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2 Unique Hands-On Montessori Geography Activities with Kids

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I often find that the best, most successful Montessori learning activities created in our home happen organically and are led by my kids. These hands-on Montessori geography activities are a great example. These activities are easily implemented and repeatable in your home and classroom.

 

How to Teach Montessori Geography

Montessori Geography Activities with Kids

Continent Animal Match

One of my favorite new books is Montessori: Map Work. The pages are full of texture and color that draws children into the content. There are animals on each continent's colorfully illustrated page so I grabbed the globe and our animal figurines.

Animal Map Match Activity

The activity is simple. You have your book and your figurines. Invite the children to read and explore the book. After we read the book, we sang the Continents song to review the geography. Place a basket of animals onto the children's workspace. I can almost guarantee that the children will begin to match the animals to their respective continent. If not, demonstrate for them.  Then pull the globe, or a map, out to locate the continent on the globe.

Country Currency Match

Currency Continent Match

Materials required for this activity are simple but can be tricky to find foreign currency. Luckily between me and my husband we had collected ample supply over the years. My sons and I took a close look at the currency. We talked about the icons and the landmarks. Then we located the country on our globe.

Geography Activity Kindergarten

Currency Matching Game

This geography activity is perfect for the younger crowd. We have many duplicate foreign bills and coins. My 3.5 year old began to match and sort them before I could even suggest it. This activity also presents another opportunity to examine the currency to learn icons and landmarks of countries from around the world. I was also to introduce the concept of foreign exchange to my sons. The idea that one currency's value differs from another currency's value invited many questions. The topic is quite abstract for them but we'll keep at it!

Currency Matching

Resources Used in this Post

Montessori Geography Rock Activity for Kids

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Okay, it's official. I am not only obsessed with Montessori geography but I am also obsessed with rocks and minerals. This post highlights a fun preschool geography matching activity with rocks and landmarks. In Montessori, geography includes physical (like learning about landforms) and culture. This activity falls into both areas within geography.

Rocks Landmark Matching Collage

Montessori-Inspired Geography Rock Activity for Rocks

The Montessori-inspired activity is simple: Matching a landmark to the rock with which it was constructed. 

Materials – Preschool Geography Rock Activity

world landmarks

Approach – Preschool Geography Rock Activity

  • Invite your child to do the activity
  • Review parts of the earth & types of rocks
  • Review landmarks via cards and/or mini replicas
  • Invite the child to match the mini replica and the image
  • Ask questions & explain the background on the landmarks (e.g. how were these structures built)
  • With the child, match the structure with the type of rock from which it was made
  • Bring out a globe and locate the area in which these landmarks are found, speaking specifically about what type of rock is found where and why
  • Encourage the child to do the activity on his own

MontessoriPlaySpace

I hope we inspired you today!

Marnie

 

Easy & Fun Red Poppy Craft & Other Activities for Remembrance Day

By Filed Under: Activities Tagged With: , , , , This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure for more info.

This post shares a fun & easy Red Poppy Craft and other wonderful Remembrance, Memorial Day, & Veterans Day activities with Kids. Includes key language (with a free printable), an art activity, and a listening exercise.

Beautiful Red Poppy Craft for Kids

We cherish too, the Poppy red
That grows on fields where valor led,
It seems to signal to the skies
That blood of heroes never dies.

Facts about Memorial Day

This poem was written in 1915 by a woman, a historian & a professor, named Moina Michael. She later became known as the “Poppy Lady” as this beautiful flower came to be known as a symbol of Memorial Day to honor those men and women who died serving the country. Other Memorial Day facts for children:

  • Memorial Day was officially proclaimed on 5 May 1868.
  • The first state to officially recognize the holiday was New York in 1873.
  • The day is celebrated in almost every State on the last Monday in May.

