10 Montessori DIY Holiday Activities to do with your Children

This has to be my favorite time of year. Everyone seems to be in the holiday spirit. Our crafty and clever teachers have incorporated a variety of holiday-themed crafts and projects into the childrens’ daily routine. Several of these crafts are extremely easy to incorporate into your home environment. If you’re anything like me, you’re already planning activities and works for your child to do over the winter break. Several Montessori works are surprisingly very affordable, and very easy to recreate at home.

(helpful links have been included so that you can purchase supplies for yourself!)

1. Threading with Jingle Bells – Fine Motor Activity

What you’ll need: bamboo skewer, styrofoam, large jingle bells

Simply press the pointy end of the skewer into the styrofoam and you’re ready to go! My three year old loved doing this step.

On the back of each jingle bell, there is a slot for threading, usually ribbon or string, but the skewer fits just perfectly. Simply slide the jingle bells on the skewer and listen to the bells jingle as they slide down.

2. DIY Foam Geoboard Trees

What you’ll need: green/white foam cones, golf tees, rubber bands

This is a great work for hand-eye coordination, and requires lots of concentration as your child ties each rubber band onto the golf tees.

3. Weaving with Christmas Ribbon

What you’ll need: Wire Rack, holiday-themed ribbon, basket to hold the ribbon, tray

Model for your child how to weave the ribbons, and let them take a turn when they’re confident they can do it themselves.

4. Christmas Tree Pompom Transfer

What you’ll need: Christmas Do-a-Dot Printables, pop poms of various colors, bowl/basket to hold pom poms, tongs

5. Button Tree

6. Christmas Sensory Box

What you’ll need: tub/tray, beans, various Christmas objects (pines, leafs, berries, ornaments, pompoms, bells, pine cones, etc.), pitcher or cup, measuring spoons (for pouring practice) or tongs (for pincer grasp)

Sensory boxes are something you can add to your child’s sensorial shelf all throughout the year. It’s a great way to introduce different holiday and seasonal themes. Children learn best by working with their hands. Sensorial boxes cater to their need to touch and feel their surroundings.

7. Pom Pom Toothpick Tree

What you’ll need: recycled shoe box, Christmas Tree cut out, pom poms, toothpicks

Tape the tree cut out to the top of the shoebox lid. You can use an awl, or pen to poke holes throughout the tree. Glue a pompom at the tip of each toothpick. Invite your child to put the toothpicks into the holes. This provides a great opportunity for hand-eye coordination improvement, fine motor skills, and concentration.

8. Tissue Paper Stained Glass

What you’ll need: Glad “press-n-seal” wrap, multi-colored tissue paper, tape.

The Glad wrap provides a sticky surface for your child to put the shreds of tissue paper. Try making a tree with tissue paper ornaments! The tissue can be taken down/put up multiple times, so this is a fun activity that can be done on more than one occasion.

9. Snowman Activity Tray

What you’ll need: sectioned tray, cotton cosmetic pads or white craft foam circles, small lengths of ribbon, trim, fabric etc., Craft foam or cardstock or felt (for hats), buttons, dried black beans, plastic ice crystals, orange felt (cut into “carrot noses”), small twigs

Place all of the snowman parts into the sectioned tray, and include a separate tray for your child to decorate their snowman in. This snowman activity also tests fine-motor skills and hand-eye co-ordination.  Picking up and manipulating tiny objects like the buttons, beans and twigs in our tray are great ways to develop those skills.

10. And of course…baking in the kitchen with kids is a must! Try these fun kid-friendly Christmas Cookie recipes!