Free Dolphin Printables and Montessori-Inspired Dolphin Activities

Dolphins are such fun, fascinating marine mammals! We had an orca unit, studying the largest dolphin, last summer. Now we’re including other dolphins, too!

Here, you’ll find links to free dolphin printables used to prepare hands-on activities and a new Montessori-inspired dolphin pack for our newsletter subscribers’ resource library!

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

M0ntessori Shelves with Dolphin-Themed Activities

Montessori Shelves with Dolphin-Themed Activities

You’ll find Montessori-inspired dolphin-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) Note: The Montessori-inspired dolphin pack isn’t designed as a complete orca unit but as supplemental materials. I design the packs using realistic images that I’ve often looked for when preparing a unit study (such as font cards and phonogram cards featuring the letter and phonogram related to the theme and math cards with realistic images that fit the theme and can be adapted for math activities at a variety of levels.)

You could mix your dolphin-themed activities among your shelves according to curriculum area. Or you could have a special dolphin-themed area something like the one pictured. My shelves at the beginning of our unit have a mixture of skill levels. Many of the activities can be adapted for a variety of levels. Many of these are designed for early elementary as well as preschoolers. If you’re a homeschooler, just choose the activities that work for your child’s interests and ability levels. If you don’t have room for all the activities you’d like to do, simply rotate them.

Montessori Shelves with Dolphin-Themed Activities and Photo of “Dancing Dolphins” Sculpture

Notice the framed photograph: “‘The Friendship Fountain’ (Spanish: ‘La Fuente de la Amistad’), also known as “Dancing Dolphins,” is a 1987 sculpture depicting three dolphins by James “Bud” Bottoms and Octavio González, installed along Puerto Vallarta’s Malecón.” It’s a free download from Wikimedia Commons.

For our monthly featured art print, I purchased a Li’l DAVINCI art frame that opens in the front for easily changing a free art masterpiece printable or vintage illustration to fit with the month’s theme. The frame can be switched from horizontal to vertical without changing the hanger, which is perfect!

If you’re wondering about the rugs and rug box I use, both the rugs and wooden rug holder are from Montessori Services. I love the Montessori Services rugs and rug holder! I used to use an umbrella stand something like these. I loved that for 1-3 rugs, but I needed something different when I had more grandchildren and some projects that needed more than one rug.

Favorite Shelves, Trays, Baskets, and More for Montessori Homeschoolers

I often get asked about the trays, baskets, etc., that I use, so I published a post with many of the items. You can find lots of helpful resources here. They’re not all essential, so don’t feel you need to have everything. Just choose what’s best for your budget and your unique family’s needs. You’ll find more ideas in the Living Montessori Now Amazon shop

Dolphin-Themed Books for Kids

Even though I have books on shelves, I’m now keeping many of my themed books in a forward-facing display after placing a plant where the themed book basket was before. Most of my seasonal books are now in that book basket.

For toddlers and preschoolers, about ¾ of the books I use are typically Montessori friendly (focusing on reality without smiling or talking animals or smiling or talking vehicles).

Books for a Dolphin Unit

I’ll add links to all the books we’ve used in a couple of days.

You can see lots of Dolphin Books for Kids here.

On our peace/mindfulness table, I have:

Maria Explores the Ocean: A Kids Yoga Book
Free Printable: Dolphin Themed Lesson Plan and PDF from George Watts (to just use the image of the dolphin pose, I printed the PDF at 175)

Dive, Dolphin Book with Dolphin Color Matching

You’ll see this book and activity at the top left of our themed shelf.

Free Printable: Montessori Color Box 2 Extension by Seedsowers Montessori at TPT (Obviously, you can just use color tablets from color box 2, but I like to use color tablet printables for home use until color box 3. I’ve just found that children often learn the other colors so quickly that printables work very well and are very inexpensive.)

Helping His Sister Match Color Tablets to Miniature Dolphins

My 8-year-old grandson, Caleb, does a great job of helping his 25-month-old sister, Arabella. Here, Arabella matched the color tablets and then 6 different-colored, glow-in-the-dark dolphins. Arabella loved the activity and repeated it right away! She asked to do the activity the next day, and I added an extra dolphin of each color.

Everything Dolphins Book with Dolphin Pin Poking

There’s so much fascinating information about dolphins along with gorgeous photos in the National Geographic Kids Everything Dolphins: Dolphin Facts, Photos, and Fun that Will Make You Flip. It’s recommended for ages 8-12, but younger children are often attracted to the photos and can have the text adapted when read aloud.

Free Printable: Dolphin Template from Creative Art Inc (the pattern I used, printed at 5×7). Our paint and markers are on an art cart in a different part of the room, so children can color or paint the completed dolphin. For older kids, I have scissors available to cut out the dolphin instead of pin poking.

Free Printable: Dolphin Pattern from Pattern Universe (another option for the printable)

Pin Poking Materials:

Wood-Handled Puncher from Montessori Services (Read the push pin warning and why I recommend using the wood-handled puncher.)
Felt Pad from Montessori Services (Note: The Montessori Services felt pads are now black so they don’t get dirty as easily.)
You’ll find helpful resources and a YouTube video embedded in my post on pin poking.

