Free Amphibian Printables and Montessori-Inspired Amphibian Activities

This is a great time to study amphibians, whether you’re focusing on pond life, frogs, or animal classifications! Here, you’ll find links to free amphibian printables used to prepare hands-on activities and a new Montessori-inspired amphibian pack for our newsletter subscribers’ resource library!

Disclosure: This post contains some affiliate links (at no cost to you).

M0ntessori Shelves with Amphibian Themed Activities

You’ll find Montessori-inspired amphibian-themed numbers, letters, and and more (part of my subscriber freebie pack, so just sign up for my email to get the link and password … or check the bottom of your latest newsletter if you’re already a subscriber) Note: The Montessori-inspired amphibian pack isn’t designed as a complete amphibian unit but as supplemental materials. I design the packs using realistic images that I’ve often looked for when preparing a unit study (such as font cards and phonogram cards featuring the letter and phonogram related to the theme and math cards with realistic images that fit the theme and can be adapted for math activities at a variety of levels.)

You could mix your amphibian-themed activities among your shelves according to curriculum area. Or you could have a special amphibian-themed area something like the one pictured. My shelves at the beginning of our unit have a mixture of skill levels. Many of the activities can be adapted for a variety of levels. Many of these are designed for early elementary as well as preschoolers. If you’re a homeschooler, just choose the activities that work for your child’s interests and ability levels. If you don’t have room for all the activities you’d like to do, simply rotate them.

Notice the framed art print Curious dachshund puppies and a frog (1917) by Karl Reichert. It’s a free download from Wikimedia Commons.

For our monthly featured art print, I purchased a Li’l DAVINCI art frame that opens in the front for easily changing a free art masterpiece printable or vintage illustration to fit with the month’s theme. The frame can be switched from horizontal to vertical without changing the hanger, which is perfect!

If you’re wondering about the rugs and rug box I use, both the rugs and wooden rug holder are from Montessori Services. I love the Montessori Services rugs and rug holder! I used to use an umbrella stand something like these. I loved that for 1-3 rugs, but I needed something different when I had more grandchildren and some projects that needed more than one rug.

Favorite Shelves, Trays, Baskets, and More for Montessori Homeschoolers

I often get asked about the trays, baskets, etc., that I use, so I published a post with many of the items. You can find lots of helpful resources here. They’re not all essential, so don’t feel you need to have everything. Just choose what’s best for your budget and your unique family’s needs. You’ll find more ideas in the Living Montessori Now Amazon shop

Amphibian-Themed Books for Kids

Even though I have books on shelves, I’m now keeping many of my themed books in a forward-facing display after placing a plant where the themed book basket was before. Most of my seasonal books are now in that book basket. 

For toddlers and preschoolers, about ¾ of the books I use are typically Montessori friendly (focusing on reality without smiling or talking animals or smiling or talking vehicles). With older kids, I like to have some silly books that include facts about the topic, such as Nobody Likes Frogs and The Toad: Disgusting Critters.

Top Shelf of Main Themed Shelf: 

• Awesome Amphibians. (This series (I have the whole set) is great for young readers and preschoolers who are learning about animal classifications!)
• What’s the Difference? Frogs and Toads with easy-to-understand facts.
• Amphibian Pages from DK’s First Animal Encyclopedia
• “Awesome amphibians” pages from My Encyclopedia of Very Important Things (on the shelf to the right of the main themed shelf)

Top Shelf of Forward -Facing Display:

• Nature Anatomy
• Tree of Life: The Incredible Biodiversity of Life on Earth
• Animalium: Welcome to the Museum

2nd Shelf:

• DK Animal Atlas
• Over and Under the Pond (part of a beautiful series of Over and Under nature books)
• About Amphibians: a Guide for Children

3rd Shelf:

• National Geographic Kids First Big Book of Reptiles and Amphibians
• DK Find Out! Reptiles and Amphibians
• Am I a Frog?

4th Shelf:

• National Geographic Kids Frogs
• Nobody Likes Frogs
• What I Like About Toads (an old book, but it’s available used and has lots of helpful information about toads)

Bottom Shelf

• Why Frogs Are Wet
• The Toad: Disgusting Critters
• Frog and Toad Are Friends (part of a classic series by Arnold Lobel)
• Frog and Toad All Year (part of a classic series by Arnold Lobel)

Some other animal and amphibian books we’re using:

•  DK Smithsonian Animal Book 
• National Geographic Kids Little Kids First Big Book of Animals
• Salamanders: Life Cycles with easy-to-understand facts

You can see lots of amphibian books here.

