Music history can be so much fun for children when composers and music are brought to life!

These Music History Activities for Kids with Free Printables are such a great way to guide you through the process.

There are so many different ways to use them, depending on the age group you're working with.

Music is so important for the emotional and cognitive development of children. 

Music History Activities for Kids with Free Printables

Music Composers Picture and Description Match Up

These music history nomenclature and description cards can be used in so many ways!

In the picture above the picture cards and description cards are used in a matching activity.

For younger kids you can use just the picture nomenclature cards.

Older kids may enjoy the description cards.

In my classroom, I like to introduce a composer a week adding more to our nomenclature card activity as the year goes on.

It's also fun to create a timeline using these cards.

Source: I created these cards as part of the Music History Printable Pack. 

Music Composer Name First Letter Sound Clip Cards

Learning the names of music composers can be fun and also challenging. 

One way to help children learn names through pictures is to practice the first letter sounds of last names.

Kids can use the glass beads provided to mark their answers. So many other manipulatives could also be used. 

Source: I created these cards as part of the Music History Printable Pack.

Music Composers Time Period Sorting Activity

It's one thing to learn music composer's names and stories, and it's another thing to learn about music time periods in history and when each composer lived.

This activity introduces children to music time periods in history and allows to children to learn which composer lived when.

Understanding music time periods in history can help children understand why composers created music in the ways they did.

Children sort each composer by time period.

Source: I created these cards as part of the Music History Printable Pack.

Music Composer Listening Activity

It's fun to be able to identify a music composer by picture and know their name.

It's incredibly exciting and satisfying to be able to identify a music composer by their music.

The cards in this activity help you do this.

Each music card includes a composer and one of their most famous pieces.

Children can use technology in the classroom to look up and play each piece of music.

These cards can provide the perfect resource for listening games as well.

Younger children may enjoy drawing a picture while each piece is played initially. 

These cards can also be paired up with music composer nomenclature cards.

If you have older children who are up for the ultimate challenge, you can combine music composer nomenclature cards, description cards, and composition cards.

Source: I created these cards as part of the Music History Printable Pack.

FREE Montessori-inspired Music Composer Clip Cards

Children will love a second clip card option when learning music composers. 

When using these cards children mark or clip the last name of the composer in the picture. 

The first and sometimes middle name of the composer is provided.

Music composer picture nomenclature cards can be used as a control for this activity.

Source: This printable is a Subscriber's Only Freebie. For your copy, follow the directions below.

Directions on How to Obtain Subscriber Only Freebies

1. Click on the Subscriber's link at the bottom of this post.

2. Subscribe to our free newsletter.

3. Open the thank you message you receive in your e-mail, after subscribing. (Be sure to check your spam folder, as sometimes it ends up there.)

4. Click the confirmation link in the thank you message.

5. Once the confirmation is complete, you will receive another e-mail message with the Subscriber Only Freebies.

6. Click on the link.

7. Select the Minimalism, Montessori, or Mental Health Printables Library.

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

We hope you enjoy your free printable.

Note: If you are already a newsletter subscriber, open your most recent newsletter. At the bottom you will find a link to the Free Printables Library.

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Fire Vehicle Activities with Free Printables

Fire vehicles are loved by many children. 

Whether you're planning a transportation unit or are looking to introduce fire safety concepts, these Fire Vehicle Activities and Free Printables are sure to be a hit!

Included in activities and printables you will find various fire vehicles as well as a focus on fire safety gear to meet the needs of every child, no matter their skills and abilities.

All activities are designed to be kid-friendly and non-scary.

Montessori-inspired Fire Vehicle Activities with Free Printables

Fire Safety Gear Nomenclature Cards

Fire vehicles come with firefighters, who often wear a lot of gear. This gear can be frightening to children, if they aren't familiar with it. 

These nomenclature cards are a great way to introduce fire safety gear in a safe and non-scary way. 

If your child isn't a fan of nomenclature cards, you can use the cards to play a memory game or as a control in a more hands-on activity.

Firefighter dress up clothes may be a way to enhance the activity.

Source: The printable for this activity is included in our Fire Safety Printable Pack.

Fire Safety Gear Writing Strips

Some children learn best when they are reading. Other children best through writing.

These writing strips are for children who love to write.

A print and cursive option are available.

Whether you have a beginning writer who prefers tracing, or one that loves writing, there's an option for both.

