13 Dec Hands On Montessori Inspired Winter Activities

It can be easy to feel stuck inside and bored as winter settles in. We came up with multiple indoor, and outdoor Montessori inspired winter activities to keep this season fun and lively! This holiday season, there are endless activities to do with your children, from nature scavenger hunts to making bird feeders.

Sugar Mill Montessori offers fun Montessori activities for the home and classroom this winter. We also invite families throughout the Greater Houston area to get in touch with us to learn more about our Montessori programs.

Outdoor Winter Activities

We highly encourage families to spend time outside this winter! Not only do children get to enjoy nature and see the outdoors from a different lens, but they also receive health benefits like exercising and exposure to vitamin D.

Nature Scavenger Hunt

Explore the senses with a nature scavenger hunt! Taking a nature-themed walk during this time of year is a fun experience for you and your children. We recommend exploring the five senses while on this scavenger hunt. Below are some examples we think you should add to your list!

To Look For:

Pinecone
Rocks with different features and colors
Cloud Shapes
Birds
Two types of trees (leaf and pine trees)

To Smell:

Tree bark
Pine Tree
Fresh Air (talk about what makes it smell fresh)

To Listen For:

Birds chirping
Wind
Water dripping

To Feel:

Tree bark
Last year’s leaves

Decorate Your Home With the Family

Sugar Mill Montessori encourages families to take an active role in teaching independence to their children. This winter, ask your children to help decorate your home with holiday lights and decorations. Not only does this let their creativity flourish, but it also allows them to see the processes taken to complete these tasks.

When children help and see processes like this, it helps them appreciate others around them and their work and cultivates independence. While an adult hangs up the lights, the kids can play outside and place any front lawn decorations.

Go On a Stroll

There are countless activities to keep this winter lively, including going on a stroll through a park or your neighborhood. Going on walks with your children helps build confidence and exercise, but it also allows for bonding in the family. Walking through your area also allows your children to see the holiday lights other families strung up!

Young children absorb everything around them. Their environmental and interpersonal experiences shape who they become. In Montessori education, we call this concept the Absorbent Mind. These formative experiences influence a positive association with the winter, its weather, and the changes in season.

Indoor Winter Activities

One of the best parts of winter is cozying up with your loved ones and spending time inside. Sometimes the weather doesn’t permit outdoor activities. Sugar Mill Montessori came up with a couple of fun hands-on winter activities to do indoors with the family!

A Montessori Spin on the Elf on the Shelf

Elf on the shelf is a holiday tradition that has been popularized for many years now. The tradition typically follows that of a Scout Elf coming into the home to ‘scout’ if your child is being “naughty or nice.” In Montessori, we discourage using “good” or “bad” labels because all children are wonderful, even if sometimes they make an unsafe or unkind choice. They are still learning!

Sugar Mill Montessori came up with a fun twist on the traditional Elf on the Shelf by ditching the story and making it a fun game of finding the elves each day. Families who don’t celebrate Christmas can also choose to participate!

We recommend adding a random act of kindness element to it. One method is to have your elf accompanied by an ornament with a kind deed written on it. Once the child completes the good deed, they can hang the ornament on the tree. By not linking it to behavior, Santa, or gifts, it’s just a fun family game that focuses on giving to others and spreading cheer.

Make Bird Feeders

Creating a bird feeder is a great Montessori activity that encourages learning and nurturing for the whole family. We came up with a fun, easy bird feeder craft that will guarantee winter birds make a pitstop in your yard. Observing and recording the activity of these birds helps your children better learn about how animals live in the cold season.

Supplies needed:

Toilet or paper towel roll
Jar of peanut butter
Small bowl
Plate
Plastic Knife
Birdseed

Steps for this craft:

Put the peanut butter in the small bowl and the birdseed on the plate.
Using the plastic knife, spread the peanut butter onto the cardboard rolls. Aim for an even and smooth layer of peanut butter over the toilet or paper towel roll.
Take the roll covered in peanut butter and roll it on the plate, attaching the birdseed.
Take your new bird feeder outside, slide it onto the perfect branch (put it near a window for better visibility) and wait for hungry birds!

Prepare Treats for the Family

Fostering independence and growth is the Montessori way. One of our favorite recommendations for families to nurture these traits is in the preparation of food. Whether creating delicious baked goods for loved ones or just hot cocoa on a cozy night in, this is a wonderful activity that involves the children and fosters connection in the family.

Learn & Explore this Winter

There are many indoor and outdoor activities to do this winter. Our Montessori-inspired, hands-on activities encourage independence, fun, and growth!

Are you interested in Montessori education for your children? Contact Sugar Mill Montessori in Sugar Land, TX, today and schedule a tour!