by A snake unit can be great for a wide variety of children … both ones who love snakes and ones who are afraid of snakes. All my grandkids were excited to start our snake unit! Here, you’ll find free snake printables and activities for preschool through early elementary.
As usual, we have a new, free printable pack (a Montessori-inspired snake pack) for our newsletter subscribers’ resource library! (Note: To help children who are afraid of snakes, I don’t have photographs of snakes showing fangs or eating animals in our snake pack.)
Free Snake Printables and Montessori-Inspired Snake Activities
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links (at no cost to you).
Montessori Shelves with Snake-Themed Activities
Montessori Shelves with Snake-Themed Activities
You’ll find Montessori-inspired snake 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 snake pack isn’t designed as a complete snake 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 snake-themed activities among your shelves according to curriculum area. Or you could have a special snake-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.
Montessori Shelves with Snake-Themed Activities and Henri Rousseau Art Print
Notice the framed copy of the painting Tropical Forest with Monkeys (Sometimes called Tropical Forest with Apes and Snake) (1910) by Henri Rousseau. It’s a free download from the National Gallery of Art.
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.
Snake 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 bromeliad plant where the themed book basket was before. 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).
Books for a Snake Unit
Top Shelf of Main Themed Shelf:
- Snakes Are Hunters
- Snakes by Gail Gibbons
- Picturepedia (open book on easel)
Top Shelf of Forward -Facing Display:
- Tree of Life: The Incredible Biodiversity of Life on Earth
- Animalium: Welcome to the Museum
- First Animal Encyclopedia: A First Reference Guide to the Animals of the World
2nd Shelf:
- The Animal Book: A Visual Encyclopedia of Life on Earth
- National Geographic Kids First Big Book of Reptiles and Amphibians
- Ultimate Reptileopedia
3rd Shelf:
- DK Find Out! Reptiles and Amphibians
- Really Cool Reptiles (This series (I have the whole set) is great for young readers and preschoolers who are learning about animal classifications!)
- National Geographic Kids: Snakes
- Everything You Need to Know About Snakes and Other Scaly Reptiles
4th Shelf:
- Snakes Smell with Their Tongues!: And Other Amazing Facts
- National Geographic Kids: Slither Snake!
- Can I Play Too?
- Snakes on the Job
Bottom Shelf
You can also see lots of snake books as they’re published here.
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.
Life Cycle of a Cobra Figures and Printables with Snake Books
Life Cycle of a Cobra Figures and Printables with Snake Books
Snakes by Gail Gibbons
Free Printable: Snake Life Cycle Lapbook by Sarah Lyn Gay
Free Printable: Life Cycle of an Egg-Laying Snake from KidZone (printed out the same size as the other printable and is under the “draw the stages of the life cycle” printable.
Types of Snakes 3-Part Cards, Snake Pages from Picturepedia, and More Snake Resources in the Background
Types of Snakes 3-Part Cards, Snake Pages from Picturepedia, and More Snake Resources in the Background
On the cookbook easel, I show two snake pages from Picturepedia, which I love as a reference for most units!
Free Printable: Types of Snakes 3-part Cards (subscriber freebie) from Trillium Montessori
I mainly have these out for booklet making. There are black and white pictures at the end that are perfect for card or booklet making.
See farther below (Under “More Snake Resources”) for details about what’s behind the easel.
Snake Sand Writing Tray
Snake Sand Writing Tray
Free Printable: Indigo snake letter i and snake a_e for snake-themed 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 works best for you, though.
I typically now use this lovely spelling/alphabet tray from FamilyTreeWW on Etsy. I love that it has a slot that fits sandpaper letters as well as any type of cardstock! The sandpaper letters I use are available in print or cursive. I added the rake from our Japanese sand garden as a fun way to make “snake squiggles.”
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.
Bossy e Phonogram Work with Hatching Snake Alphabet Cards and Movable Alphabet Spelling
Bossy e Phonogram Work with Hatching Snake Alphabet Cards and Movable Alphabet Spelling
Free Printable: Bossy e Word Cards from Montessori Print Shop
Free Printable: Snake a_e phonogram cards
Free Printable: Hatching snake 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 love the simple bossy e word cards because they make silent e words so clear. I used them with my grandson to go along with our crocodile do-a-dot printable, too.
Milk Snake and Eggs Subtraction Activity
Free Printable: Milk snake math cards and spinner 1-10 (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)
Doing Milk Snake and Egg Subtraction Activity
This was a fun activity to do with my 4-year-old grandson. Milk snakes eat eggs along with other foods, so Caleb counted out the eggs and then subtracted the number eaten by putting them on (inside) the photograph of a milk snake. I used these sweet miniature eggs. I only needed 10 for this activity, but the pack has 20.
Studying the Milk Snake in Snakes by Gail Gibbons after Solving the Milk Snake and Egg Subtraction Problem
Snakes and Ladders Game
Free Printable: Snakes and Ladders from Class Playground
This is a very simple activity to prepare! I just had to print out the game, add dice, and a counter for cooperative play.
My 8-year-old granddaughter, Zoey, led 4-year-old Sophia and Caleb in a game that’s great for reinforcing numbers to 100.
Montessori Addition Snake Game
Free Printable: Addition Snake Game (12 different cards) by Basant Eshmawy at Teachers Pay Teachers
Free Printable: Montessori Addition Snake Beads Printable Material by Aarifa Abdulla at Teachers Pay Teachers
I’ve seen a number of different ways to set this activity. The cards are optional but are a fun variation. There are 12 cards in the free printable, so you can make snakes at a variety of levels.
My snake game, which I love, is from Alison’s Montessori. You can just use beads without these specific wooden boxes, or you can even use printable beads, like the ones here from Teachers Pay Teacher. I added them to the tray to show you what they look like. Even if you have beads for the snake game, you could have printable beads available for children to make their own to take home.
More Snake Resources
Shelf with Additional Snake Resources
Buzzing Rattlesnakes book and rattlesnake parts.
Free Tutorial: DIY Pipe Cleaner and Bead Snake Craft from Artsy Craftsy Mom
All 3 grandkids loved the DIY pipe cleaner and bead snake craft! They each went to the tray almost immediately and made a snake! In the Snakes and Ladders photo, Caleb and Sophia are holding the snakes they made. Zoey temporarily left her snake on the tray as a model for Caleb and Sophia.
Maps book and Animal Atlas (the open book on the easel)
Types of Snakes Sorting Cards (in box) – a great way to learn more about the types of snakes around the world. These are from the Reptiles Printable Pack Bundle from Every Star Is Different. You can read my review of it here.
More Reptile Resources
Montessori-Inspired Snake 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).
Montessori-Inspired Crocodilian 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).
Montessori-Inspired Alligator Pack for DIY Cards and Counters, Number or Letter Matching, Number or Letter Basket, Bead Bar Work, Hands-on Math Operations, Greater Than/Less Than Work, 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 for the current password if you’re already a subscriber)
Montessori-Inspired Turtle 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).
Check out my post and video with hands-on, greater than, less than alligator math using part of our subscriber freebie pack and another free printable!
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 June and July, see my June Themed Activities for Kids and July Themed Activities for Kids.
Learn more about my eBook Montessori at Home or School: How to. Teach Grace and Courtesy!
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