Listening Exercise for Remembrance Day

“Taps” is often heard at Memorial Day celebrations. It is a musical piece sounded at dusk, and at funerals, particularly by the U.S. military. It is sounded during flag ceremonies and funerals, generally on bugle or trumpet, and often at Boy Scout, Girl Scout and Girl Guide meetings and camps. (Source: Wikipedia)

  1. Play Taps
  2. Ask the children if they can name the instrument
  3. Ask the children how they felt listening to the tune
  4. Ask the children to close their eyes and play Taps again
  5. Give background on the connection between Taps and Memorial Day

 {Click on the image to hear the bugle playing Taps}

{Source: Wikipedia}

{Source: Wikipedia}

Remembrance Day Language

Holidays gives the opportunity to introduce language to children. Below are a few key vocabulary words that may be of interest to you for your home and your classroom.  I also created Memorial Day language cards for your FREE use.

  • Freedom: the power or right to act, speak, or think as one wants without hindrance or restraint
  • Courage: the ability to do something that frightens one
  • Honor: high respect; esteem
  • Remembrance: the action of remembering something
  • Flag: a piece of cloth or similar material, typically oblong or square, attachable by one edge to a pole or rope and used as the symbol or emblem of a country or institution or as a decoration during public festivities.
  • Military: the armed forces of a country
  • Half-Staff Position: The position about halfway up a mast or pole at which a flag is flown as a symbol of mourning and remembrance
  • Salute: a gesture of respect, homage, or polite recognition or acknowledgment, especially one made to or by a person when arriving or departing.
  • Parade: a public procession, especially one celebrating a special day or event and including marching bands and floats.
  • Soldier: a person who serves in an army
  • Taps: a bugle call for lights to be put out in army quarters, a bugle call sounded at a military funeral

 

Red Poppy Craft for Kids

Memorial Day Red Poppy Craft

Inspired by My Crazy Simple Life, this Memorial Day activity is great for at home or in the classroom.

Red Poppy Craft for Kids

Red Poppy Craft Materials

  • Glue Stick
  • Scissors
  • Red & Black Construction Paper (Red for tearing for petals & small black square for center)
  • Card Stock or Construction Paper for Mounting (we used blue to represent the sky)
  • Marker for stem & other decorating
  • Outline of Poppy Flower {I printed off the one on My Crazy Simple Life‘s post}
  • Tape
  • Pin Poke (optional)

 

pin_poke_poppy_feature

Steps to Making the Red Poppy Craft

I invited the children to pin poke the center (the pistol and the stamen) of the poppy flower outline. Pin poking is a great fine motor exercise.

Red Poppy Craft for Kids

  1. Carefully remove or push the center of the poppy out
  2. Flip the paper over and tape a small square of black construction paper over the hole for the center
  3. Flip over & point out the center to the children
  4. Invite the children to tear the red construction paper & to place the red pieces onto the petals using a glue stick. Tearing is a great fine motor and auditory exercise.

Red Poppy Craft for Kids

  • Once the child has placed the red pieces for the petals, flip over and cut along the black outline
  • Glue onto card stock or other paper
  • Create scene if the children desire by adding a stem, roots, etc.

Red Poppy Craft for Kids

Display proudly!

I hope we inspired you today!
Marnie

Children’s Books about Chinese Culture

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Last week our newest family member arrived into our home. We welcomed an au pair from China with open arms. There are many reasons why we're excited for the next year with Minjie. Most of all, I am looking forward to bringing Chinese culture into our life.  

chinese children's books collage

I prepared my boys (age 3 and 4) with a few items from China for them to explore such as the flag and Chinese currency.  We also brought home many Children's Books about China to learn Chinese tales and tradition. Here are a few of our favorites.

Children's Books about China

Children's Books about Chinese Culture Bamboo by Paul Yee

This story is lovely. It is a simple story, a long-ago Chinese folktale, about love and acceptance. A newlywed couple, Ming and Bamboo, life together starts with a smile in a market and bamboo seedlings on their wedding day. After a series of unfortunate events, the bamboo saves them from hardship in many ways.  My boys asked many questions about the relationship between Ming and her sister-in-law and the magic of the bamboo. The questions were good and provoked healthy discussion about kindness and fortune. 

