The start of the school year and Labor Day are both great reasons to have a community helpers theme. Of course, it’s a great theme at any time!
Here, you’ll find links to free community helpers printables used to prepare hands-on activities and a new Montessori-inspired community helpers pack for our free newsletter subscribers’ resource library! This unit has resources for preschool through early elementary, although it’s especially focused on preschoolers.
Disclosure: This post contains some affiliate links (at no cost to you).
Montessori Shelves with Community Helpers Themed Activities
Montessori Shelves with Community Helpers Themed Activities
You’ll find Montessori-inspired community helpers 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 community helpers pack isn’t designed as a complete teacher 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 community helpers themed activities among your shelves according to curriculum area. Or you could have a special community helpers 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. 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 Community Helpers Themed Activities and Van Gogh Art Print
Notice the framed print Women Picking Olives (1889) by Van Gogh. The art print is a free download from Useum.
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
Books for a Community Helpers Unit
Books for a Community Helpers Unit
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.
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).
Top Shelf of Themed Shelves:
- Helpers in My Community is a Montessori-friendly book with a good overall introduction to community helpers for preschoolers through kindergarteners.
- The ABCs of What I Can Be shows a wide variety of careers.
- The What Can I Do? Book features a wide variety of interesting careers.
Top Shelf of Forward -Facing Display:
- They’re Heroes Too: A Celebration of Community
- Do You Want to Be a Community Helper?
- National Geographic Kids Little Kids First Big Book of Who – a book of biographies of famous people, but they’re organized by profession (from the Little Kids First Big Book Series by National Geographic Kids.
I use books from this series often.)
I use books from this series often.)2nd Shelf:
- National Geographic Kids Helpers in Your Neighborhood
- Who Did Grandpa Jobs Dream of Being? (Not a Montessori-style book for younger kids but a great book for ages 5-13 with lots of fascinating information and challenges.)
3rd Shelf:
4th Shelf:
- Whose Tools Are These?: A Look at the Tools Workers Use
- The Berenstain Bears: Jobs Around Town (Berenstain Bears/Living Lights: A Faith Story)
- Count on Me 123 (counting board book about jobs plus other people and animals who can be counted on)
Bottom Shelf:
- Richard Scarry’s What Do People Do All Day? (A favorite classic fiction book)
- Richard Scarry’s Busy, Busy Town (Another favorite classic fiction book)
You can see many community helpers books here: Community Helpers Books for Kids (including books as they’re published)
Helpers in My Community Book with Safari Ltd. People at Work Figures and Related Cards
Helpers in My Community Book with Safari Ltd. People at Work Figures and Related Cards
Helpers in My Community is a Montessori-friendly book with a good overall introduction to community helpers for preschoolers through kindergarteners.
I used the figures from the Safari Ltd. People Toob along with cards designed to go with the TOOB figures.
Free Printable: Community Helpers TOOB 3-Part Cards by Lyn Hzb at TPT (These include both photographs of the TOOB figures and realistic images of people in the same professions as the TOOB.)
For toddlers and young preschoolers, I recommend using the pictures only. That’s especially helpful because I prefer the terms “mail carrier” to “mailman,” “police officer” to “policeman,” and “fire fighter” to “fireman.”
The ABCs of What I Can Be Book with Community Helpers Alphabet Cards
The ABCs of What I Can Be Book with Community Helpers Alphabet Cards
The ABCs of What I Can Be shows a wide variety of careers.
Free Printable: Community helpers alphabet cards (part of my subscriber freebies, so just sign up for my free newsletter to get the link and password … or check the bottom of your latest newsletter if you’re already a subscriber).
The alphabet cards in print and cursive are easily adaptable, depending on the child’s level. They can be used for a variety of activities, such as matching letters with sandpaper letters, matching print to cursive letters, or movable alphabet word building.
What Can I Do? Book with Who Am I? Activities
What Can I Do? Book with Who Am I? Activities
The What Can I Do? Book features a wide variety of interesting careers.
- Free Printable: Who am I – Cut and Paste – Community Helpers by Fun Learning Lab at TPT
- Free Printable: Community Helpers – Who Am I? by Made by Mary T
- Free Printable: Community Helpers Guess Who by Zoe Allison (real images but no questions) at TPT
- Free Printable: Community Helper Sentences by Preschool Printable at TPT
You can use a variety of printables on one tray if you have limited space on your shelves.
Sand Writing Tray for a Community Helpers Theme
Sand Tray for a Community Helpers Theme
Free Printable /j/ for jobs font cards and /w/ for workers font cards, so just sign up for my free newsletter to get the link and password … or check the bottom of your latest newsletter if you’re already a subscriber). They come in print, D’Nealian, and 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!
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.
“Or” Saying /er/ Work
“Or” Saying /er/ Work
Free Printable “or” in work phonogram cards (part of my subscriber freebie pack, so just sign up for my free newsletter to get the link and password … or check the bottom of your latest newsletter if you’re already a subscriber). They come in print, D’Nealian, and cursive.
Free Printable: R Controlled Vowels Sort with “or” Sound Words that Say “er” from 123 Homeschool 4 Me
This is a simple but fun sorting activity that reinforces “or” saying “er.”
Community Helpers Word Wall Activity
Free Printable: Community Helper Word Wall Pack (and other community helper printables) from Preschool Mom
You can also find community helper word wall cards at PreKinders: Community Helper Word Cards.
