Free Presidents’ Day Printables and Montessori-Inspired Presidents’ Day Activities

It’ll be Presidents’ Day soon! Presidents’ Day, also known as Washington’s Birthday, is on the third Monday of February each year. It’s recognized for honoring George Washington and Abraham Lincoln but also celebrates the lives of all U.S. presidents.

To prepare for Presidents’ Day, I’m sharing free Presidents’ Day printables that I’ve used to create Montessori-inspired Presidents’ Day activities for preschoolers through first graders. I also have a list of free Presidents’ Day printables.

Free Presidents’ Day Printables and Montessori-Inspired Presidents’ Day Activities for Preschoolers-Grade 1

2022 Update: It’s difficult to know how to introduce many of the presidents as we gain new information about them. We Are Teachers has helpful ideas in a post on “How to Teach Presidents’ Day in a Socially Conscious Way.” Adapt the ideas as appropriate for the ages of your child or the children you teach.

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

Presidents’ Day Number Order and Skip Counting Puzzles

For this activity, I used the President’s Day Number Order and Skip Counting Puzzles from Gracehopper Learning. Unfortunately, the blog is no longer available. I found a free, open-ended Presidents’ Day (George Washington and Abraham Lincoln) puzzle strips printable by Speech Therapy by Courtney Gragg at Teachers Pay Teachers that you could adapt for a variety of skill levels. I also found a free, editable George Washington and Abraham Lincoln cut and paste puzzle by Adrian Gonzalez at Teachers Pay Teachers.

In the example shown, I used 3 different skip counting puzzles.

For older or more-advanced preschoolers, you can use the skip counting puzzles with the numbers separated from the puzzles as shown. In the tray I prepared, I used an inexpensive wooden tray from the craft store and pencil boxes to hold the puzzle pieces.

You’ll notice that I have separate containers for the numbers. I like to use small containers to organize trays whenever possible. Just as an organized environment and organized shelves help children develop an internal sense of order, organized trays also help children develop a greater sense of order.

Presidents’ Day Word Fun

Presidents’ Day Word Fun for Kindergarten by Melissa Williams at Teachers Pay Teachers made it easy to create this tray. Younger preschoolers could just match the letters to the words. Advanced preschoolers through first graders could see how many words they could create with the letters.

Presidents Matching Activity, Number Order Activity, and Golden Bead Activity

February 2021 Update: The president cards I used are no longer available. A matching tray like the one above could be used for younger preschoolers. It could be used for either a matching activity or a concentration game. You’ll find free president cards on Teachers Pay Teachers, although  I haven’t found free ones through President Biden yet. You’ll find images of all the presidents through Biden in this printable on Teachers Pay Teachers, although the images are part of fact sheets for each president.

There are free-to-use presidential portraits of all presidents from the Library of Congress.

While the Montessori-Inspired U.S. President Bundle from Every Star Is Different isn’t free, it’s up to date through President Biden and Vice President Harris!

The tray is a clear acrylic tray from Montessori Services. While older preschoolers could match all the president cards, younger children could be given a tray with just a few of the most well-known presidents.

Another tray could be created to emphasize the order of the presidents and Montessori golden bead work. For this, you’ll need the same president cards (one set only) and 4 ten bars and 9 units (or bead bars for 1-9).

This activity would work well with one child or a small group. Above is a possible layout for the president cards. I used a small work rug from Montessori Services for the layout.

After the president cards are laid out, you could ask the child (or take turns asking different children) to find a specific president. Give a clue about the president’s number if the child can’t find the president. Then ask the child to match the beads to the president’s number.

Check out my DIY Bead Bars post for links to lots of ideas for making your own bead bars and links to presentations for teens and tens that can be adapted. If you have another manipulative for place value, you could use that in place of the Montessori beads.

Presidents’ Day Mini Books

I used Presidents’ Day Mini Books from Ready-Set-Read! to easily prepare a Presidents’ Day mini books tray. Unfortunately, the Ready-Set-Read! blog is no longer available, although I found a number of free Presidents’ Day mini books on Teachers Pay Teachers. Younger children can just use this as a cut-and-staple activity. Older children will have a mini book to read as well.

Washington and Lincoln Timelines

For this activity, I used Presidential Timelines from Relentlessly Fun, Deceptively Educational. Relentlessly Fun, Deceptively Educational used 2 5-gallon paint sticks to prepare the activity.

To save space, I used two ribbons covered with sticky-back Velcro strips. After printing out, laminating, and cutting out the timeline pieces, I added the corresponding type of sticky back Velcro pieces to each of the timelines.

Paper clips kept the rolled-up ribbons together on the tray. I used a medium-size tray from Montessori services and two glass candle coasters for the timeline pieces.

It would be helpful to read biographies about Washington and Lincoln before doing the activity. It would generally be best for kindergarten or first grade, although preschoolers could participate by listening to the biography and sticking on the timeline pieces.

Free Presidents’ Day Printables for Preschoolers-Grade 1

• Guess Who? President’s Edition from Cultivated Lives
• Counting to 44 – Presidents’ Day Sequencing Activity from Toddler Approved
• Presidents of the United States Coloring Sheets from USA-Printables
• Presidential 4-in-a-Row Board Game from Relentlessly Fun, Deceptively Educational
• President’s Day Bingo from Live Speak Love, LLC
• President’s Day Pack from Step into Second Grade with Mrs. Lemons
• If I Were President Writing Freebie from Ginger Snaps
• President’s Day Lapbook from Homeschool Share
• George Washington Free Beginning Reader from Educating to the Core
• President’s Day from The Schoolhouse
• President’s Day Money Game from The Schoolhouse
• Presidents Day Roll and Circle from Primary Inspiration
• Calendar Connections ~ Presidents from 1+1+1=1
• Race to $1.00 by Claire Knight at Teachers Pay Teachers
• Sort the Coins by President from Teach Beside Me
• Presidents Freebies at Teachers Pay Teachers

More President Resources

This isn’t free, but it’s an amazing resource from Every Star Is Different with presidents and vice-presidents through President Biden and Vice President Harris. The Montessori-Inspired U.S. Presidents Bundle has 312 pages of resources in 4 individual packs: U.S. Presidents for Preschoolers Printable Pack, U.S. Presidents Printable Pack, U.S. Vice Presidents Printable Pack, and U.S. First Ladies Nomenclature Cards. Sometimes the printable packs are available as a bundle whereas most of the time they’re available individually only.

More Presidents’ Day Resources from Living Montessori Now

• Montessori-Inspired Activities Teaching about Money and Presidents
• Montessori-Inspired President’s Day Activities
• Free Presidents’ Day Printables and Montessori-Inspired Presidents’ Day Activities
• Free President Songs and Rhymes for Circle Time
• Kids’ Presidents’ Day Activities Pinterest Board

Learn more about my eBook Montessori at Home or School: How to. Teach Grace and Courtesy!

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