October can be one of the most exciting months of the year for you and your preschool-aged child. There’s pumpkin-picking, decorating, costume-making, and all kinds of spooky arts and crafts projects for you to enjoy with your little one.
And the best part is that many of these activities align with the Montessori philosophy, which means that you can help enrich your child’s mind while you both enjoy the season. If you’re looking for the perfect seasonal activities for your Montessori preschool student, take a look at these holiday favorites.
Sort Seasonal Objects
Sorting objects is a great way for your Montessori preschool student to engage their minds and start learning how to identify differences and categorize.
This activity can be done year-round, but during the Halloween season, you can add a little extra festive flair to it by having your child sort toy spiders, pumpkins, candy corn, and other seasonal objects.
Scrub a Pumpkin
Scrubbing activities are a Montessori staple, as they allow your child to develop their motor skills, learn a practical life skill, and begin feeling independent. To turn this staple activity into a Halloween-friendly one — and to reinforce the Montessori method at home — you can have them scrub a pumpkin clean.
Take your child out to pick a pumpkin, then bring it home and provide them with the tools to clean it off. You’ll want to let your child take part in retrieving the water and have them help clean up after the job is complete.
Paint a Pumpkin
It may be a little early to hand your little one the carving tools, but that doesn’t mean they can’t enjoy the time-honored tradition of decorating pumpkins during the Halloween season. Opt for painting a pumpkin instead of carving it.
Lay down some newspaper, grab some non-toxic paints, and let your child get as creative as they want while transforming their pumpkin. This activity will allow your child to develop motor skills, build self-esteem, think creatively, and gain a sense of independence.
Once their pumpkin is complete, you can proudly display it on your front porch or wherever you and your little one see fit.
Dye Pumpkin Seeds
If you do carve a pumpkin this season, you will have many pumpkin seeds left over. These seeds can serve as an ideal opportunity for you and your Montessori preschool student to enjoy another fun seasonal activity.
You can wash and dry the seeds and then let your child help you create jars with water and food dye in them. In this way, you can use the seeds to make the perfect seasonal sorting objects. If you want to go a step further, you can use the seeds for a colorful arts and crafts project as well.
Create a Nature Box
This is the time of year when the trees begin decorating the ground with all kinds of interesting objects that your child will be more than curious to get a closer look at.
You can help them pursue that curiosity by taking them on a nature walk and letting them observe and collect things like acorns, pinecones, colorful leaves, and more to create a beautiful nature box.
While creating their nature box, your Montessori preschool student can learn all about each item, along with the season in which they can most often be found.
More Learning and Fun at Montessori School of Flagstaff
At the Montessori School of Flagstaff, we take pride in providing children with a rich environment designed to nurture an innate love of learning. If you’d like to know more about Montessori preschool, reach out to Montessori School of Flagstaff today.