• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Living Montessori Now

Montessori Inspiration for Parents and Teachers

  • HOME
  • About
    • About Me
    • Contact Me
    • PR/Advertise
    • Privacy Policy
    • Grab A Button
  • About Montessori
    • About Montessori
    • Resources
    • ABCs of Montessori
    • Overview
    • Principles
    • Free Printables
    • Materials
    • Homeschool Classroom and Materials
      • Circle Time Activities
    • Techniques
    • Training
      • Free Montessori Video Lessons
    • Inspiration
  • Activities
    • Circle Time Activities
    • Art
    • Cultural
    • Language
    • Math
    • Practical Life
    • Practical Life – Grace and Courtesy
    • Sensorial
    • Unit Studies
    • PreK + K Sharing
    • Monthly Themed Activities
    • Holidays and Celebrations
  • Homeschooling
    • Homeschooling
    • Homeschool High School
    • Montessori Homeschool Classroom and Materials
    • Unit Studies
    • PreK + K Sharing
    • Circle Time Activities
    • Monthly Themed Activities
    • Holidays and Celebrations
    • Free Montessori Video Lessons
  • Free Printables
    • Free Montessori Printables
    • Free Printables
    • More Than Ten Years’ Worth of Free Printables and Montessori-Inspired Activities
    • Sign up for the Living Montessori Now Newsletter & Get Monthly Subscriber Freebies!
    • Free Montessori Geography Album
  • Holidays
    • Resources for Upcoming Holidays
    • Holidays and Celebrations
  • Subscribe
    • Sign up for the Living Montessori Now Newsletter & Get Monthly Subscriber Freebies!
  • Shop
    • Shop
    • Products
    • My Products
    • Giveaway Linky

Montessori Monday – Christmas Sensory Experiences for Babies

December 23, 2013 By Deb Chitwood 7 Comments

Previous article: Montessori-Inspired Geometry Activities Using Wooden Shapes and Free Printables
Next article: Top 10s and Thank You’s for December 2013

In case you’re new to my blog, I’m a grandma … and I’m having the time of my life! Not only is it amazing to have a new baby in the family, but I get to try out lots of the fun activities I find online!

Christmas Sensory Experiences for Babies

My granddaughter is only 7 weeks old, so most activities involving toys aren’t appropriate yet. But I’ve found some great ways to have holiday fun and provide some helpful sensory experiences even for a baby who’s too young for toys and most sensory activities.

There are lots of fun sensory experiences you can have with older babies both at home and while out shopping or attending Christmas events. But here I’ll share 10 of my favorite ideas for Montessori-inspired sensory activities that work for any age of baby – even very young babies – without leaving the house.

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

10 Christmas Sensory Experiences for Even Very Young Babies {without Leaving the House}

1. Looking at the Christmas tree lights and decorations. What could be more fun than holding a new baby while looking at the lights and decorations on the Christmas tree together?! Obviously, with older babies you have to be sure they can’t reach decorations that would be dangerous for them.

2. Lying on a mat near the Christmas tree or with visible Christmas decorations.  I always had a Montessori-style floor mat when my kids were babies where they played and took naps during the day. It’s the same at Grandma’s house. My granddaughter has a floor bed, which is near the Christmas tree right now. You can read more about my family’s baby environment along with lots of other Montessori baby resources in my “Montessori Baby Resources” post.

Montessori Baby Floor Mat and Mirror

3. Looking in a mirror while dressed in a Christmas outfit and/or with Christmas decorations nearby. Our baby floor bed was always near a full-length child’s mirror placed horizontally. It’s the same for my granddaughter. You can find the floor mirror I ordered in my “Montessori Baby and Toddler Toys” post.

4. Listening to Christmas songs while looking at pictures in a book. My granddaughter likes to look at the pictures in a Christmas song book while I sing to her. I cradle her in one arm while I hold the book up with my other arm. I just sing until she’s tired or wants a change of activity.

The book I’ve used is Tomie de Paola’s Book of Christmas Carols. We still have that from when my kids were young. It’s a beautiful book but out of print now, so it’s expensive new.  You can find reasonably priced used books on Amazon, though. Any book of Christmas songs with nice artwork would work well. I like using a book both for the pictures and because it reminds me of the words to the verses I’m unsure of otherwise.

5. Listening to “Jingle Bells” and the soft ringing of a small jingle bell. This is a super-easy activity to prepare. I simply sing “Jingle Bells” while I softly ring a small bell in time to the music for my granddaughter.

6. Listening to a Christmas CD or YouTube playlist playing softly in the background. My granddaughter seems to love having Christmas songs play in the background. You can either use a Christmas CD or songs from my “Free Christmas Songs and Rhymes for Circle Time.”