Amphibian 3-Part Cards with Awesome Amphibians Book

Free Printable: Amphibians 3-Part Cards by SavvyPrints at TPT (Note: Don’t use the earthworm, since it’s not an amphibian. There are both usual and unusual amphibians in this pack, though!)

The book is Awesome Amphibians. (This series (I have the whole set) is great for young readers and preschoolers who are learning about animal classifications!)

Parts of the Frog Work and Book What’s the Difference? Frogs and Toads

The book is What’s the Difference? Frogs and Toads with easy-to-understand facts.

Free Printable: Parts of the Frog Mapping (Cursive and Print) by Greater Possibilities Montessori Education at TPT (For older children, I like to add labels to the Montessori frog puzzle. This printable has control charts and labeling pages in both print and cursive. Older children can also build the frog outside the wooden puzzle frame.)

Free Printable: Parts of an Amphibian by Creative Montessori Materials at TPT (This has simple parts of a frog. It also has blank pages for booklet making. This could be used with younger children or with older children by printing out enough pages for them to add whichever body parts they choose.)

Free Printable: Parts of the Frog, Montessori 3 Part Scientific Nomenclature Cards by Homemade for Play at TPT (This is a more detailed body parts printable. Just use whatever is best for your child or classroom.)

Amphibian Pages from First Animal Encyclopedia with Frog Life Cycle and Dissection Activities in the Background

I’ve often used pages from DK’s First Animal Encyclopedia (the book on our book easel). The book has lots of great 2-page spreads. See below for information about the frog dissection and life cycle materials in the background. 

Amphibian Sand or Salt Writing Tray with Movable Alphabet Spelling

Free Printables: /a/ for amphibians and /ph/in amphibians phonogram for salt or sand writing tray (part of my subscriber freebie pack, so just sign up for my email to get the link and password … or check the bottom of your latest newsletter if you’re already a subscriber).

You’ll see a variety of simple letter writing trays in my previous unit study posts. I often used the wooden tray from the Melissa & Doug Lace and Trace Shapes. You can use whatever tray or container work best for you, though.

The sandpaper letters I use are available in print or cursive.

I typically now use this lovely spelling/alphabet tray from FamilyTreeWW on Etsy. I like it for writing more than one letter or spelling words. (Note: If that sand tray is currently unavailable, you’ll find lots of other options for Montessori sand trays on Etsy.)

I added a salamander and frog from the Safari Ltd. River TOOB and cane toad from the Venomous Creatures TOOB.

If you would like help with introducing phonetic sounds, introducing objects with sounds, or beginning phonics in general, check out my DIY Beginning Montessori Phonics with Preschoolers.

Toad /oa/ Phonogram

Free Printable: /oa/ phonogram in toad (part of my subscriber freebie pack, so just sign up for my email to get the link and password … or check the bottom of your latest newsletter if you’re already a subscriber)

These are the double sandpaper letters I use.

Salamander Alphabet Cards

The book is Salamanders: Life Cycles with easy-to-understand facts.

Free Printable: Life Cycle of a Salamander • Montessori Nomenclature Cards • Three Part Cards from SavvyPrints at TPT (For this activity, I just used the “salamander” labels in print and cursive. At another time, the entire printable could be used.

Free Printables: Salamander alphabet cards in print and cursive (part of my subscriber freebie pack, so just sign up for my email to get the link and password … or check the bottom of your latest newsletter if you’re already a subscriber)

I have a new themed alphabet card set each month now, and each set is very adaptable. You can use them for activities such as matching the letters with sandpaper letters to matching print to cursive letters to spelling words with the alphabet cards used as a themed movable alphabet.

Red-Eyed Tree Frog Pages with Greater Than, Less Than Activity

Free Printable: Red-eyed tree frog numbers 11-20 and greater than/less than symbols (part of my subscriber freebie pack, so just sign up for my email to get the link and password … or check the bottom of your latest newsletter if you’re already a subscriber). If you’re looking for a fun way to teach greater than and less than, check out this post.

The book is the National Geographic Kids Little Kids First Big Book of Animals. I love the book for a variety of animal themes.

I used realistic-looking flies and Montessori bead bars. I’d just have the child draw two cards from the pile and compare them using the number cards, greater than and less than symbols, flies, and bead bars. For young children, I’d just use number cards 1-10.