I like to laminate cards and use white board markers to save on paper and allow repetitive use.

Learning about fire safety gear has never come with so many options.

Source: The printable for this activity is included in our Fire Safety Printable Pack.

Fire Safety Gear First Letter Sound Clip Cards

Once children learn fire safety gear vocabulary, learning, practicing and reviewing letter sounds is a great way to enhance studies. 

Kids love the options the clip cards provide.

Source: This printable is a Subscriber's Only Freebie. For your free copy, follow the directions at the bottom of this post.

Fire Truck Addition Clip Cards

Everyone knows it's rare to just see one firetruck at a time. Why not add them as they pass by?

You can use the firetruck printables provides or enhance the activity with toy fire vehicles or fire vehicle stamps.

The red glass beads are used to mark the answers on each clip card.

Source: The printable for this activity is included in our Fire Safety Printable Pack.

Fire Vehicles Land, Air, and Water Sort

Land, air, and water sorts are some of my favorite Montessori preschool activities. They are so much fun and such a great introduction to geography concepts.

In this activity, children sort fire vehicles.

Many children are familiar with firetrucks, but what about fireboats and airplanes that are used to put out fires?

You can use your own jars filled with dirt, air, and water, or use the cards provided in the printable.

Source: The printable for this activity is included in our Fire Safety Printable Pack.

Fire Safety Nomenclature Cards

For the kid who wants to know EVERYTHING, there is a second set of nomenclature cards provided that introduce all of the gear firefighters use and is available on their vehicles.

You can choose to use cards as nomenclature cards, as a memory game, or as something else.

If I were planning a field trip to the fire station, I would choose to use many of these cards as a scavenger hunt at the fire station, with the permission of the fire chief. 

Source: The printable for this activity is included in our Fire Safety Printable Pack.

Fire Truck Pin Poking Activity

Pin poking is such a fabulous way to develop fine motor skills, especially those needed for writing. In this activity kids pin poke the outline of the firetruck until it can be freed from the paper.

If you don't feel comfortable with pin poking, kids could use this printable for coloring, painting, or other art projects.

Source: The printable for this activity is included in our Fire Safety Printable Pack.

Don't forget your free printables!

Directions on How to Obtain Subscriber Only Freebies

1. Click on the Subscriber's link at the bottom of this post.

2. Subscribe to our free newsletter.

3. Open the thank you message you receive in your e-mail, after subscribing. (Be sure to check your spam folder, as sometimes it ends up there.)

4. Click the confirmation link in the thank you message.

5. Once the confirmation is complete, you will receive another e-mail message with the Subscriber Only Freebies.

6. Click on the link.

7. Select the Minimalism, Montessori, or Mental Health Printables Library.

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

We hope you enjoy your free printable.

Note: If you are already a newsletter subscriber, open your most recent newsletter. At the bottom you will find a link to the Free Printables Library.

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 Day of the Dead is one of our family's favorite holidays and for good reason!

El Día de lost Muertos is the perfect way to celebrate and remember your ancestors.

Our kids find that the holiday is also a great way to pay tribute to relatives that have died in their lifetime as well.

My husband loves the holiday as it reminds him of the years he lived in Mexico.

I love Day of the Dead because there's so much flexibility in how it can be celebrated.

Day of the Dead: How We Celebrate

How to Learn About Day of the Dead

When our kids were younger and we wanted to introduce the Day of the Dead to them, we created a beautiful bundle that included everything they may want to know and understand about the holiday.

You can enjoy this bundle as well!

Day of the Dead Mini Bundle

The Day of the Dead Mini Bundle is Montessori-inspired with beautiful non-scary, true-to-life images.

Once the kids learned and understood everything there was to know about the holiday, they decided they wanted to create their own ofrenda.

We don't have a lot of room in our home, so instead of giving them each a table or using our dining room table, I gave them each a shelf.

This worked out perfectly.

Each child selected two ancestors they wanted to honor.

They researched as much as they could about each person and even interviewed extended family in some cases.

All wanted to be sure they included everything they possibly could on the ofrenda. 

Our Day of the Dead Ofrenda

Almost all our decorations came from the local dollar store, but some did come from Amazon.

The kids took the day to prepare food, specifically favorite dishes of their ancestors and special food for the Day of the Dead.

They made sure to find frames for pictures of each ancestor.

Each person was celebrated with special additions to the ofrenda representing ancestor's favorite things.

