The Great Famine was a period in Ireland between 1845 and 1849 of mass starvation, disease, and immigration. During the famine, about one million people died and a million more emigrated from Ireland, causing the island's population to fall by between 20% and 25%. This time has also been referred to as the Irish Potato … Continue reading Ireland Unit: Grow a Potato (Great Irish Famine Activity)
No study of Ireland would be complete without a brief intro to the faerie folk of which Ireland is famous. I make a point of explaining to my daughters the difference between real and make-believe, but also encourage them to wallow in their imagination as well. First I traced around my play tray to create … Continue reading Ireland Unit: Fairy Garden Small World Play
Much of Europe has similar animals, so it was a fun challenge to pick a few for our Ireland unit. I tried to find some that were specific to just Ireland or came to mind when one thinks of Ireland. I also created corresponding Montessori inspired 3-part printables for these animals as part of our … Continue reading IRELAND Unit Study: Fauna – Montessori 3-Part Matching Cards
One of the things I like to do with our unit studies is make a model or diorama of a major landmark or place. In 2015 I visited Ireland and loved Dublin castle, and thought it would make a fun project for my oldest and I. First, we gathered some parts - I used a … Continue reading Ireland Unit: Dublin Castle Model
For our gross motor activity during our Ireland unit, we decided to try our hand (aka feet) at the Irish step dance. The Irish Step Dance (also known as the river dance) is characterized by the stiff upper body and intricate footwork of its performers. It was made popular by Michael Flatley as part of … Continue reading IRELAND Unit Study: Irish Step Dance (Gross Motor Activity)
Our study of Ireland wouldn't be complete without our signature foam map! We used our pattern (the detail of the country simplified to make it easier to cut out) to trace onto paper and then cut it out. You can download your copy of the map HERE. We used map pins to attach the different … Continue reading Ireland Unit Study: Geography
My girls LOVE sensory play. Every time I make a sensory bin, my kiddos go nuts for a long time feeling, sorting, arranging, etc. Most of the sensory bins I make are geared for my oldest because my youngest (17 months) likes to put most everything in her mouth and so I have to watch … Continue reading St. Patrick’s Day Themed Sensory Bin
I couldn't resist doing a Saint Patrick's Day themed activity during our Ireland unit because it also coincided with March 17th - how convenient I did that 😉 My oldest daughter is getting pretty good at counting, and can count to 40-50 before we starts rattling off numbers like 40-10, etc. However, I want her … Continue reading St. Patrick’s Day “Pot of Gold” Counting Activity: FREE DOWNLOAD!
As part of our study of Ireland, we talked about rainbows as they are part of the mythical history of Leprechauns and are also frequently found in Ireland. When I visited Ireland in 2015, it pretty much rained at least a few minutes every day. My oldest (3.5 years) is very much into simple science … Continue reading Skittles Rainbow Melt: STEM Science Experiment
I've seen many beautiful felt puzzles posted over the years and I thought it would be fun to make one for my Ireland Unit. Initially I was going to do the Shamrock, since it's Ireland's national flora, but decided instead to do a red clover plant because my preschooler would be able to relate to … Continue reading Montessori Inspired Felt Red Clover Puzzle: Botany Study
