Free Recycling Do-a-Dot Printable (Montessori-Inspired Instant Download)

Earth Day is so important, yet it can be hard to know how to fully honor it. My daughter and I have been creating some special printables to help. Today, we have a free recycling do-a-dot printable. It’s another instant download … super simple and super versatile!

Montessori-Inspired Printables at Living Montessori Now

My daughter, Christina (a former Montessori child), and I are partnering to bring you a series of Montessori-inspired printables. The printables are typically themed and use a number of Montessori principles (although you don’t need to be a Montessori teacher or homeschooler to use them):

• They use isolation of quality.
• They use photographs or realistic images to emphasize reality. Whenever I can, I’ll tell you the name of the object or animal featured. In the credits page of this printable, you’ll see that these are recycling symbols, which you can introduce to your child.
• They typically use traditional Montessori colors such as red for consonants and blue for vowels.
• They use lowercase letters, which are what we introduce letter sounds with in Montessori education. (Children tend to pick up the uppercase letters without being introduced if they’re introduced to the lowercase letter sounds.)
• They often feature themed printable versions of Montessori materials.

Free Recycling Do-a-Dot Printable

To download, click here and then click on the file image in the upper right corner of the PDF to save to your computer (just choose where you want it saved).

Montessori-Inspired Activities Using the Recycling Do-a-Dot Printable

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

Recycling Do-a-Dot Tray with Glass Gems

Both my 2-year-old granddaughter, Zoey, and I LOVE glass gems. They’re so pretty and fun to touch. They’re perfect with do-a-dot printables, especially when using a tool for transferring the gems from container to the dots. (Note: Be careful with glass gems around children who still mouth objects since they’re a choking hazard and very inviting.)

Right now, I have this tray on our shelves for Zoey. You can use a variety of tools for transfer activities, such as quick sticks, sugar tongs, or toast tong (what’s pictured). I find the toast tong works best for 2 year olds and young preschoolers when transferring glass gems. The other tools require more advanced fine-motor development. I used a wooden Multicraft tray for the activity.

You can add erasable crayons or markers to a laminated page for preschoolers to work on tracing skills. Because Zoey is just 2 years old, I don’t have her trace letters or numbers except with her fingers. So that’s why I don’t have a writing instrument on the tray. Check out my frog do-a-dot printable post for ideas of trays with tracing activities included.

Zoey’s proud of the fine-motor skills she’s developed. This type of work is wonderful for fine-motor development, increasing attention span, and reinforcing letter sounds.

If you want to know how to introduce the letter sound for r, check out my post on how to teach letter sounds using Montessori principles.

Free Recycling Cutting Strips (Montessori-Inspired Instant Download)

You can add another helpful activity to your Earth Day theme with our free recycling cutting strips!

All My Earth Day Posts (Updated 2024)

Free Reduce, Reuse, Recycle Activities for a Montessori-Inspired Earth Day Unit

• Free Recycling Printables and Montessori-Inspired Recycling Activities
• Free 3-Part Recycle Cards
• Montessori-Inspired Earth Day Activities
• Montessori-Inspired Activities for Earth Day Every Day
• More Montessori-Inspired Earth Day Activities
• Montessori-Inspired Lorax Activities
• Free Earth Day Printables and Montessori-Inspired Earth Day Activities
• Montessori-Inspired Arbor Day Activities
• Free Recycling Cutting Strips (Montessori-Inspired Instant Download)
• Free Recycling Do-a-Dot Printable (Montessori-Inspired Instant Download)
• Free Conservation Songs for Home or School {Character Education Resources}
• Free Earth Day Songs and Rhymes for Circle Time
• Free Tree Printables and Montessori-Inspired Tree Activities
• Free Endangered Animal Songs and Educational Videos {Save the Animals}
• Thank You for Planet Earth (or Thank You, Planet Earth) Mindfulness Cards and Booklet
• Free Reduce, Reuse, Recycle Printables and Activities for a Montessori-Inspired Earth Day Unit
• Free Reduce, Reuse, Recycle Do-a-Dot Printable (Montessori-Inspired Phonics Download)
• Free Reduce, Reuse, Recycle Cutting Strips (Montessori-Inspired Instant Download)
• Free Endangered Animal Printables and Montessori-Inspired Endangered Animal Activities
• Free Endangered Animals Do-a-Dot Printable (Montessori-Inspired Instant Download)
• Free Endangered Animal Cutting Strips (Montessori-Inspired Instant Download)
• Montessori-Inspired Earth Day Printables for Preschool Through Elementary
• The Best Earth Day Every Day Books for Kids
• Kids’ Earth Day Every Day Pinterest Board

Montessori-Inspired Packs – Subscriber Freebies

Don’t miss our themed monthly packs! You’ll get  the link and password for the Living Montessori Now subscriber library with the current pack and all the past monthly packs if you subscribe to the Living Montessori Now weekly newsletter!

Free Do-a-Dot Printables and Ideas for Using Them

I love the versatility of do-a-dot printables! If you’re doing a month-long theme, you could easily change out the type of do-a-dot activity weekly to add interest. Here are four ideas of hands-on activities for any of our do-a-dot printables from my frog do-a-dot printable post (see post for details and materials used).

Just click on an image to go to the post with the related free printable!

Note: I’ve arranged the following gallery in alphabetical order, although some posts have two do-a-dot printables (and two different letters). Also, I don’t introduce letters in alphabetical order. You can find out the order in which I introduce letter sounds here. I deviate from that order for our unit studies, though, and focus on a letter that’s simply related to our unit. That’s in addition to our other letter work.

You can see all our free do-a-dot printables with the latest at the top here.

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.

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