Montessori-Inspired Easter Shelves Hands-on Learning Activities

Montessori education and Christianity share several common values and principles, making them a suitable combination for parents who want to raise their children with a well-rounded education. Montessori education focuses on the child’s natural curiosity and desire to learn, while Christianity emphasizes the importance of love for oneself and others.

Both Montessori and Christianity believe in cultivating a sense of respect, compassion, and empathy in children, which can help them become responsible and caring individuals. By combining Montessori education and Christianity, parents can provide their children with a strong foundation for academic and personal success, as well as spiritual growth.

Easter-Pack-Learning-Busy-Book-Folder-Preschool-Kindergarten-Montessori-Nature-Printables

Maria Montessori was a devout Catholic who believed in the importance of education and learning for all children, regardless of their background or socioeconomic status. She dedicated her life to developing a unique educational philosophy that emphasized hands-on, experiential learning and allowed children to explore and discover their own interests and abilities.

Despite facing many challenges and obstacles throughout her career, Montessori remained steadfast in her beliefs and continued to promote her vision for a more just and equitable society through education. Her legacy continues to inspire educators and students around the world to this day.

animals that hibernate montessori nature free printables pegs cards tracing print fall winter

Montessori education has a unique and hands-on approach to learning that encourages children to explore and discover the world around them. As Easter approaches, Montessori schools often incorporate holiday-themed activities and lessons into their curriculum.

For example, children may participate in an Easter egg hunt, where they use their observation and problem-solving skills to find hidden eggs. They may also create Easter crafts, such as paper mache eggs or bunny masks, which encourage creativity and fine motor skills.

During this time, Montessori teachers may also emphasize the importance of empathy and kindness, reminding children to share and help others during the holiday. Overall, Montessori education values holistic development, and incorporating Easter activities into the curriculum is just one way to support children in their growth and learning.

Christian Montessori Easter activities

I have some great Christian Montessori Easter activities that you might find helpful. Easter is a time of year that is full of joy and celebration, and it is a great opportunity to teach children about the meaning of the holiday. Here are a few activities that you might want to try:

Resurrection Eggs: This is a great activity that helps children learn about the Easter story. You can create a set of 12 eggs, each with a different symbol inside that represents a different part of the story. As you open each egg, you can discuss the different parts of the story with your child.
Easter Sensory Bin: Sensory bins are a great way to engage children in learning. You can create an Easter-themed sensory bin with grass, plastic eggs, and other Easter-themed items. Your child can explore the bin and learn about the different items in it.
Egg Decorating: Decorating eggs is a classic Easter activity that children love. You can use natural dyes to color the eggs, and then have your child decorate them with stickers, markers, or other fun items.
Easter Story Stones: Story stones are a great way to encourage creativity and storytelling. You can create a set of stones with different symbols and images that represent the Easter story. Your child can use the stones to create their own version of the story.

Nothing speaks Love like Easter – “There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends”. John 15:13

This is the time when I try to show children different sides of love – painful, uncomfortable, and difficult. Love which presents scarifies and gives up comfort. It can be love for mum and dad – listening; love for yourself – making the right healthy choices; love for friends – letting them have a turn first; love of work – seeing that every work is done to the best of our ability; love for others – keeping promises.
The children need to see that rewards for these sacrifices are so sweet and pleasant, they help them gain something that can not be seen but will last forever.

During Group time I usually tell the story of Palm Sunday. Did you know that palm is the most flexible tree? No matter how hard the wind is – it can’t break the palm tree. I always loved this verse from Psalm 92: “The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree”. I thought it was quite amazing. We look into the parts of a palm leaf and talk about why people in those days used palm leaves to greet Jesus. I encourage the children to reenact this story and they make a craft with palm leaves.

Later we generally play the “pin donkey’s tail” game which they usually find hilarious.

Easter themed hands on ideas and activities for children

Here are some tips for creating a Montessori-inspired Easter shelf that will engage young children and foster their independence and creativity.

Choose natural materials: When setting up your Easter shelf, opt for natural materials whenever possible. This could include a wooden tray or shelf, real grass or moss as a base, and natural decorations such as wooden eggs, ceramic bunnies, or cloth bunnies. Opt for items that are simple, beautiful, and aesthetically pleasing.

Include practical life activities: One of the key principles of the Montessori method is the importance of practical life activities that help children develop their fine motor skills, concentration, and independence. On your Easter shelf, you could include activities such as egg decorating, egg cracking, or sorting and matching eggs by size, color, or pattern. These activities not only engage your child’s senses but also help them develop important skills that will benefit them in the long run.

different coloured plastic eggs in green and red plastic basket. Aluminium tongs with a white plastic egg plate

Fine motor activity with pegs

Wooden crate lined with yellow fabric with a rectangular and oval shaped boxes filled with pegs with various coloured pegs.

Color matching activity with pegs

wooden basket with yellow egg cut out blue plastic bowl with Easter themed pegs purple egg cut out with peg

photo credit: IMCH

Encourage exploration and discovery: Another important aspect of a Montessori-inspired Easter shelf is to encourage exploration and discovery. Include items on the shelf that spark your child’s curiosity and invite them to explore and learn more about the holiday. This could include books about Easter, eggs, bunnies, or springtime, as well as sensory materials such as natural grass, flowers, or feathers for your child to touch and explore.

Rotate the materials: To keep your child engaged and interested in their Easter shelf, consider rotating the materials regularly. This could involve introducing new items, changing the layout or configuration of the shelf, or adding in new activities or challenges for your child to try. By keeping the shelf fresh and exciting, you’ll keep your child engaged and encourage them to continue exploring and learning.

Easter learning pack

Easter-themed learning activity pack for Pre-K, Preschool, and Kindergarten children aged 3-5 contains so many fun activities for little hands. The Easter learning folder includes printables to create a wide range of hands-on experiences for young children. Students will explore various math concepts, such as odd and even numbers, work with CVC words, practice simple subtraction and addition operations, explore the Easter Story, work on sequencing skills, improve their fine motor, work on storytelling, and develop logical thinking, and so much more.

Simple subtraction
Simple addition
Picture puzzles
Egg match-up activity
Number puzzles with odd and even numbers
Heavy or Light? activity
Bunny match up
Small, medium, and large soring activity
Shape sorting activity – (4 shapes – pentagon, triangle, circle, and square)
Initial, middle, and final sound activity with CVC words
ABC capital and lowercase letters matching activity
Easter-themed matching activity
Assemble the Easter Basket activity
Parts of a chick – poster, label cards, worksheet for coloring, tracing, and independent writing
Fine motor transferring activity
Carrot life cycle – poster, picture cards, and student worksheet
Easter fine motor tracing, coloring, painting printouts
Resurrection Sunday 3 part cards and student booklet

Easter educational activities preschool montessori parts of chick carrot life cycle story of Easter math shapes puzzles dot painting (1)

Easter printables for preschool and kindergarten.

By creating a Montessori-inspired Easter shelf, you can bring a touch of educational enrichment to your holiday celebrations while also fostering your child’s independence, creativity, and love of learning. So gather some natural materials, set up your shelf, and watch as your child delights in exploring and discovering the wonders of Easter.