Memorial Day is the perfect time to answer those questions and to teach my children all there is to learn about being respectful when remembering those who have died.  I've done that this year through these wonderful Memorial Day Activities with Free Printables.

Memorial Day is one of my favorite holidays.  I have such fond memories of the day, dating back to when I was a child, going to cemeteries with my grandparents, placing flowers in front of headstones of relatives that had passed.  The day was filled with stories of those from the past.

My father was a military man, serving in Vietnam for the navy, and then serving in the Desert Storm War for the army.  

My husband's father and maternal grandfather were military men.  My maternal grandfather was a military man.  

I will always remember the day my father returned from Saudi Arabia.  

When I had Dinomite, I made it a point to celebrate Memorial Day, especially after all I had learned.

Our city has a wonderful parade. We all dress in our red, white, and blue.  We visit specific Memorial Day sites during the day.  

In the evening we walk in our local cemetery.  

The only thing that divides the cemetery from our yard is a fence.  Our children have watched many burials and funeral processions from our window, always asking questions.

Memorial Day Activities with Free Printables

Dinomite at age 4

Funeral Vocabulary Nomenclature Cards

I'm excited to go through each of the cards individually and explain to the kiddos what each picture and word means, in a way that is simple and understandable to them.  I find they always do so much better when they have a solid knowledge and understanding of concepts, as they're presented visually.

Source:  I created the printable for this activity.  It is a Subscriber's Only Freebie.  For your free copy subscribe to our free newsletter by following the directions at the bottom of this post.  Once you have obtained access to the Subscriber's Only Freebies, be sure to select Funeral Vocabulary Nomenclature Cards.

Patriotic Consonant Blends

Dinomite is doing extremely well with his reading, however he's struggling with his consonant blends. 

I'm hoping these cards and the action of writing the consonant blends will help him understand how to combine the two sounds.  It definitely won't hurt for Princess and Bulldozer to learn what two consonants sound like together either.

Source: I created the printable for this activity. The Patriotic Blending Sounds Printable is a Subscriber's Only Freebie. For your free copy, follow the directions at the bottom of this post.

Memorial Day Poetry

Studying poetry is very much a part of Montessori.  I wrote this very simple Memorial Day poem for the kiddos to read and analyze using the props provided.  Here is the poem if you'd like to use this Meomorial Day.

See the Man Stand

There was a man,

home from war he ran.

His job was done.

He put down his gun.

See the man stand.

He's next to the band.

He still wears his boots

that match his suit.

He remembers so well

all the men that fell.

So we are free

from those across the sea.

Today I stand proud,

listening to the music loud.

He fought for me,

So that I can be.

American Presidents Sequence Activity

The kiddos will sequence the presidents of the United States of America using the Placemat as a control.

Source: The free U.S. President cards can be found at Toddler Approved.

History of War Numbers

This activity is being used in a variety of ways depending on the child who chooses it.  Those who are able to sequence the wars in history cards, will do so.  Those who can not, will create the years and/ or number of casualties in each war.

Note: Number of casualties in the War on Terror is not up to date as these cards were made a few years ago.

Sources:  I created the war cards used in this activity. They are a subscriber's only freebie. For your free copy, subscriber to our weekly newsletter by following the directions at the bottom of this post.  Once you have access to the subscriber's only freebies be sure to select "Sequencing Wars in American History Cards."  

The number cards can be found for free at Montessori Print Shop.

Soldier Addition

Princess seems to LOVE addition and subtraction.  Mind you she's three years old.  However, if there's an activity like this on the shelf she instantly chooses it every day, first before any other activity.  I was super excited to use my little military men as counters this week!

Source:  These cards are part of a free printable pack at Royal Baloo.

Current World Conflicts involving the United States of America

Dinomite LOVES history.  It's one of his new passions.  This activity was created specifically for him. 

Using the country/continent cards and Toy Soldiers Dinomite will find and mark each country on the Map of the World, where American soldiers are involved in conflict or in danger right now.  (Cards were created to reflect the year 2013).

A special thanks to my friend Morgan Deane author of the book, Bleached Bones and Wicked Serpents: Ancient Warfare in the Book of Mormon  and the blog, Warfare and The Book of Mormon for helping with this activity.

Note: The printable for this activity was created a few years ago and does not reflect current world conflicts.

Source: I created this activity with the help of a friend for verifying information.  If you would like a free copy of the cards, click HERE.

