Free Printables

Cat and Dog Activities and Printables (Learn & Play Link Up)

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Sunshine has always been obsessed with cats and dogs.  Besides babies, I seriously can't think of something that she likes more.  So when I saw that we had a few cat themed activities in our Learn & Play Link Up last week, I couldn't help running with the idea!  Just check out these activities and printables!


Welcome to the Learn & Play Link Up!!!
Learn & Play Link Up Every Thursday


Now it’s time for this week’s link party! This new link up is for all blog posts that include learn and play activities and hands-on education for kids. We are excited to read your blog posts and to see what you have to share! Please link up below and grab our button to display on your blog.
If you are a blogger, share your family friendly posts here. We are looking for things which include:
  • Montessori Education
  • Homeschool
  • Sensory Play
  • Tot and Preschool Trays
  • Fine and Gross Motor Activities
  • Kids in the Kitchen
  • Healthy Recipes for Kids
  • Arts and Crafts
  • Natural Living
  • Free Educational Printables
  • Family-Oriented Activities
  • Healthy Living
Your post will be shown on each host’s blog where we will individually pick features every other week. That means there is more of a chance that you will be featured!
Everyone, please meet our link party hosts:
learn and play party hostesses

Guidelines for Linking:
  • Please link up 1-3 posts
  • Follow each of the hosts on social media
  • When you link up, please add our button and place it at the bottom of your shared posts or link back with text link.
  • By entering a link, you’re giving us permission to feature an image on our blogs. Proper credit & links will ALWAYS be given.
  • Please visit a couple of shared posts and leave a comment for them
  • Remember that you must link back in order to be featured
Christian Montessori Network

Busy Bags for Hollywood Studios Walt Disney World and More!

We rarely leave the house without busy bags for Sunshine and others who may need them.  Hollywood Studios in Walt Disney World was no exception.  As my husband says, 

"At Disney World you always seem to be in a hurry to wait."

Whether in line, at a restaurant, waiting for a parade or show, you can always depend on waiting while in the parks.  

Here are a few simple busy bag ideas that worked for us.  

Please note: some of them work better in some situations than others.  And some were used back at the hotel to pass time when our day at Hollywood Studios didn't go as planned.

Themes for each busy bag were chosen specifically based on what there is to do at Hollywood Studios.


Busy Bags for Hollywood Studios Walt Disney World and More!


Sunshine always needs to keep her hands and her brain busy. Waiting is not a strength of hers. 

These busy bags did wonders helping navigate the waiting process while at Hollywood Studios and at the hotel. 

Here's how Sunshine stayed busy!

Doc McStuffins' Book of Boo Boos


Doc McStuffins' Book of Boo Boos

This busy bag was VERY simple.  It included a washable crayon and a plain notebook from the $1 store.  

While in Disney we actually ended up using washable markers instead of crayons because of the heat, but it's still the same concept.  

Sunshine LOVED this busy bag.  

Not only did she use it while in Hollywood Studios, but everywhere else after our day there.

Sofia the First Counting Cards with Clothespins


Sofia the First Counting Cards with Clothespins

Sunshine LOVES fine motor tasks, so playing with Clothespins is a favorite.  

Whether she decided to actually count the items on the card and clip the correct number, or just use the clothespin to clip the images on the cards, the activity worked just as well and included some of her favorite characters from one of her favorite shows.  

Source:  The free printable for this activity can be found at Over the Big Moon.

Cars Colors Book


Cars Colors Book

When you have a kiddo who loves books, it's not uncommon to want to bring some with you when needed, even in Walt Disney World.  However with limited room in backpacks, and wanting to avoid any unnecessary weight, board books just aren't something I bring. 

Instead I create my own books using card stock and Scotch Thermal Laminating Pouches.  The book worked perfectly while waiting in line.

Source:  The free printable for this activity can be found at 1+1+1=1.

Star Wars Puzzles


Star Wars Puzzles

Sunshine has developed a love for Star Wars after being introduced to the characters and film by her older brothers.  

So while they went on a ride she wouldn't enjoy, it only made sense to bring a Star Wars activity for her to do while we wait for them.  

In a perfect world, I would have created squares with two pieces of velcro, one for each side of the puzzle, so they would stick together for Sunshine, no matter what she did with them.  I'll remember this for next time.

Source:  The free printable for this activity can be found in the Star Wars Tot Pack at 3 Dinosaurs.

