Social Distancing Montessori Spring Break Ideas

Did your vacation get cancelled? Already cleaned your room and played five rounds of Monopoly? Maybe try some of these…

Practical Life/Care of the Environment & Self

• Bake bread - we are thinking of doing a Breads Around the World presentation for Cultural Fest this year.  Bake bread, take photos of you and your family baking and eating, rate the bread as a group.  If you think it would be a good recipe to share at the Cultural Fest, create a few Google slides to share with the class when we get back to school.  

1. Recipe
2. Photos of you and your family baking
3. Area of the world where bread is made and cultural significance

• Grow a new herb or vegetable for our indoor, soon to be outdoor, garden. 
  • Be ready to teach us about the herb when you return to school. Is it an herb or vegetable we could use in a future bread recipe?

• Build a raised bed for school with extra wood in your garage/shed. 

(we are hoping for a 4 ft. long, 2 ft. wide, 18 in. high raised bed)

• Laundry- learn how to wash your own!
• Re-arrange your room! Maximize space, clean under all furniture, take before and after photos. 

• Yoga/Meditation - reflect on what we learned during yoga class. Get out your mat and practice.  
  • Facetime a friend and review what you learned in Yoga class.  Turn on some calming music and try together. 

•   Make Dinner - plan, cook, and serve!
     

Writing

• Write a letter to your local senior center.

1. Tell them about what you are doing at home, something you enjoy- a hobby possibly?
2. Ask about what they are doing. 
3. Ask them something personal- e.g. favorite memory in his/her life?  
4. Ask someone to write back to you. 

• Write thank you letters to care workers - doctors, nurses in your area. 

(maybe even a care package?)

Reading

• Independent reading book - Start investigating some that you may be interested in. Order from Amazon or download a digital copy. Resource: Goodreads

Social Studies

• Impact Change- Watch the news, local and national, on the Coronavirus.

1. What is something we could have done proactively as a nation to reduce the number of Coronavirus-infected Americans? 
2. Discuss with your parents.  Define your thoughts.
3. Write a letter to your state representative with your ideas. Be sure to thank him/her for their work/service during this time. 

• Explore some Social Studies apps & websites on Common Sense Media
• Learn more about Digital Citizenship - try some online activities.

Math/Science

• Planning this year's family garden (measuring/estimating/working the earth)
• Container garden (how much soil will you need?)
• Using some household tools to build a birdhouse, small bookshelf, or assemble a tool rack for the garage 
• Kitchen chemistry demonstrations
• There are numerous online citizen science projects, such as those at Zooniverse

Social/Emotional

• Skype/Zoom/Facetime/Google Meet - set up an online conversation with a friend from school or with the whole class.  Laugh, catch up, make plans for getting together once the “social distancing” is over. 
• Family “TikTok-Like” Dances - Teach and record a family TikTok to any song that your family enjoys.  Share with an Alcuin friend and challenge his/her family to do the same.  (You don’t have to use the TikTok app. The app isn’t always appropriate, you could just mimic the process. Ask your kids, they know how to do it. :)

- Written by our Middle School team