vader mask
- Place the addition or subtraction sign after the first mask explaining that you're adding or subtracting and what that means
- Roll the die again & gather light sabers to match the next addend
- Then add (or subtract) light sabers to get the total amount
- Have the child physically place the two piles of light sabers together (or take from the left addend) following the equals sign
- Then have the child count for the answer
Extensions
- Use other objects
- Practice other math operations
- Count total lightsabers
- Sort lightsabers by color
- Skip counting
- Introduce place value to match Montessori color coding
More Math Activities
- Montessori Math Lessons
- Math Pattern Activity for Preschoolers
- Engineering Books for Children
- How to Encourage Early Math Skills
- Honeybee Pre-school Graphing Activity
- Graphing Activity for Preschoolers
- Children’s Books for Learning Math
- Helping Kids Develop Math Skills
- Preschool Math: Learning Numbers with Ten Frames
- Teaching Math with a Tape Measure
Have fun!
Marnie