Jake and the Neverland Pirates Character Match Up


Jake and the Neverland Pirates Character Match Up

Sunshine is a Disney Junior fan all the way.  We can't forget to include Jake in our activities!  

Here Sunshine matched up character cards to Disney Jr. Jake and the Neverland Pirates Figurine Gift Play Set figures.  Other times she just played with the cards or with the figures.  This busy bag provided multiple ways to entertain.

Source:  The free printable for this activity can be found at 1+1+1=1.

Hollywood Studios Snack Breaks


Hollywood Studios Snack Breaks

It's always nice to have snacks on hand in the parks.  These are a few that I found special for our day at Hollywood Studios.  All were found at local grocery stores.

Hollywood Studios Visual Schedule


Hollywood Studios Visual Schedule

Though not a busy bag, our visual schedule for the day in Hollywood Studios was one of Sunshine's favorite things and kept her calm when things weren't quite going the way she had envisioned.  

I can not stress enough how important our visual schedules were while at Disney.  

This visual schedule was created using pictures of Hollywood Studios I found online. Attached with a Ring, the cards could be changed when needed.  All of the pictures had labels on them.

For those who would like more Disney-inspired activity ideas, be sure to subscribe to our free newsletter by clicking the link below.


If you'd like to read about our experience in Hollywood Studios, Walt Disney World, be sure to check out the post below!

Hollywood Studios Walt Disney World with Special Needs FREE Disney Princess Inspired Learning Activities  Disney Villians Halloween Party Disney-inspired Royal Self-Affirmation Resources and Ideas for Kids The Lion King and Lion Guard Inspired Resources for Families Busy Bags for Hollywood StudiosDisney Princess ActivitiesBusy Bags for Animal KingdomBusy Bags for EpcotFree Disney Inspired PrintablesPrincess Unit

Montessori-inspired Fish and Water Unit with FREE Printables

There is something so fascinating and magical about fish.  This makes learning about them so much fun for everyone. 

My kiddos have loved this Montessori-inspired Fish and Water Unit with Free Printables.  They can not get enough of the activities.

At first this was just going to be another fish unit, but it didn't make sense to do that.  Fish live in oceans, rivers, lakes and more.  This was the perfect time to learn more about water forms.



Here's what we've been up to!


Montessori-inspired Fish and Water Unit with Free Printables


"sh" Sounds of the Ocean


"sh" Sounds of the Ocean

We are almost finished with the Montessori Blue Series, so I thought it'd be okay to introduce a phonogram from the Green Series for this activity.  Bulldozer is very interested in letter sounds right now.

In this activity the kiddos will sort through the sea creatures in the bowl.  If their name has the "sh" sound, they will place them on the Montessori Lower Case Double Sandpaper Letters.  Those who do not have the "sh" sound in the their name will be placed to the side.

Each creature has it's name written on it as a control.  All those with the "sh" sound in their name are fish. Those without the "sh" sound are not.

Safari Ltd TOOB figures used in this activity came from our collection at home.

Dividing Goldfish


Dividing Goldfish

The kiddos have now learned how to add, subtract, multiply and divide with ease.  I thought our fish unit would be a great time to review some of the operations they've learned.

In this activity the kiddos will divide Pepperidge Farm Goldfish Crackers among the fish bowls provided to answer the math problems on each card. Glass Gems are being used for markers in this activity.  When finished kiddos can eat one goldfish cracker for every problem they've answered correctly.

Source:  I created the printable for this activity as part of my Fish Unit Math Printable Pack 1. This is a subscriber's only freebie. See directions at the bottom of this post on how to access your free copy.
  

Multiplying Swedish Fish


Multiplying Swedish Fish

It seemed only natural to practice our multiplication skills for this unit as well.  

The kiddos will use the Swedish Fish as counters to answer the problems on each card. Clear Gem Glass Confetti is being used as counters for this activity.  

Once again, I permitted the kiddos to have one Swedish Fish for every problem they answered correctly.

Source:  I created the printable for this activity as part of my Fish Unit Math Printable Pack 1. This is a subscriber's only freebie. See directions at the bottom of this post on how to access your free copy.

Parts of a Fish


Parts of a Fish

I am amazed by how much my kiddos love our Montessori Wooden Fish Puzzle.  It is such a fabulous tool in helping the kiddos learn about the parts of a fish.  When using this activity the kiddos match up each body part to the cards provided.