The word wall cards can be used for everything from identifying community helpers for toddlers and preschoolers to playing a scavenger hunt game with reading and writing community helper words.
Community Helpers Cards and Figures for Sorting Activity
Community Helpers Sorting Activity
Free Printable: Community Helpers Word Wall Packet by Teacher Rae at TPT
I printed the community helpers cards four to a page to make them the size I wanted. The community helpers figures added a lot of interest to the activity.
Community Helpers Greater Than, Less Than Activity
Community Helpers Greater Than, Less Than Activity
Free Printable: Community helpers numbers 1-10 (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 used 19 wood circles 1.25″ in diameter with community helpers stickers attached. (There are many community helpers stickers in the pack, which would be fun for a variety of activities and crafts.) You could, of course, use plain counters or another community helper themed counter.
19 community helpers counters are needed if you use combinations of the numbers from 1-10. The wood sorting board for the bead stair that you’ll see in the tray on my shelf is from Etsy, but it’s not available right now. Typically, I just have the bead bars I’m using from our decanomial box in a little cup or other small container.
The bead bars aren’t necessary for this activity, but using them is simply another way to focus on counting with the bead bars. Check out my greater than, less than alligator math posts for fun ways to introduce greater than, less than.
Community Helpers Materials on Another Shelf
Community Helpers Cards and Figures for Sorting Activity
This uses a free printable I used for our teacher unit: Community Helpers Posters from Teaching Mama. (I printed the community helpers posters four to a page to make them the size I wanted.)
I’ve had a couple sets of career figures that my grandkids have all loved as toddlers and preschoolers: these and these.
Free Montessori-Inspired Community Helpers Pack
Montessori-Inspired Community Helpers 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 Community Helpers Resources
Community Helpers Books for Kids
- Free Labor Day Songs and Educational Videos
- Montessori-Friendly Community Helper Resources
- Talking with Children about 9/11 – Ideas and Activities
- Free Police Printables and Montessori-Inspired Police Activities
- Community Helpers Activity Trays and Sensory Tubs
- Free Fire Safety Printables and Montessori-Inspired Fire Safety Activities
- Free Ambulance Printables and Montessori-Inspired Ambulance Activities
- Montessori-Inspired Activities with Community Helper Figures and Free Printables
- “Look for the Helpers” Mister Rogers Word Art Freebie
- Free 9-1-1 Songs for Kids {Non-Scary Emergency Preparedness}
- Free Emergency Preparedness Songs for Kids {Character Education Resources}
- Free Water Safety Songs for Kids
- Montessori-Inspired Fire Safety Unit with Free Printables and Activities
- Free Fire Safety Songs and Educational Videos
- The Best Fire Safety Books for Kids
- Free Fire Truck Do-a-Dot Printable (Montessori-Inspired Instant Download)
- Free Firefighter Cutting Strips (Montessori-Inspired Instant Download)
- How to Teach Children Fire Safety in a Non-Scary Way
- Free Medical Worker Printables and Montessori-Inspired Medical Worker Activities
- Free Doctor and Nurse Do-a-Dot Printables (Montessori-Inspired Instant Download)
- Free Medical Worker Cutting Strips (Montessori-Inspired Instant Download)
- Non-Scary Montessori Fire Safety Resources for Preschool Through Elementary
- Free Construction Vehicle Printables and Montessori-Inspired Construction Vehicle Activities
- Free Construction Printables and Montessori-Inspired Construction Activities
- Free Construction Do-a-Dot Phonics Printable (Montessori-Inspired Instant Download)
- Free Construction Songs and Rhymes for Circle Time
- Free Songs About Getting a Shot {Kids’ Vaccination resources}
- Free Dental Health Printables and Montessori-Inspired Dental Health Activities
- Free Dentist Do-a-Dot Phonics Printable (Montessori-Inspired Instant Download)
- Free Dental Health Cutting Strips (Montessori-Inspired Instant Download)
- Montessori-Inspired Construction Printables for Preschool Through Early Elementary
- Roadwork: Road Construction Printable Pack for Hands-on Fun and Learning
- Free Road Construction Printables and Montessori-Inspired Road Construction Activities
- Free Detective Printables and Montessori-Inspired Detective Activities
- Free Women in Science Printables and Montessori-Inspired Activities
- Favorite Books for a Women in Science Theme
- Women and Girls in Science: Free Songs and Educational Videos
- Free Post Office Printables and Montessori-Inspired Post Office Activities
- Free Post Office Songs and Educational Videos
- Favorite Books for a Post Office Theme
- Free Library Printables and Montessori-Inspired Library Activities
- Free Teacher Printables and Montessori-Inspired Teacher Activities
- Free Teacher- and Teacher Appreciation Songs and Educational Videos
- Mother’s Day- and Teacher’s Appreciation Gifts for Kids to Give
- Thumbprint Keepsake Keychain Gift for Mothers, Grandmothers, and Teachers
- Best Teacher Appreciation Quotes to Say Thank You
- “The Best Teachers” Word Art Freebie
- “2 Teach Is 2 Touch Lives 4Ever” Word Art Freebie
- “A Truly Special Teacher” Word Art Freebie
- The Best Gifts for Montessori Teachers
- Community Helpers Pinterest Board
If you’d like ideas for calendar-based themes throughout August and September, see my August Themed Activities for Kids and my September Themed Activities for Kids.
Have a great school year!
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