With Christmas just around the corner, we all feel that we might just need a “Christmas miracle” to finish everything that comes up during the holidays. My little elves’ ideas of helping, although I love their Christmas spirit, are just really doubling the work. Here are a few of my favorite Montessori holiday lessons your little elves will love doing all by themselves to free you busy moms up for some uninterrupted time to finish wrapping gifts or untangling lights.
Miniature tree decorating:
I love that Christmas tree smell so I always buy two, our family tree for the living room and then a little one for the kids. I set a basket next to the children’s tree with unbreakable ornaments, beads, and a tree topper. This allows my little elves to decorate and touch which assists in developing their fine and large motor skills. They can decorate this tree as many times as they’d like and I don’t have to worry about all the or same ornaments ending up on one branch. Also, by purchasing a live tree, they learn caring for living objects if you place a watering can and a small rag in another basket. They can fill up the tree’s water and wipe up any spills while learning and developing their pouring and transferring skills.
Snowball counting:
Buy or cut out ten snowmen, most craft stores sell foam snowman shapes. Write a number on each one choosing the numbers based on your child’s numerical awareness. Then fill a bin with cotton balls. Your child can line up the snowman, count out, and place in a row the number that is on each snowman. This is a fun and simple way to develop fluency in counting objects.
Winter object matching:
Fill a basket with two matching holiday or winter inspired objects. A few of my favorites are bows, ornaments, pine cones, and Christmas cards. Roll up a cloth place mat and set it next to the basket. Your child will enjoy matching up the similar objects and placing them on the mat . This activity strengths same and different, pairing, and grouping all while they explore holiday or Winter themed items.
Wishing everyone a happy stress free holiday preparation!