Source:  The free printable for this activity can be found at The Helpful Garden.

Fish "Who Am I" Cards


Fish "Who Am I" Cards

My kiddos love "Who Am I" cards.  Bulldozer chooses the activity everyday.  I love listening to him read each card to figure out which picture card it matches up with.  He's come so far with his reading.

Source:  This printable for this activity is part of the Montessori-inspired Fish Printable Pack Bundle.  Please note that updates to this printable have been made.  The border is no longer blue.


Fish Dangers Picture and Description Cards


Fish Dangers Picture and Description Cards

As many know, Dinomite loves learning about predators of all kinds.  For this unit he asked to learn about why and when fish are dangerous.  

In this activity the kiddos will match up information cards with picture cards. Each information card tells how the fish catches it's prey, if it's dangerous to humans and why.

Source:  The printable for this activity is part of the Montessori-inspired Fish Printable Pack Bundle. Please note that updates to this printable have been made.  The border is no longer blue.
  

Creatures of the Ocean Sort


Creatures of the Ocean Sort

Princess and Bulldozer have become a little confused about which sea creatures are fish and which ones are not.  This activity has helped them a lot.  

The kiddos will sort the cards into two columns, "Fish" and "Other."  As a control, each card says fish, echinoderm, mammal, etc. on it.  

The figures are provided for the kiddos to match up with picture cards.  They've really enjoyed this.

Source:  The printable for this activity is part of the Montessori-inspired Fish Printable Pack Bundle.

My Book of Continents and Oceans


My Book of Continents and Oceans

I never anticipated just how much the kiddos would love this activity. To be completely honest, I was nervous they wouldn't touch it after I presented it.  Boy was I wrong.  All three kiddos are so proud of their books.

The purpose of the activity is to help the kiddos learn the names of the oceans and where they're located in relation to each continent. 

Each page of the book shows a continent with lines above, below, and on each side of it.  There the kiddos write which oceans and/or continents surround each other.

A compass is provided on each page as a control, to help them remember which direction they're looking in.  To find answers, the kiddos are using our Explorer World Desk Globe.

Source:  Renae created the printable for this activity as part of the Fish Unit 2 Science & Culture Printable Pack 1. This is a subscriber's only freebie. See directions at the bottom of this post on how to access your free copy.


My Book of Land and Water Forms


My Book of Land and Water Forms

There are many ways to learn about land and water forms, several of which we've done in the past, however I wanted to take things to the next level this time around.  

The kiddos are making their own books of land and water forms, drawing and labeling them on each page.  At first they were hesitant, but now they very much enjoy the activity.

Source:  Renae created the printable for this activity as part of the Fish Unit 2 Science & Culture Printable Pack 1. This is a subscriber's only freebie. See directions at the bottom of this post on how to access your free copy.

Major Rivers of the World


Major Rivers of the World

We've learned about various water forms. The kiddos have learned about oceans.  Until now, we hadn't studied rivers.  

This activity is an introduction to the subject.  There is so much information packed in these cards.  

As a control I colored a dot the same color as the Montessori continents on the back of each of the river cards.  

Dinomite was so excited to tell me which rivers he already knew about.

Source:  This printable for this activity can be purchased for a small fee at The Pinay Homeschooler.

Caring for Fish


Caring for Fish

As part of our unit, we introduced fish into our learning environment.  Fish are the first pets the kiddos have ever had. The experience has definitely been an adventure.  

I'll be writing about it more in another post soon.  But for now, know that the boys each have three fish that they've named and are responsible for.  

The day this picture was taken was the glorious day when there was enough algae in the fish tank to buy an algae eater.  Who knew that day would be so exciting for the boys. Lol.

For those interested in the printables for this unit, follow the directions below.

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6. Find the printable pack you are looking for listed in alphabetical order, click on it, and viola!

We hope you enjoy your free printable.

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If you enjoyed this post, you may also enjoy the posts below.

Fish Printable Pack Bundle in Action with Free Bonus Printable 10 Ways to Teach Land and Water Forms Children's Books About Fish Little Fish, Big EmotionsMontessori-inspired Continents and Oceans Printable Pack BundleMontessori-inspired Fish Printable Pack Bundle Montessori-inspired Shark Unit Printable Pack BundleMontessori-inspired Dolphins and Whales Printable Pack Fish Unit