Pets make a great theme for any time, although May has both National Pet Week and National Pet Month! There are a number of individual pet observances, too!
Here, you’ll find links to free pet printables used to prepare hands-on activities and a new Montessori-inspired pet pack for our newsletter subscribers’ resource library!
Disclosure: This post contains some affiliate links (at no cost to you)
M0ntessori Shelves with Pet-Themed Activities
Montessori Shelves with Pet-Themed Activities
You’ll find Montessori-inspired pet-themed numbers, letters, and and more (part of my subscriber freebie pack, so just sign up for my newsletter to get the link and password … or check the bottom of your latest newsletter if you’re already a subscriber) Note: The Montessori-inspired pet pack isn’t designed as a complete pet 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 pet-themed activities among your shelves according to curriculum area. Or you could have a special pet-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 first grade 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 Pet-Themed Activities and The Piano Lesson Art Print
Notice the framed art print The Piano Lesson by Henriëtte Ronner-Knip (1897).It’s a free download from Wikimedia Commons. My 2-year-old granddaughter, Arabella, LOVES this art print. She often walks over to the framed image and gently touches the kittens.
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
Pet-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). This unit has many fiction books that aren’t Montessori-style books but are great!
Books for a Pet Unit
I’ll put links to all the books we used in a couple of days.
You can see lots of pet books for kids here.
Little Kids First Big Book of Pets with Pet Language Photos, 3-Part Cards, and TOOB Figures
Little Kids First Big Book of Pets with Pet Language Photos, 3-Part Cards, and TOOB Figures
Free Printable: Pets – Montessori Photo Language Cards by Templeton and Rose at TPT
Free Printable: Pet 3-Part Cards from 1+1+1=1 (Here, I’m using 12 3-part cards to match the Safari Ltd. Pets TOOB, although there are 24 different pets available in the printable. For older children, all 24 pets could be used.)
This is a great activity for both toddlers and preschoolers! Arabella at 24 months old was instantly drawn to this tray.
Helping His Little Sister Work with Pet Language Cards and Pets TOOB Figures
Even though the pet theme is best for toddlers through first graders, older children can get helpful mentorship training with younger siblings or children in a classroom. Caleb at age 8 enjoys helping his little sister with Montessori activities and does a wonderful job with it!
Everything Pets Book with Pets and Wild Animals Sort
Everything Pets Book with Pets and Wild Animals Sort
Free Printable: Montessori Pet vs Wild Animal Sorting Game in English and Spanish by Wildwood Academy at TPT
Different sorting activities and games are included in the printable!
Animal Doctors Book with Pet X-ray Activities
Animal Doctors Book with Pet X-ray Activities
Free Printable: Animal X-rays Matching from Totschooling
Working with Pet X-Ray Activity
I used the 16-pet x-ray and flashcard set for our light table. This is a pet activity that’s fun for older kids as well as younger ones.
Sand Writing Tray for a Pet Theme
Sand Writing Tray for a Pet Theme
Free Printables/k/ for kitten (from my subscriber freebie pack, so just sign up for my newsletter to get the link and password … or check the bottom of your latest newsletter if you’re already a subscriber). They’re available 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.
Er Work
Free Printable: /er/ phonogram in hamster (part of my subscriber freebie pack, so just sign up for my newsletter to get the link and password … or check the bottom of your latest newsletter if you’re already a subscriber)
Free Printable: Er Word Lists from MontessoriSoul
I have a post and video on how to introduce words starting with phonograms, even with very young children.
Pet CVC Work
Pet CVC Work
Free Printable: Pets Three-Part Flashcards | Montessori Preschool Resource by Caroline Jacobi – Blue Jay Beginnings at TPT (I just used these for beginning spelling work with cat, dog, and rat. )
I love the Amazing Child Mini Grooved Letter Tiles: Lower Sassoon Case with Tray and Stylus! They can be used as a sort of movable alphabet for CVC words or as individual letters for children learning their phonetic sounds. There’s a little sand tray that comes with the set as well.
Free Printables: Toy poodle puppy 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.
Where Is the Dog? Preposition Work
Where Is the Dog? Preposition Work
Free Printable: Dog Prepositions and Easy Reader by Erin from Royal Baloo for Totschooling
This is another activity that works well for younger or older kids. Younger children can just match the cards with the position of the dog. (There’s a print dog and positional cards included in the printable if you don’t have 3-D objects to use.)
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