Winter sports can be a great theme for winter in general. But a winter-sports theme is especially perfect in a Winter Olympic year. Today, I’m sharing another resource for a winter sports unit … a free winter sports do-a-dot printable that’s an instant download. It’s super easy to download and prepare.
Montessori-Inspired Printables at Living Montessori Now
My daughter, Chrissy Chitwood (a former Montessori child), and I are partnering to bring you a series of Montessori-inspired printables. The printables are typically themed and use a number of Montessori principles (although you don’t need to be a Montessori teacher or homeschooler to use them):
- They use isolation of quality.
- They use photographs or realistic images to emphasize reality. Whenever I can, I’ll tell you the specific name of the object or animal featured on the credits page. This do-a-dot printable doesn’t use photos. Instead, it uses non-cartoon winter sports images like you’d often see associated with the Winter Olympics.
- They typically use traditional Montessori colors such as red for consonants and blue for vowels.
- They use lowercase letters, which are what we introduce letter sounds with in Montessori education. (Children tend to pick up the uppercase letters without being introduced if they’re introduced to the lowercase letter sounds.)
- They often feature themed printable versions of Montessori materials.
Free Winter Sports Do-a-Dot Printable for the Letter
To download the winter sports do-a-dot printable, click here and then click on the file image in the upper right corner of the PDF to save to your computer (just choose where you want it saved).
Montessori-Inspired Activities Using the Winter Sports Do-a-Dot Printable
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links (at no cost to you).
Winter Sports Do-a-Dot Letter W Tray with Do-a-Dot Markers
Winter Sports Do-a-Dot Letter W Tray with Do-a-Dot Markers
I used a Multicraft tray and Do-a-Dot markers along with a “w” font card from our Montessori-inspired winter sports pack (subscriber freebie). The font card has icons for the Olympic winter sports events. My granddaughter and I have enjoyed reading about and discussing the various sports. You could add a magnifying glass to enlarge the icons if you wish.
At other times, I’ll have a transfer activity with do-a-dot printable, using tools such as quick sticks, sugar tongs, or toast tong. Or you could have a totally different type of do-a-dot activity. See ideas below. Just choose what is best for your child’s skill level and interests.
You could add a tracing activity to the printable. If you laminate your printable, you can use an erasable crayon like the Melissa & Doug Learning Mat Crayons or Crayola Erasable Crayons. If your page isn’t laminated, you could add a pencil or colored pencil. I often do that. For a 2-year-old or other young preschooler who’s not ready to write letters, you can just leave off the crayon or pencil.
Winter Sports Do-a-Dot Letter W Tray with Do-a-Dot Markers
Using Do-a-Dot Markers to Make a Winter Sports Letter W
I loved watching my 4-year-old granddaughter, Zoey, using the Do-a-Dot markers to make the letter “w.” She carefully made each dot, recapping and lining up the markers after each one. It’s so much fun to see the concentration and sense of order she’s developed!
A note for anyone using Do-a-Dot markers and letter tracing: Have children do the letter tracing first. We’ve had other activities with our do-a-dot printables for awhile now, and I didn’t think to suggest that Zoey do the tracing first. It tends to mess up the dots if the letter tracing is done right afterward. Of course, with Montessori activities, kids often want to do the work again at another time anyway!
If you want to know how to introduce the letter sound for w, check out my post on how to teach letter sounds using Montessori principles.
More Winter Sports Resources
Free Winter Sports Printables and Montessori-Inspired Winter Sports Activities
Montessori-Inspired Activities for Winter or Summer Olympics
Ultimate Guide to Olympic Values {Free Character Education Resources for a Variety of Ages}
Montessori-Inspired Packs – Subscriber Freebies
Don’t miss our themed monthly packs! You’ll get the link and password for the Living Montessori Now subscriber library with the current pack and all the past monthly packs if you subscribe to the Living Montessori Now weekly newsletter!
Free Do-a-Dot Printables and Ideas for Using Them
I love the versatility of do-a-dot printables! If you’re doing a month-long theme, you could easily change out the type of do-a-dot activity weekly to add interest. Here are four ideas of hands-on activities for any of our do-a-dot printables from my frog do-a-dot printable post (see post for details and materials used).
Just click on an image to go to the post with the related free printable!
Note: I’ve arranged the following gallery in alphabetical order, although some posts have two do-a-dot printables (and two different letters). Also, I don’t introduce letters in alphabetical order. You can find out the order in which I introduce letter sounds here. I deviate from that order for our unit studies, though, and focus on a letter that’s simply related to our unit. That’s in addition to our other letter work.
You can see all our free do-a-dot printables with the latest at the top here.
For complete themed alphabet do-a-dot packs, see our Animal Alphabet Do-a-Dot Pack, Spanish Animal Alphabet Do-a-Dot Pack, and Healthy Food Alphabet Do-a-Dot Pack available for purchase in the Living Montessori Now shop.
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