Montessori-Inspired Little Passports Activities – India

Even though I’m an adult, I still love receiving Little Passports packages in the mail! Today, I’m sharing some Montessori-inspired activities about India.

Disclosure: I’m an affiliate for Little Passports and, as an ambassador, I received a year’s subscription to the World Edition of Little Passports. Once a month, I’m sharing some Montessori-inspired activities featuring Little Passports. This post contains affiliate links at no cost to you. Of course, all opinions are my own.

Here are my previous Montessori-inspired Little Passports posts:

1. Montessori-Inspired Little Passports Global Adventure (which contained the Little Passports suitcase, passport, and world map used each month along with a letter from Sam and Sofia, activity sheet, stickers, and a boarding pass with access to online games and activities)
2. Montessori-Inspired Little Passports Activities – Brazil
3. Montessori-Inspired Little Passports Activities – Japan
4. Montessori-Inspired Little Passports Activities – France
5. Montessori-Inspired Little Passports Activities – Egypt
6. Montessori-Inspired Little Passports Activities – Australia
7. Montessori-Inspired Little Passports Activities – Mexico
8. Montessori-Inspired Little Passports Activities – South Africa

The Little Passports materials could work especially well for afterschooling, in a Montessori homeschool with children of multiple ages, or for summer learning. The World Edition is a monthly subscription recommended for ages 5-10. A total of 24 different adventures are available in the series. I’m sharing activities that would allow multiple ages to join in the adventures.

Contents of the Little Passports India Package:

Contents of the Little Passports India Package

Each monthly kit includes:

• A letter from Sam and Sophia, your child’s travel companions. This adds interest to a world study for a wide range of ages.
• Souvenirs themed around the chosen country. This month’s souvenir is a stuffed tiger.
• An activity sheet for the country. This will generally be best for 5-10 year olds.
• A picture from the country. This month’s picture is of Sam and Sophia in India.
  Picture of a Uakari Monkey
  Picture of a Uakari Monkey
  Picture of a Uakari Monkey
• A passport stamp.
• A map marker.
• A sticker for the suitcase.
• A “boarding pass” for access to online content about the country. This month’s boarding pass has a map activity with a tour of India (which includes a printable photo album), an India trivia game, and online puzzles of India. The online activities are recommended for ages 5-10, although younger child could easily be included in the India map activity. I would definitely print out the pages for each Little Passports country as a way to reinforce what’s learned about each country.
  This month’s boarding pass to Brazil had fun trivia questions about Brazil as well as an interactive soccer game. – See more at: http://www.peaceloveorganicmom.com/2013/05/traveling-to-brazil-with-little.html#sthash.NohmOxUG.dpuf

Following are some suggestions on how you can make Little Passports Montessori-inspired and have it work for multiple ages at home.

If you sign up for a subscription, you could do activities related to the month’s package and then focus on the continent box for the continent of the next package’s country. I recommend focusing on the continent for the next country you’ll be receiving when your children are finished with the focus of their present package (maybe two weeks with the package’s country and then start focusing on the continent for the next country.)

Map Work

The first package had a global focus, so you could have done any sort of continent map work in connection with the first package. After that, it’s best if your children have a chance to work with related Montessori continent box materials before the country package arrives (possibly for the two weeks preceding your work with the specific country). For the India package, I’d recommend working with the Asia continent box before and after working with the India package. (See Montessori-Inspired Continent Activities with Animal Figures and Landmarks – Asia.)

Map Unfolding and Folding and Country Matching Activity

I have examples of this activity for a number of Little Passports posts, so I’m not showing the latest variation for India. Here’s an example you can use to set up a similar activity: Montessori-Inspired Little Passports Activities – Mexico.

Bengal Tiger Activity for Babies on Up

The Littlest Little Passports Learner

I couldn’t resist including my 4 1/2 month old granddaughter in the activities! You’d want to use the stuffed tiger with a baby or toddler who won’t eat the tiger’s whiskers (or just provide the tiger for a closely supervised limited time period). I used the tiger for a simple language and sensory experience by emphasizing the words “tiger” and “soft” while my granddaughter felt the tiger.

For a baby, toddler, or young preschooler, you could print out a non-scary but realistic photo of a Bengal tiger, such as the free Royal Bengal Tiger at New Delhi from Wikimedia Commons. You could also print out the photo from the Little Passports online map activity and use only the photo of the Bengal tiger without any of the surrounding images.

Bengal Tiger Basket

Bengal Tiger Research

Tiger Research Tray

This activity for elementary-age children includes a free Bengal tiger journal page from Homeschool Free Lessons. I included the stuffed tiger for interest and added the printable page from the Little Passports online map activity.

India Paper Quilt Craft

India Paper Quilt Craft

This isn’t from the Little Passports package but would work very well with it. It uses India paper quilt craft printables from DLTK’s Crafts for Kids. I like that it focuses on a number of symbols of India. You could print out the colored version or the black-and-white version for children to color and cut out. They could glue the individual paper quilt pieces together to make a 25×25″ quilt. If you wanted it smaller, you could reduce the print size.

Other India Activities

You could include the Safari Ltd. Taj Mahal landmark as shown in my Montessori-Inspired Continent Activities with Animal Figures and Landmarks – Asia.

Montessori-Inspired Global Adventure Pinterest Board

On the Montessori-Inspired Global Adventure  Pinterest Board, I pin lots of Montessori-inspired continent activities in general along with Montessori-inspired continent and country activities that work well with Little Passports packages. You’ll also find pins with links to facts and resources you can use to create Montessori-inspired continent and country activities. And you’ll find links to free continent and country printables as well. Each month, I’ll add new continent and country activities to the board.

More about Little Passports

You can sign up for 3 months ($13.95/month with a one-time payment of $41.85), 6 months ($13.95/month with a one-time payment of $83.70), 12 months ($10.95/month with a one-time payment of $131.40), or monthly ($11.95/month, billed monthly and can be cancelled any time).

Every month after the first month, your child will visit 2 new states and receive:

• A 32-page activity-packed journal covering 2 states
• Stickers
• Pop-out Models
• Postcards
• Access to more information and activities online

You can find out more and subscribe at Little Passports.

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