Free Senses Printables and Montessori-Inspired Senses Activities

Sensorial activities are a huge part of Montessori education, but I haven’t had a senses theme before. So, today I’m adding some extra sensory ideas with free printables and Montessori-inspired senses activities.

As usual with our new theme, you’ll find a new printable pack for our newsletter subscribers’ resource library (this time a Montessori-inspired senses pack)!

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

Montessori Shelves with Senses-Themed Activities

You’ll find Montessori-inspired senses 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 senses pack isn’t designed as a complete senses 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 senses-themed activities among your shelves according to curriculum area. Or you could have a special senses-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.

Even though I have books on shelves, I keep many books for our current theme in a book basket by the themed shelf. You’ll find many of the books I’ve used here. For toddlers and preschoolers, at least ¾ of the books I use are Montessori friendly (focusing on reality without smiling or talking animals or smiling or talking vehicles). 

Notice the framed copy of Still Life with Apples, a Pear and a Ceramic Portrait Jug (1889) by Paul Gauguin. It’s a free download from Wikiart.

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

Five Senses Books with Seeing and Hearing Activities Using Free Printables

Free Printables “ee” see phonogram card (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)

Free Printable: My Eyes Science Reader (2 levels are available) by Sarah Warner at Teachers Pay Teachers

Free Printable: I See Fall Booklet from Fall PreK/K Pack from This Reading Mama

Free Printable: /h/ for hear font card (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)

Free Printable: Loud and Quiet Sorting Activity by I Believe in Montessori at Teachers Pay Teachers

Free Printable: Five Senses Sort from Kindergarten Kindergarten (This is a printable I’ll be using during part of the unit as well.)

The Look, Listen, Taste, Touch, and Smell book and The Five Senses from Time for Kids both give a lot of information about the five basic senses in easily understandable books.

Senses Pages from See Inside Your Body Book with 5 Senses Puzzles and Montessori Sensorial Materials 

The open book is the Usborne See Inside Your Body. The lift-the-flap book has fun information about many body concepts.

Behind the book is a 200-piece 5 senses puzzle and some of our Montessori sensorial materials.

Sand Writing Tray with a Cinnamon Scent for a Senses Theme

Free Printables: touch letter “t” and smell letter “s” (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.

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. For the senses theme, I added cinnamon to our white play sand.

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.

Touch Alphabet Activity with Free Printable Cards, Braille Slate and Stylus, and Six Dots Book

Free Printable: Touch alphabet 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)

Free Printable: 5 Senses Poster Set by Danielle Mastandrea at Teachers Pay Teachers (I printed 4 printable pages on each page to make a mini booklet, which is open to the touch page.)

Free Printable: Braille Alphabet Chart from Wikki Stix

 I used the directions and Braille Alphabet Chart in Reverse for Slate and Stylus Users from Louis Braille Online Resource. I printed out a small version of their Braille Alphabet Chart in Reverse for my tray. It’s below the reduced-size Braille Alphabet Chart from Wikki Stix.

I got the Braille slate and stylus from Amazon.

I love to teach about the Braille alphabet, and I thought it would be fun to make the alphabet cards into Braille alphabet cards by adding the corresponding letters in Braille to each letter. I did part of the letters, and my almost-8-year-old granddaughter, Zoey, will probably love to help me with the rest of the letters. It’s actually a lot of fun to make Braille letters with the slate and stylus.

 Six Dots: A Story of the Young Louis Braille is a a fascinating story with easily understood information for ages 4-8.

Senses Verb Activity with My Five Senses Booklet and Montessori Grammar Materials

Free Printable: Five Senses Emergent Reader by Cookin’ in Kindergarten at Teachers Pay Teachers

Free Printable: Montessori Elementary Verb Introductory Cards by Montessori Classroom Printables at Teachers Pay Teachers

Even though Zoey has done verb activities, this will be a fun way to reinforce the concept. The book is too easy for Zoey, but my 3½-year-old grandson, Caleb, will love it. I’ll let him put a red dot on each of the verbs as a reinforcement of the 5 senses and an indirect preparation for grammar.

Tasting Activity with Sour, Bitter, Salty, and Sweet Substances

 Tasting Activity with Sour, Bitter, Salty, and Sweet Substances

This was a fun activity for Sophia (3½), Caleb (3½), and Zoey (almost 8). They tasted small amounts of a lemon, unsweetened chocolate, salt, and honey. Then we read the book Our Mouths Can Taste. 

Free Printable: Taste Sorting by Malorie Gauthier at Teachers Pay Teachers

Afterward, I placed the materials on a tray with the free printable to reinforce each of the tastes.

Listening and Counting Activity with Tone Block, Hearing Number Cards, and Bead Bars

Free Printable: Hearing number cards 1-19 (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)

First, Zoey acted as the teacher with Sophia and the number cards 1-10. Zoey would play the tone block while counting out a number between 1 and 10. Then Sophia had to find the number card and the bead bar that went with the number.

Then Zoey did the same activity with Caleb, using the number cards 1-19 and the bead bars for 11-19.

I hope you find these printables and activities helpful!

Free Senses Printables

Free Nose Do-a-Dot Phonics Printable (Montessori-Inspired Instant Download)

 

Montessori-Inspired Senses 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 newsletter to get the link and password – or check your inbox if you’re already a subscriber).

More Sensory Resources

• Free Nose Do-a-Dot Phonics Printable (Montessori-Inspired Instant Download)
• Montessori Sensorial Activities
• DIY Montessori Sensorial Materials {Hundreds of Resources}
• Montessori Sensorial Materials I Recommend Buying
• Sensorial Size Extensions
• How to Present the First Montessori Sensorial Materials
• Sensory Bin Posts

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

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

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