Land, Air, & Water Military Vehicles

In honor of Memorial Day, we decided to practice our land, air and water sorting skills using military vehicles.  Dinomite and Bulldozer were delighted.  There are 36 sorting cards in this activity which made it all more fun.

Source: I created the printable for this activity as a subscriber's only freebie. For your free copy be sure to subscribe to our free newsletter by following the directions at the bottom of this post. Once you have gained access to Subscriber Only Freebies, be sure to select "Military Vehicle Sorting Cards."

The Armed Forces Vehicle Sort

The kids have been going crazy waiting to get their hands on this activity.  To teach the kids about the different armed forces I made cards for the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Coast Guard.  One set has their seal/logo. The other set has a picture of what their parade flags look like.  

In the basket are different types of military vehicles. It's up to them to separate which vehicles are used by each of the different armed forces.

Obviously some are used by many of them, but for their simple minds, I figure it will make the most sense to categorize them.  It was very difficult finding military vehicles in stores.  If you're interested in this collecting some of your own, you may want to consider the Metro Army Military Combat Diecast Vehicle Play Set.

Source: I created the printable for this activity. The Armed Forces Printable is a Subscriber's Only Freebie. For your free copy, follow the directions at the bottom of this post. 

Red, White & Blue Sensory Bin

This week we're exploring the colors red, white and blue using a sensory bin filled with various textures.  Sensory bins can be so much fun.

How to Fold an American Flag

I think it's important for everyone to know how to fold the American Flag.  I found fabulous pictures on Wikihow, along with directions that I made into cards for the kids.  I found a flag at our local dollar store and voila!  The kiddos are pros at folding napkins so I figure this will be a fun challenge for them.

Source: I created this activity using information I found on Wikihow.

Memorial Day Flower Arrangements

The kiddos will practice making flower arrangements all week.  On  Friday, they'll take them to the cemetery behind our house.  There they will find a soldier's headstone that doesn't have flowers and place them there.

Source: I created this activity.

Flower Tweezing

The kids will practice tweezing the red, white, and blue flowers, putting them in the other bowl. I just realized this pictures doesn't show the activity going from left to right.  Oops. I'll have to fix that!

Cookie Cutter Stars

The kiddos will dip the Star Cookie Cutter Set in the red and blue Crayola Washable Finger Paints and then make star outlines on the page.

How to Draw a Star

Dinomite just learned how to draw a heart by himself and is so excited.  He's been asking about how to draw stars, so I figured this would be the perfect time for him to learn how.  

The diagrams came from Wikihow.  I just made them into cards.  There are only 5 steps!

Taps Analysis

This week, the iPad is being used as part of our music lesson.

When I think of Memorial Day, I instantly think of "Taps."  The kids are not familiar with it at all.  So, I went online and found a video I was quite impressed with that emphasized a lot of the things they'll be learning this week.

I made sure to supply ear phones so the music wouldn't disturb the other kiddos.  After the first viewing of the video, the kids will use the sheet music I've provided to follow the melody line as the piece is played.  

I've connected notes so it's easier for the kiddos to follow along with their finger.  After following along, there are a few music theory cards on the tray.  The kids are to look at the cards and find the matching notations on the sheet of music.

I'm hoping it will go over well.  If nothing else, they'll recognize the piece and know when it is played.

I'm not sure who's more excited about our activities this week, the kiddos or me.

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For more patriotic activities check out the posts below.

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My Body: The Immune System and Personal Hygiene

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We've moved into our third week of studying our bodies. It's been very interesting to see how this unit has evolved, based on the needs and understandings of the kiddos.  Last week, as I was thinking about what to cover next, knowing what I'd planned was going to be too difficult, my thoughts instantly went to the immune system.  The kiddos weren't sick at the time, but it just made sense to me.  Funny thing is, two out of the four kiddos became mildly ill with horrible colds over the weekend.  My timing is perfect!

This week I was super excited about an idea I found as an object lesson, and boy did the kids LOVE it!  I had all of the kiddos put a small amount of lotion on their hands and rub until they couldn't see it anymore. I did this as well.  I then poured a very small amount of green glitter on the table and "accidentally" put my hand in it.  I then "accidentally" put my hand on my cheek.  The kiddos were giggling hysterically.  Next I shook each of their hands and well... It went on from there.  Bulldozer was determined to have green glitter on the table space in front of him, so I did end up doing that for each of the kiddos.  Needless to say, by the end of the presentation we were all covered in green glitter.