7. Listening to a Christmas book or poem and looking at the pictures.

8. Smelling Christmas potpourri simmering on the stove. I used the recipe for Christmas Potpourri from Nothing if Not Intentional.

9. Smelling Christmas treats baking.

10. Touching a soft Christmas tree ornament or stuffed animal. Older babies often enjoy all sorts of tactile experiences, but new babies typically like very mild sensory experiences. We have some soft Beanie Baby ornaments on our tree, but you can use any soft ornament or stuffed animal. I only help my granddaughter touch the soft ornament when she’s interested and would enjoy it.

With any of these activities, I follow the baby’s lead. Often young babies become tired quickly after sensory experiences, so you need to be extra careful to observe the baby’s interest or exhaustion.

Does your baby or a baby you care for have a favorite Christmas sensory activity?

Deb - Signature

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.

And don’t forget one of the best ways to follow me by signing up for my weekly newsletter. You’ll receive some awesome freebies in the process!

Previous article: Montessori-Inspired Geometry Activities Using Wooden Shapes and Free Printables
Next article: Top 10s and Thank You’s for December 2013

Filed Under: Baby, Holidays and Celebrations, Montessori Monday Tagged With: babies, baby, Christmas, infant activities, infants, infants and toddlers, Montessori, Montessori Monday, sensory experiences for babies

Previous Post: « Montessori-Inspired Geometry Activities Using Wooden Shapes and Free Printables
Next Post: Top 10s and Thank You’s for December 2013 »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Sixtine et Victoire says

    December 23, 2013 at 5:50 am

    Thank you for the opportunity to share! I love the DIY Window Blocks linky!

    Reply
    • Deb says

      January 4, 2014 at 11:56 pm

      Thanks, Deb! I’m so glad you linked up … I love your blog! The DIY Window Blocks are great, aren’t they?! 🙂

      Reply
  2. Renae says

    December 26, 2013 at 12:44 pm

    Hooray! I’m able to get in to your blog today and read! I loved the article. In some ways I think I did some of those things with my two boys as newborns anyways, but I wish I would have known about Montessori back then. It makes such a difference. I just love the mirror idea and the beds on the floor. And for my girls… I can not express enough, how important these initial positive sensory experiences are for little ones. Both of my adoptive daughters missed out on all of them. My youngest, who just turned two, still can’t recognize herself in the mirror. Both of my girls have significant sensory issues. I just wonder what a start like this would have done for them. For my special needs boys, I know what I did do, made a huge difference. Enjoy your days with your new grand baby!

    Reply
    • Deb says

      January 4, 2014 at 11:59 pm

      Thanks for your comment, Renae! Your children are so lucky to have the experiences you’re giving them! And I’m thoroughly enjoying my days with my new grandbaby. Being a grandmother is even better than I expected … it’s heaven. 🙂

      Reply
  3. Heather says

    December 29, 2013 at 8:44 am

    Thanks for the tips! Nicky (18m0) was fascinated with the Christmas tree lights. He liked his gifts of the child size broom and the trucks with wheels. The child sized table and chair? He just enjoyed climbing on those! Will wait and see until he is interested in sitting there – then we will try serving food there.

    Reply
    • Deb says

      January 5, 2014 at 12:04 am

      Thanks for your comment, Heather! Those sound like great gifts. Nicky is at such a fun age … how wonderful that you’re introducing Montessori-inspired activities! 🙂

      Reply
  4. Emily says

    November 20, 2016 at 4:22 am

    Another fun idea to go with the potpourri is to break up cinnamon sticks an cloves then put them in a Parmesan cheese shaker or something like it. Infants and toddlers love to shake it and smell the Christmas deliciousness!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

What Are You Looking For?

...and get free geography album, monthly subscriber freebie, and access to the Living Montessori Now Resource Library! 

 I respect your privacy

Categories

Shop Living Montessori Now!

Living Montessori Now Sponsors

Montessori Print Shop

Alison's Montessori
Montessori for the Earth

Popular Posts

Categories

Archives

I Recommend (My Affiliates)

Montessori by Mom

Shop Montessori Services
Shop For Small Hands

How to Get Kids to Listen without Nagging, Reminding, or Yelling



Shop KiwiCo

Shop Little Passports for Award-Winning Adventure

Printed Alphabet Wood Tracing Board

Little Passports

Footer

Connect with LMN



Supervision

The activities shared on this blog require adult supervision at all times. You know which activities are appropriate for your children and/or the children under your care and are responsible for those children's safety.

You Can Also Find Me

Bits of Positivity PreK + K Sharing Spring Snow Publications

Subscribe by Email


Copyright © 2023 Deb Chitwood