**Whales and Dolphins Pages from Picturepedia with Life Cycle of a Dolphin Puzzles**

Whales and Dolphins Pages from Picturepedia with Life Cycle of a Dolphin Puzzles

The book on the easel is DK Smithsonian Picturepedia. It has gorgeous photos and illustrations with amazing two-page spreads on a wide variety of topics, including whales and dolphins.

Free Printable: Dolphin Life Cycle Printables from About a Mom

Sand Writing Tray for a Dolphin Theme

Free Printable: /d/ for dolphin (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).

The sandpaper letters I use are available in print or cursive.

You’ll see a variety of simple letter writing trays in my previous unit study posts. I often used the wooden tray from the Melissa & Doug Lace and Trace Shapes. You can use whatever tray or container work best for you, though.

I typically now use this lovely spelling/alphabet tray from FamilyTreeWW on Etsy. I like it for writing more than one letter or spelling words. (Note: That sand tray is currently unavailable, but you’ll find lots of other options for Montessori sand trays on Etsy.) I found some colored sand in 12 colors on Amazon that I started to use instead of salt or colored salt. I love it because it’s so soft and feels great!

I added a dolphin from our Safari Ltd. Ocean TOOB.

If you would like help with introducing phonetic sounds, introducing objects with sounds, or beginning phonics in general, check out my DIY Beginning Montessori Phonics with Preschoolers.

Ph in Dolphin Work

Free Printable: Ph Printables from Teach Prints (I used one of the printables and made it into a booklet.)
Free Printable: Ph Digraph Words (Photographs) from ESL Vault
Free Printable: Digraph Game and Activity Freebie by First Grade Frolics at TPT
Free Printable: /ph/ phonogram in dolphin (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)
Free Printables: Dolphin alphabet cards in print and cursive (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)

I have a new themed alphabet card set each month now, and each set is very adaptable. You can use them for activities such as matching the letters with sandpaper letters to matching print to cursive letters to spelling words with the alphabet cards used as a themed movable alphabet.

Dolphin Cut-and-Paste Activities

On the bottom left side of the shelf, I have a tray with cut-and-paste activities:

Free Printable: Labelling Parts of a Dolphin from Katie Goodwiller’s Classroom Chronicles
Free Printable: Mammals and Fish Venn Diagram from TES
Free Printable: Comparing and Contrasting Sharks and Dolphins by Heather Carlson at TPT’

Dolphin and Fish Division Activity

Free Printable: Dolphin number cards 2, 4, 7, 28 and division symbols (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).

I LOVE these little fish beads! They’re reasonably priced yet feel like a high-quality material. They come in sets of 50. I like that they’re all the same color and small enough to be used with many different activities. I’ve used them a number of times before. This time, I used 28 beads with 7 dolphins from the Safari Ltd. Dolphin TOOB. You could use other number combinations. I just chose these.

This is a simple division activity, showing how many fish each dolphin would get if the fish are divided between specific numbers of dolphins. You could turn the numbers over and draw one or choose numbers 2, 4, 7, and 28 in order to show the number of dolphins the fish are divided between. The child can divide 28 fish between the specified number of dolphins, saying “1 for you, 1 for you….” until they are all divided equally.

There are so many different activities you can prepare using the math cards! You’ll find many ideas in our previous units.

Dolphin Activities on Another Shelf

These are from our previous orca unit.

Marine Mammals Book with Whales and Dolphins TOOB Figures and Cards

The book is The Fantastic World of Marine Mammals. It has lots of great 2-page spreads about a variety of marine mammals, including orcas.

I used the Safari Ltd. Dolphins and Whales TOOB.

Free Printable: Safari TOOB Compatible – Montessori 3-Part Cards – Whales and Dolphins by Montessori Nature at TPT. I like that these include descriptions … so helpful!

I’ve used the lovely Whales and Dolphins Safari TOOB Cards from Montessori Print Shop. Those aren’t free, but they’re inexpensive and have lovely, clear whale and dolphin images that are feathered. They’re 3-period cards for ages 3-6 without description cards.

I’ve also used the Dolphin and Whale Nomenclature and Description Cards from Every Star Is Different. They’re part of a complete Montessori-Inspired Dolphins and Whales Printable Pack that you’ll see reviewed here.

Whales and Dolphins TOOB and Cards

I like to use just two parts of these cards for variety in using nomenclature cards and as a way to reinforce the information on them. With younger children, I’ll read the information to them as they match the cards. Older children can read it on their own.

Free Montessori-Inspired Dolphin Packs

Montessori-Inspired Dolphin 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).

Montessori-Inspired Orca 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 Ocean Resources and Activities

Ocean Science

More (Non-Human) Mammal Resources and Activities

Mammal Toys on Amazon

Helpful Animal Classification Posts

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

I hope you have a great summer!

If this is your first time visiting Living Montessori Now, welcome! If you haven’t already, please join us on our Living Montessori Now Facebook page where you’ll find a Free Printable of the Day and lots of inspiration and ideas for parenting and teaching! And please follow me on Instagram, Pinterest (lots of Montessori-, holiday-, and theme-related boards), and YouTube. While you’re here, please check out the Living Montessori Now shop.

And don’t forget one of the best ways to follow me by signing up for my weekly newsletter. You’ll receive some awesome freebies in the process!

Connect with LMN

Supervision

You Can Also Find Me

Subscribe by Email