Children's Books about Chinese Culture - What the Rat Told Me

What the Rat Told Me by Marie Sellier

I adore this book. This book tells the story of a Great Emperor who invites all the animals to visit him at Jade Mountain. The twelve animals that come to Jade Mountain are the twelve signs of the Chinese Zodiac.  The illustrations are beautiful. The guide in the end of the book is also particularly helpful in learning the animals, Chinese symbols and characters, and the years associating with the signs.

Children's Books about China

The Year of the Horse: Tales from the Chinese Zodiac by Oliver Chin

This book is part of a series by Oliver Chin and Jennifer Wood. 2014 is the Year of the Horse so I chose this particular one to be on our list. The illustrations are a little goofy but children like them a lot. Plus there is a lot of learning to be had within the pages.

Kitchen God by Kim Xion

Kitchen God is a traditional Chinese legend that tells the tale of a Kitchen God who watches over a family and reports their behavior to the Jade Emperor. His eyes are always watching them for better or for worse. The illustrations are inviting to children and the story always makes a child smile and ask questions.

Thanks for reading!
Marnie

Montessori Art for Continent Studies

By Filed Under: Montessori, Science Tagged With: , , , This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure for more info.

This post includes lots of great Montessori Art for Continent Studies ideas! Part of my Montessori Art Album required brainstorming a list of Art ideas that would extend into continent studies. Montessori Art is very much about the process rather than the outcome. I was thrilled to be “forced” to spend time thinking about the art, culture & history of other countries. These ideas could not be extensions.

So, a landform made from clay would not suffice or a flag created from feathers (although I will include these ideas too!). I appreciated that challenge to find Art from around the world.  Not surprisingly much of this art lands in several other areas of the Montessori classroom.

Earth Day Resist Painting

Montessori Art for Continent Studies

Below are a few Montessori Art ideas covering North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia and, yes, even Antarctica (that was a real challenge!). Have fun!

process_art

 

North America

  1. Dream Catcher from Twigs, Yarn, Feathers, and Beads (Source: KinderArt)
  2. Orca Whale Activity with Black Orca Cut Outs, White Chalk, Foil, Paint Glue & Glitter (Source: Teacher Tom)
  3. Wampum Weaving with beads and twine (See There's a Dragon in my Art Room for an excellent tutorial)
  4. Mexican Folk Art of Tooling with aluminum foil, clay carving tools, markers, pencils, wire, beads for hanging & display  (Source: KinderArt)
  5. Mexican Flag with Feathers

Cinco de Mayo Preschool Activity

 

South America

  1. La Boca House Collage (Source: Art Projects for Kids)
  2. Mosaic Tiles: Each child creates a tile, then piece together to make a large mural
  3. MaCaw Painting & Collage: Provide child with images of the colorful MaCaw’s, then encourage him to create his own with paint, glue and feathers
  4. Inca Decorative Clay Statues
  5. Yarn Quipu (Source: Victoria Restrepo)

Europe

  1. Celtic Design with 12 Circles Paper Weave (get a template for the child to outline with paper or for an older child allow him to “copy” the design, child can cut own shapes or these shapes can be pre-cut)
  2. Monet Art with Tempera Paint, Paper Plate & Q-Tips / Eiffel Tower Pointillism
  3. Sponge Painting Rainbow Art (Source: Hands On As We Grow)
  4. Shamrock Resist Art
  5. Miro Watercolor Art with Fine Tip Pens (Source: Elementary Art Stars)
  6. Celtic Playdough Knots

