Children typically love to take photos! My grandchildren all do from my 25-month-old granddaughter to my 12-year-old granddaughter. I have some fun activities for toddlers through elementary-age kids in our new photography unit!
Here, you’ll find links to free photography printables used to prepare hands-on activities and a new Montessori-inspired photography pack for our newsletter subscribers’ resource library!
Disclosure: This post contains some affiliate links (at no cost to you)
M0ntessori Shelves with Photography-Themed Activities
Montessori Shelves with Photography-Themed Activities
You’ll find Montessori-inspired photography-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 photography 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 photography-themed activities among your shelves according to curriculum area. Or you could have a special photography-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 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 Photography-Themed Activities and Interior with Portraits Art Print
Notice the framed art print Interior with Portraits by Thomas Le Clear (ca. 1865). It’s a free download from Smithsonian American Art Museum.
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
Photography-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 lots of Montessori-friendly photography-themed books!
Books for a Photography Unit
Books on our Themed Shelves:
- Photography for Kids: A Beginners’ Book (for ages 8-11, includes the basics of photography, examples of photos to illustrate concepts, and photography activities for kids to do).
- National Geographic Kids Guide to Photography(Comprehensive photography information for kids ages 8-12)
- Backpack Explorer: On the Nature Trail (This has many options for fun nature activities. The Backpack Explorer series is lots of fun for nature explorers. These books have lots of beautiful photographs and engaging illustrations along with lots of ideas for nature activities. I have the 5-book set, which also includes a nature collection box to display nature treasures.)
Top Shelf of Forward -Facing Display:
- National Geographic Photo Basics (not a children’s book but has gorgeous photos as examples and is great for elementary-age kids ready for more advanced photography concepts)
- Photography for Children: A Young Person’s Guide to Taking Pictures
- Photo Adventures for Kids: Solving the Mysteries of Taking Great Photos
2nd Shelf:
- It’s a Snap! George Eastman’s First Photograph
- Gordon Parks: How the Photographer Captured Black and White America
- My Wild Life: Adventures of a Wildlife Photographer (Fascinating photographs and information from a wildlife photographer. My 25-month-old granddaughter loves to go through this book and have me read the photo captions to her.)
3rd Shelf:
- Dorothea’s Eyes: Dorothea Lange Photographs the Truth
- How Does a Camera Work?
- The Secret Life of Squirrels (My 8-year-old grandson thinks this book is hilarious! It’s a great example of using creativity in photography.)
4th Shelf:
- National Geographic Kids PhotoArk: Celebrating our Wild World in Poetry and Pictures
- How Are You Peeling? Foods with Moods (My 25-month-old granddaughter has me read this to her almost every day! She loves talking about emotions, and this uses creative photography to talk about emotions in a fun way.)
- A Love Letter to Our Planet: Thank You, Earth ( a beautiful use of photography and poetry to celebrate our planet)
Bottom Shelf:
You can see lots of photography books for kids here.
Camera: Eureka with Camera Timeline Activity
Camera: Eureka with Camera Timeline Activity
Free Printable: Picture Perfect: The Evolution of the Camera by Statista
Free Printable: Timeline Graphic Organizer by ONLIPEX at TPT
Older children can use the information to make their own timeline or cut and paste from the Picture Perfect printable onto a timeline template.
Photography for Kids Book with iPad Photo Scavenger Hunt
Photography for Kids Book with iPad Photo Scavenger Hunt
Book: Photography for Kids: A Beginners’ Book (for ages 8-11, includes the basics of photography, examples of photos to illustrate concepts, and photography activities for kids to do).
Free Printable: iPad Scavenger Hunt by kokabetty at TPT
This was a great activity that I did with my four grandchildren – ages 12, 8, 8, and 2! This was a simple photo scavenger hunt that allowed for creativity. We had three different cameras with us: the iPad (We had an old iPad mini along – which actually can fit in the clipboard), an older digital camera, and a digital camera binoculars. My 3 oldest grandkids each chose a camera, and we all followed the ideas in the scavenger hunt while allowing creative photo shoots along the way. It was fun for all!
Photo of the Team Taking a Team Selfie
The first item on the list was to “take a team selfie.” Here’s a photo of the team taking their team selfie!
Photographing a Trail of Ants on a Tree
Another item was to “find a trail of ants to photograph.”
Note: I love these clipboards with storage for outdoor scavenger hunts! They’re perfect for bringing pencils or another way to mark the finds on the scavenger hunt. For this scavenger hunt, it could even hold an iPad mini!
Animal Doctors Book with Pet X-ray Activities
National Geographic Kids Guide to Photography with Photo Scavenger Hunt and Digital Camera
Book: National Geographic Kids Guide to Photography(Comprehensive photography information for kids ages 8-12).
Free Printable: Photo Scavenger Hunt by DAD is RAD at TPT (This is one we’ve used.)
There are many other options, depending on the age and level of the child and the location of your scavenger hunt. Some examples are:
- Free Printable: Photograph Picture Scavenger Hunt from Doodlecraft
- Free Printable: Photo Scavenger Hunt from Marathon Kids (I would have them share their photos with their family rather than online)
- Free Printables: 4 Photo Scavenger Hunts {at the mall (designed for teens or older), at the park (designed for kids or older), at home (designed for younger children), and an alphabet hunt (suitable for anyone) from The Game Gal
- Free Printable: Camera Skills Photo Scavenger Hunt by Sage Owl Games at TPT
Sand Writing Tray for a Photography Theme
Sand Writing Tray for a Photography Theme
Free Printables/c/ for camera (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!
The camera in the photo is a LEGO 3-in-1 retro camera. My 8-year-old grandson assembled it for me. He said it was well designed and very cool!
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 Work
Camera Lens Print and Cursive Letter Matching with Cursive Writing Board
Free Printables: Camera Lens 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.
Scavenger Hunts Featuring Borescope and Microscope with Cameras
Scavenger Hunts Featuring Borescope and Microscope with Cameras
Book: Backpack Explorer: On the Nature Trail (This has many options for fun nature activities. The Backpack Explorer series is lots of fun for nature explorers. These books have lots of beautiful photographs and engaging illustrations along with lots of ideas for nature activities. I have the 5-book set, which also includes a nature collection box to display nature treasures.)
This is the borescope camera we’re using: Daxiongmao Borescope Camera with Light for Kids.
This is the microscope camera we’re using: Microscope Camera for Kids Gifts Toys- Handheld Pocket Microscopes with 2.4″ Screen and Autofocus.
Free Printable: Bug Nature Scavenger Hunt by School Signals at TPT
Free Printable: Indoor Microscope Scavenger Hunt Checklist from Celestron
We’ve already used these fun cameras quite a bit! My 25-month-old granddaughter especially loves the microscope camera!
Leave a Reply