One child added my husband's grandparents to our ofrenda. 

His great grandmother was a nurse in WWII. 

She met her husband, who was a soldier stationed in her country. 

Her husband loved great music and was a huge fan of baseball.

Another child celebrated my grandparents. 

My grandmother was known for her pies and her love of cards and board games.

Grandpa was known for his love of popcorn (which he passed on to me) and Snickers bars. He loved bowling and had quite a collection of hats.

The third child at home celebrated my great grandmother and my aunt who died as a child. (She was hit by a car.)

My great grandmother was known for her mashed potatoes and gravy while entertaining. 

The gravestone at my aunt's burial place has a lamb on it. She loved dolls and wrote poetry. 

Each year we add more relatives that have passed to our ofrenda. 

When Sunshine is home, we use a set of four shelves in our living room, to ensure each child has their own shelf to decorate.

As part of our Day of the Dead Celebration we also prepare a delicious Mexican meal that everyone in the house enjoys.

We also enjoy watching the movie Coco with a delicious Mexican dessert. 

The celebration of the Day of the Dead is something everyone in the family looks forward to each year.

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One way our family celebrates our German heritage during the holiday season is celebrating St. Nicholas Day.

We aren't a family who emphasize Santa. (Our kids know that all gifts come from parents.)

We aren't Catholic, and we don't celebrate saints.

We do celebrate our ancestry and those who serve others, especially the less fortunate.

St. Nicholas Day is a great reminder of things that matter during the holiday season.

How do we celebrate St. Nicholas Day?

All the details are below.

St. Nicholas Day: How We Celebrate

We introduced St. Nicholas Day to our children when they were toddlers in our Montessori homeschool setting.

Activities were age appropriate and focused on the basic ideas of the holiday.

Check out the post below for the all of the details.

St. Nicholas Day Activities for Tots and Preschoolers with Free Printables

As our children grew older, we introduced more details about the holiday.

The kids learned more about each symbol and different ways various countries celebrate using the activities and printables below.

St. Nicholas Day Activities for Kids with Free Printables

When the kids were ready, we read the book, The True Saint Nicholas: Why He Matters to Christmas. 

This book was a fantastic way to help my older kids understand exactly who St. Nicholas was and how he fit into history.

Since we first introduced St. Nicholas Day to our children, they have very much looked forward to the tradition of leaving their boots or shoes out to be filled with treats and candy before bed on December 5th each year.

We choose to leave boots or shoes under the Christmas tree, as they're much less likely to be tripped over, spilled, etc.

This tradition has continued even into the kids' teen years, and most likely will continue, knowing the type of mother I am. Lol.

They love the contents of their St. Nicholas Day Boots or Shoes.

What to Put in St. Nicholas Day Boots or Shoes

Each year we put five specific St. Nicholas Day treats in the kids' boots or shoes to emphasize why we celebrate the holiday.

• Candy Cane
• Orange (or apple for those who are allergic to citrus)
• St. Nicholas Chocolate
• Pepernoten/Gingerbread Cookies
• Chocolate Gold Coins

Then we fill the rest of the boots or shoes with our kids' favorite treats and snacks.

I am very thankful my teens prefer chips over chocolate, as the chips take up so much more room in their BIG shoes and are much cheaper to purchase.

Our other St. Nicholas Day tradition is to prepare a German feast for dinner. 

It takes a lot of time, but is so worth it.

Our German menu varies from year to year, but is absolutely delicious.

Our St. Nicholas Day German Feast

The main dish of our German feast rotates between two dishes: 

• German Style Pot Roast (Sauerbraten) 
• German Schnitzel

Sometimes, like in the picture above, we serve both.

Our favorite side dishes include:

• Traditional German Red Cabbage
• Sweet and Sour Green Beans with Bacon and Onions
• Hot German Potato Salad
• German Cheese Spätzle
• Creamy German Cucumber Salad (Gurkensalat)
• German Potato Dumplings
• German Soft Pretzels

Each year we choose the ones we're in the mood to make and go with those.

If we decide to make room for dessert, we love enjoying some delicious German chocolate cake.

There is no "right" way to celebrate St. Nicholas Day. You can make it what you want it to be.

Different countries choose to celebrate St. Nicholas Day in different ways.

Choose what best fits the needs of your family.

If you're looking for more ideas, be sure to visit the post below.

St. Nicholas Day Celebration Ideas

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