Asia

  1. Indian Flag with glue, lentils, split peas and rice (Source: Kid World Citizen)
  2. Create your own Dragon for Chinese New Year from yarn, various shapes created by child in various colors of construction paper
  3. Single Colored Mandala and/or Rangoli Designs (Source: The Golden Gleam)
  4. Asia Elephant Art with foil, glue, cardboard and paint (Source: Kid World Citizen)
  5. Diwali Plates with doilies and miscellaneous craft materials on a “metal” plastic plate (Source: Kid World Citizen)
  6. Asian Scroll using Printmaking, Chalk Pastels and Watercolors

Africa

  1. Maasai Necklaces with Paper Plates
  2. African Savanna Animal Resist Watercolor Painting
  3. Torn Paper Zebra Art
  4. Adire Cloth (Source: Spoonful)
  5. African Mask with paper, markers, a hole punch and raffia
  6. San Rock Art

Australia

  1. Aboriginal Dot Painting (Source: Kid World Citizen)
  2. Aboriginal Clapping Sticks (Source: Laughing Kids Learn)
  3. DIY Didgeridoo with paper towel roll
  4. Coral Reef Group Mural with paint, salt, crayons, jellyfish & bubble wrap
  5. Tissue Paper Flag

Antarctica

  1. Sculpture from clay, cardboard, etc and then 2D Painting of Sculpture Using (I read up on some Antarctic art history – of which there is not a lot – and learned that sculpture was the people’s first art, followed by paintings of these pieces of sculpture)
  2. Mosaic Penguin
  3. Iceberg Symmetry Drawing with Chalk Pastels
  4. Shakelton Charcoal Drawing: I have always been captivated by the black & white images from Shakelton’s failed journey with the ship frozen and stuck in an iceberg looking so ominous and beautiful at the same time. My idea is to have the child first learn of the explorer, then provide the child with copies of photographic images from the expedition, and then encourage him to use tracing paper (or create his own) to outline one of the photographs using charcoal and a smudging approach.
  5. Ice Painting
  6. Create an Antarctic Scene using only white materials on a black background

I hope these ideas inspired you at the very least! Please let me know your Art Ideas for Kids across cultures. I would love to explore them! 

I hope we inspired you today!

 

Teach Kids about Anti-Bias & Diversity

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Playing the ‘I Have a Dream‘ speech is a perfect introduction to the significance of Martin Luther King Jr.. Last year my sons were 3.5 and 2 years old. My older son had a few questions but we didn't go very much in depth on the topic of equality, peace and diversity. Anti-bias is a big topic. I want to make sure we approach the ideas thoughtfully and respectfully. So our activities last year planted seeds for later conversations about equality, peace and diversity. With that thinking, I came up with this plan for a day with kids including several Martin Luther King Jr. Activities.

martin luther king jr. activities

Martin Luther King Jr. Activities

Create the Environment

My plan this year is to probe a bit deeper. We will listen to MLK's famous speech. I will ask my children how the words made their bodies feel to tap their ongoing emotional development. Then I will show a picture of MLK to my boys and ask them to describe who they see. I want to get a benchmark. Do they see the differences, understand the impacts (both positive and negative) of these differences? I will give them a bit if background on equal rights as they guide me to do so.

Plan an Activity

My plan is to prepare an art project, like this Fingerprint Dove, to do together. Hopefully, then, the conversation will occur more naturally. Additionally, one of my favorite books on this topic is called All the Colors of the Earth (Mulberry Books) by Sheila Hamanaka. I highly recommend picking up this book. Your local library should have a copy but it is definitely worth owning. While we work on the dove and read the book I suspect my boys will have questions.

*Other recommended Martin Luther King Jr. books for kids include The Story of Martin Luther King Jr., National Geographic Readers: Martin Luther King, Jr. (Readers Bios), and A Picture Book of Martin Luther King, Jr. (Picture Book Biography).

Martin Luther King Jr. Day Activities

martin luther king jr. activities

Children are very capable of understanding big topics and of working with biases in a positive and productive way. Celebrations like Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a perfect opportunity to open to the door to learning already ripe for igniting in a child.

Warmly,
Marnie