Rainbow Frog Adjective Game

Free Printable: Rainbow Frog Ajective Game from Resources by Lolly K at TPT

This is an adaptable printable! With young children who are learning their colors, they could simply lay out the frogs from small to large and place the color tablets from Color Box 2 next to the matching colored frogs.

For older kids and kids working on grammar activities, they could lay out the frogs as shown. One child could choose a card and use it to supply the answers. The other child  or children could ask questions to discover which frog as chosen.

Here, my 5-year-old son has “the large yellow frog” card.

My 9-year-old granddaughter, Zoey, asked if the frog was a medium-sized frog.

When Caleb said it wasn’t a medium-sized frog, Zoey removed all the medium-sized frogs from the layout.

They continue each round until the chosen frog is guessed. Then we place Montessori grammar symbols above the chosen phrase. For example, this shows how we’d use place the grammar symbols with “The large yellow frog.” You could use paper grammar symbols or grammar symbol stencils if you prefer.

Shelf with Frog Life Cycle and Dissection Activities

These aren’t free, but they’re lots of fun for an amphibian unit (and a peaceful introduction to frog dissection).

Froggie Dissection Lab from KiwiCo

The KiwiCo Froggie Dissection Lab is such a fun learning material for multiple ages! It’s available through Amazon or the KiwiCo store. My 9-year-old granddaughter said this would make a cute stuffy. And all three of my grandkids had fun with the diagnosis game.

Here are 5-year-old Sophia and Caleb along with 9-year-old Zoey all having fun taking turns hiding and finding the red X that’s making Froggie sick. The red X can be hidden inside the organs in Froggie, and the cards have clues to find the X in the organ that’s sick.

Explore a Frog Dissection and Life Cycle Kit

The Explore a Frog Dissection and Life Cycle Kit isn’t as sturdy as the KiwiCo Frog Dissection Lab, but there are stil lots of learning activities in the kit. I also added the Safari Ltd. Life Cycle  of a Frog figures to the tray. (Note: The Safari Ltd. figures don’t come with the Explore a Frog Kit, although the Frog Life Cycle Wheel is in the kit).

Free Montessori-Inspired Amphibian Pack

Montessori-Inspired Amphibian Pack for DIY Cards and Counters, Number or Letter Matching, Number or Letter Basket, Bead Bar Work, Hands-on Math Operations, Number or Letter Salt/Sand Writing Tray, Letter Tracing, DIY Movable Alphabet, and Creative Writing (subscriber freebie, so just sign up for my email to get the link and password – or check your inbox if you’re already a subscriber).

Montessori-Inspired Frog Pack  for DIY Cards and Counters, Number or Letter Matching, Number or Letter Basket, Number or Letter Salt/Sand Writing Tray, Letter Tracing, and DIY Movable Alphabet  (subscriber freebie, so just sign up for my email to get the link and password – or check your inbox if you’re already a subscriber) This is from our earlier unit with Free Frog Printables and Montessori-Inspired Frog Math Activities. It’s still available in our resource library!

More Amphibian Resources 

• Free Frog Printables and Montessori-Inspired Frog Math Activities
• Montessori-Inspired Frog Activities for Leap Year or Anytime
• Simple and Fun Frog Leap Activity for Kids {Free Printable}from ChrissyChitwood.com 
• Free Frog Printables and Montessori-Inspired Frog Math Activities
• Free Frog Do-a-Dot Printable (Montessori-Inspired Instant Download)
• Free Frog Cutting Strips (Montessori-Inspired Instant Download)
• “5 Green and Speckled Frogs” with Props and Free Printables
• Lots of Learning and Fun with Frogs Sensory Bin
• Montessori-Inspired Pond Unit
• Free Oviparous Animal Printables and Montessori-Inspired Oviparous Animal Activities
• Kids’ Frog and Leap Year Activities Pinterest Board

Helpful Animal Classification Posts

• Living and Non-Living
• Plant and Animal Sorting
• Montessori Animal Classification
• Free Zoo Printables and Montessori-Inspired Zoo Activities
• Montessori-Inspired Animal Units

If you’d like ideas for calendar-based themes throughout April and May, see my April Themed Activities for Kids and May Themed Activities for Kids.

Have fun exploring amphibians!

Learn more about my eBook Montessori at Home or School: How to. Teach Grace and Courtesy!

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