Many parents feel unsure about how to share music with their preschooler. I have activities that make music easy along with Montessori-inspired Christmas bell activities. You’ll find free bell printables for a variety of bells, including Christmas bells.
Here, I’m also sharing the links to free bell printables for preschoolers through 1st graders (and sometimes older). To keep my list manageable, I don’t share coloring pages unless a page has a specific educational purpose related to bells.
Free Printables and Bell Activities for Preschoolers-First Graders
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Handbells and Musical Notes
Free Printable: Preschool Handbells: New-Sew Felt Musical Notes and Printables from Imagine Our Life
For this activity, I used a Multicraft tray and set of 8 handbells.
I would just lay out the musical note cards and have the child match the bells to the cards. You could have children who are able place the notes and bells in order from lowest to highest. (Note: I use a Montessori Services rug on the floor for the layout, although you could use a long piece of felt on a table.)
Jingle Bells Song Tray
Free Printable: Jingle Bells Music Color Coded by MontessoriSoul
For this activity, I used a Multicraft tray, a small tabletop easel, and the 5 lowest bells from the handbell set.
My 3-year-old granddaughter, Zoey, and I played “Jingle Bells” together with each of us using more than one bell. We had a great time with it!
Jingle Bell Counting and Transfer Activity
Free Printable: Jingle Bell Numbers (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)
For this activity, I used a a Montessori Services medium-size tray, sugar tong, and exact number of bells to match a number card. I purchased a set of 144 ½” gold bells to use for a number of activities. You could choose any number from 1-10, whether it’s to reinforce the number symbol or concept of counting.
The sugar tong (or whatever tool you use) adds fine-motor work to the counting activity.
Counting and Transferring Jingle Bells
Zoey loved using the sugar tong to place the bells in a line.
DIY Jingle Bell Cards and Counters
Free Printable: Jingle Bell Numbers (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 used a Montessori Services medium-size tray, the number cards for 1-10, and 55 of the ½” gold bells.
I like to lay out my numbers and counters in the traditional Montessori way of rows of two counters with a left-over counter centered below the bottom row. This gives a visual impression of odd and even. For more about creating DIY numbers and counters and a link on how to present the lesson, check out my DIY Cards and Counters post.
Bell Multiplication Board Activity
Free Printable: Multiplication with Bells Printable from Carol of the Bells Pack (subscriber freebie) at Every Star Is Different. (Go to Free Printables tab at the top of the Every Star Is Different blog, then to Holiday Activities, then to Christmas Activities, and then to Carol of the Bell Unit.)
Free Printable: The free printable I used is no longer available, but you could use the free multiplication board printable from Dupage Montessori School or the free blind multiplication chart from Maitri Learning to place your bells. You could also use the DIY Multiplication “Bead” Board with Booklet by Kristina Prozesky at Teachers Pay Teachers.
For this activity, I used a Multicraft tray, 27 of the bells for multiplication facts through 9×3, a small red bell for the top of the multiplication “board”, Bambu large condiment cup for the bells, small Bambu condiment cup for other pieces, and a miniature clothespin. I prepared the activity to solve one multiplication problem at a time with the materials.
I had fun preparing this activity to add interest and hands-on learning to multiplication!
To see how to use a multiplication board, check out the multiplication board presentation at Montessori Primary Guide. For this, we’re just using bells instead of beads!
Jingle Bell Lane Game for Short E or Long A Words
Free Printable: Jingle Bell Lane Game by JK Curriculum Connection at Teachers Pay Teachers
I used a Montessori Services large plastic tray, dice, and gold and silver bells for place holders. This is simply a fun way to reinforce phonics for beginning readers.
Free Bell Printables for Preschoolers-First Graders
My holiday bell sensory bin and scavenger hunt uses a free printable.
Free Christmas Bell Cutting Strips (Montessori-Inspired Instant Download)
Free Bell Do-a-Dot Printable (Montessori-Inspired Instant Download)
Montessori-Inspired Bell 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)
- Bell Templates from FirstPalette
- Preschool Handbells: New-Sew Felt Musical Notes and Printables from Imagine Our Life
- Bell Printables from Teachers Pay Teachers
Christmas Bells – Free Printables
- Free Christmas Pack from 3 Dinosaurs
- Polar Express Pack from 3 Dinosaurs
- Count Down to Christmas – Bells from 3 Dinosaurs
- Christmas Lacing Cards from Royal Baloo
- Bell Patterns from First-School
- Polar Express Printables (K-3) from 123 Homeschool 4 Me
- The Old Lady Who Swallowed a Bell Printables from Making Learning Fun
- Old Lady Who Swallowed a Bell Printable from Pre-K Pages
- You’ve Been Jingled Printable from Pre-K Pages
- Christmas Treat Bag Toppers from PreKinders
- List of nursery rhymes and songs for letter J (free printable book) from The Measured Mom
- Jingle Bells Lyrics from Christmas-Printables
More Christmas Resources
Hundreds of December Holiday Activities for Kids
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