I explained to them that the green glitter was germs.  We talked about how quickly germs can spread and just how many of them there are around us.  They LOVED this activity.  It was a perfect introduction to the immune system.

On to our other activities!

This post has been updated, providing links to all free printables.  Some printables may vary from the pictures shown, to comply with copyright laws etc.  I worked extremely hard to have them resemble those shown in pictures.

English:

First Name Play Dough Mats

 The kids love play dough activities, so I figured I'd make boards with their names on them.  They can choose to use their own name or the name of a sibling.  Originally I had black play dough out to use for the activity, just because I had a lot of it.  However, after our first day of learning activities I'm so tempted to make green play dough with glitter tonight!

Suffixes

 Dinomite is still struggling to understand the concept of suffixes and rightly so. It's a very BIG concept for such a little guy with so many rules.  I adjusted an activity I created a few weeks ago to create this one.  There are five different words in the singular form, in one pocket.  The kiddos' job is to create those words one at a time using our "movable" alphabet.  Each of those words follows a different rule when making a singular word plural.  Once they've made the singular form of the word, they take away and add the letters necessary to make the word plural.  There is a set of cards with the plural versions of the words on them, as they need help.  Once they've physically changed the letters in the words to make them plural, they match up the rule to the specific word changes.   I'm hoping going through the actions in such a physical way will help Dinomite gain confidence in himself and help him remember the rules.

Source: I created this printable.  The Suffix Cards are a Subscriber's Only Freebie. For your free copy, follow the directions at the bottom of the post.

Writing Immune System Words

 There are many things you can do with these cards, however, I wanted to try to incorporate some writing into our trays.  Each kiddo will attempt to write the words on the cards the best they can.  If I notice the task is too difficult for Bulldozer and/or Princess, I'll just have them write the first letter of each word.

Source: I created the printable for this activity. The Immune System Words and Pictures is a Subscriber's Only Freebie. For your free copy, follow the directions at the bottom of this post.

Math:

Addition with Germs & White Blood Cells

We've used these addition wheels before, but again, Dinomite is trying to nail down all of his math facts by the end of June, so I brought out the ones he's struggling with.  Seeing as our theme is the immune system I used green glass beads as germs and white glass beads as white blood cells.

Source: These addition wheels can be found for free at Montessori for Everyone.

Get Well Store

 This activity is very similar to last week's activity, however, I made new cards to match our theme of the week, changing up the money values etc.  I use real coins, separated into little cups.  To help the kids remember the names and values of the coins, I pulled out our coin flashcards.  The object of the activity is to pull out the correct amount of change from the little cups to match the amount on the cards.  The little kiddos will then identify the coins by name.  Dinomite will count the money amount and then see if his answer matches the amount written on the back of the cards.

Despite accidentally erasing my card set from last week, (which I'll recreate) I'm pretty excited about how these turned out.  Different types of treatment one might need because of "germs" infecting the body are on the cards.  The discussion that comes from the pictures alone is great!

Source: I created the printable for this activity. The Germ Solution Money Cards are a Subscriber's Only Freebie. For your free copy, follow the directions at the bottom of this post.

What Time Do I Wash My Hands?

 This activity is similar to one we did two weeks ago, however I made cards to match the theme we are studying.  The kiddos look at the card and then move the hands on the clock to match the card.  The little kiddos then turn the card over and say the time on the back.  Dinomite tells an adult what time it is before he turns over the card.  Most often he's right.

 I designed the cards to teach the different circumstances kiddos should remember to wash their hands.  The discussions have been great.  It's been super exciting to see the kiddos apply what they're learning in our classroom to daily living situations.

Source: I created the printable for this activity.  The When to Wash Hands Printable is a Subscriber's Only Freebie. For your free copy, follow the directions at the bottom of this post.

Science/Health:

Immune System Match Up

 I would have loved to do more with these cards, however I was out of planning time. I've seen how people use play dough to create the different ideas etc.  Perhaps next time.  For now we're just matching up.

 Source:  I found these cards at Mixing Playdough.

Dos and Don'ts of Spreading Germs

 These cards really don't have a control, other than a match up, however I've realized Bulldozer LOVES the yes/no card series I've been making. It doesn't take him long to do it himself and he actually learns.  The yes/no cards work very well with his black and white way of thinking.

 Each "no" card has a match up "yes" card to teach kiddos what to do, instead of what not to do when germs are concerned.

Source:  I created the printable for this activity. The Spreading Germs Yes and No Printable is a Subscriber's Only Freebie. For your free copy, follow the directions at the bottom of this post.

Brushing Teeth Sequence

Dinomite is pretty good at brushing his teeth, however, Bulldozer and Princess have much to learn. I found these great sequencing cards online and couldn't resist using them.  The only downfall to the set is that there are a lot of cards in the sequence.  I'm hoping the kiddos can still do it with help!

Source: I found this activity at Connectability.ca.

Washing Hands Sequence

I wanted this activity in our mix specifically for Bulldozer.  He struggles sequencing events.  This activity seems very simple and easy for him.  It will also help him remember what to do when it's his turn to wash his hands.

 Source: I found these cards at Boardmaker Share.

Art:

Germs with Personality

This was such a cute activity. I couldn't resist. Already after one day it's a favorite.  It's so much fun to make your own germs!

I diluted our paints with water.  The kiddos use the eye droppers to put paint on the paper.  Then they use the straw to blow the paint in different directions to create germs. Once the paint is dry they can add facial features, including googly eyes.

 Source:  I found this activity at Raising Sparks.

Music:

Musical Instruments that Shake

We're starting to collect quite a variety of musical instruments.  I decided to pull some out that the kiddos can shake. Already the kiddos are comparing the sounds and shapes of each of the instruments. I love it!

Practical Life:

Operation

I found this at Salvation Army and couldn't resist. After all, it's the first thing I thought of as we started studying the body.  There are no batteries in the game, as that would make it impossible for the kiddos and extremely annoying for Mommy.  It's a simple tweezing activity, or not?  Bulldozer and Princess have become very frustrated with it already.  Hopefully they'll keep working at it throughout the week.  Dinomite loves it!

Syringe Water Transfer

This activity has been loads of fun and lots of work at the same time.  The kiddos are having a blast but it's taking them more coordination and practice than they thought it would, to be successful at transferring the water.  I think they're doing fabulous!

Blowing Your Nose

There isn't a single kiddo in our home who can blow their nose successfully.  So, I figured we could use the lesson and practice.  After reading about the step by step process Montessori Schools use to teach kiddos this skill, I made cards to help them remember the steps.

Source: I created the printable for this activity. The Blowing Nose Sequence is a Subscriber's Only Freebie. For your free copy, be sure to follow the directions at the bottom of this post.

Washing Hands

My kiddos are pretty good at the process of turning water on, putting soap on their hands, and then rinsing, however they tend to neglect the actual washing part, or rinse the soap off before they start rubbing their hands together.  I loved these cards I found.  They actually give a step by step hand motion process to make sure the kiddos wash their hands completely.  We've even progressed to washing our faces today, which I think is pretty cool. Although, again, we're going to have to find or create a step by step process for remembering all the parts of the face. Lol.

 Source:  I found the illustrations and directions at Project Wet.

Sensorial:

Oral Electrolyte Solution Taste Testing (Gatorade Taste Testing)

I was super excited when I came up with this idea.  (If it's out there already, I didn't know about it.)  It's always so hard to come up with sensorial activities my autistic kiddos will actually attempt.  It's even harder to take care of my autistic boys when they get sick, especially when they need fluids.  Bulldozer will not drink anything but water.  Add his allergies to the mix and it gets pretty hairy.

The kiddos are LOVING this challenge so far.  Bulldozer, to my surprise, tasted every single flavor today.  He didn't like any of them, except for the water with the added solution, but hey, that's progress in my book.  Honestly, until today while at the store, I didn't even know they made plain water with the solution.

I used medicine cups as sample cups for each flavor.  They really are the perfect size.  As the kids keep tasting the flavors throughout the week I'm certain we'll be getting into discussions about what flavor they like best, least, etc.

Throat Drop Taste Testing

Again, I was super excited about this idea when it came to me.  I was a little bit concerned about the kids' intake of throat drops during one setting, but no one kiddo finished more than one throat drop.  The rest they just tasted and then took out of their mouths, putting them back on the tray.  The kids were sitting down at their table during the testing, so I wasn't as nervous about choking. Still, it was funny as I had to explain to them all how to just suck on a piece of "candy."  Princess instantly wanted to chew them up.  Dinomite didn't know exactly what to do.  By the end, they had the hang of it and loved the activity.  It's surprising how many flavors of throat drops there are out there.

And that's it for this week!  I've not been great at documenting the books we're reading every day. Hopefully next week I can do better with that.

We are having so much fun during learning time in this house!

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