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Montessori Christmas Gifts for Elementary Kids

I’m excited to share with you our Montessori Christmas gift guide tailored specifically to elementary kids this year.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links at no cost to you. This means I may receive a small commission if you make a purchase using these links.

Experience Gifts

Experience gifts provide children with opportunities to explore the world outside the classroom and allow them to engage in meaningful, hands-on experiences. They can help foster a love for learning, allow children to discover new passions and interests, and create lasting memories that children will carry with them into adulthood.

Here are a few experience gift ideas to consider for kids:

  • Museum membership
  • Art or craft workshop
  • Outdoor adventure
  • Cooking class
  • Theater or concert tickets
  • Sports lessons
  • Music lessons
  • Science camp
  • Subscription kit

We’re grateful for the opportunities our homeschooling charter provides our children when it comes to lessons and field trips, so we don’t typically include this category on our kids’ Christmas wish lists. However, I’m planning to give each of our kids a voucher to plan an outing of their choice this year, allowing them the opportunity to plan and budget something for our family to enjoy.

Connection Creators: Presents That Bring Families Closer

In our home, Santa typically brings family gifts. With winter, I try to find gifts that our family can enjoy together, whether that’s books, puzzles, games, or other activities. This year we’ve selected a couple books, a 1000-piece puzzle, a few board games, neighborhood appreciation cards, and a large LEGO set. Here’s a few other ideas that we’ve enjoyed in the past or are gifts we’re considering in the future:

Montessori STEM Gifts for Inquisitive Minds

Building kits and science activities are always a favorite among both my elementary-age kids. Here are some of our favorite STEM gifts for kids. I’ve placed an asterisk beside the items we’ve selected for our children this Christmas. My oldest really wants the Intelino train set, and we’re considering it for her birthday in the spring. KEVA, Magnatiles/Connetix, and LEGO are always well received.

I’ve also linked the free resources for educators that some of the companies have made available. Even if I don’t use all the activities, it’s nice to have a resource available that provides ideas on how to use the product in our homeschool.

Montessori Gifts for Outdoorsy Kids

We always try to include a couple outdoorsy gifts to motivate us to make nature a priority. This is especially important now that our schedules have gotten so much busier due to extracurricular activities. This year we’ve chosen to gift our kids Fiona Danks and Jo Schofield’s Make This Book Wild, a fun nature-themed activity journal that encourages exploration and offers a bunch of creative ideas and whimsical adventures.

Montessori Handicraft Gifts for Creative Expression

Here are some of the top handicraft items we’ve enjoyed over the past couple years, along with a few new items that my kids have requested. If your kids enjoy finger knitting, the Clover Wonder Knitter is really fun to use.

My oldest daughter wanted to knit her sister a baby doll blanket for her birthday, so we picked up the knitting board with 32-peg loom a few weeks ago. It’s a very beginner-friendly loom, and she was able to begin knitting straight away.

Both my girls along with a lot of their friends are really, really into bracelet making these days. So, I picked out several different bracelet-making kits beyond the rubber band looms that they already have and put them on their wish lists.

Musical Exploration

It’s been a tradition in our home to purchase a new musical instrument every Christmas. Last year we invested in a lap harp along with Christmas music sheets, and it was by far the most popular gift under the tree. We leave it sitting out on our hearth, and it’s always popular with friends who visit as well.

This year we’ve chosen to gift our children a kalimba thumb piano since we’ll be starting our study of Africa in January. I’ve purchased both a Christmas songbook as well as this book with easy-to-play African songs.

Whether you already have a ukelele or are planning to purchase one for your kids, I can’t recommend Emily Arrow’s book enough. It’s the best book we’ve found for children (and adults) learning to play ukelele.

Cozy Gifts for Kids

We tend to have pretty cold, dreary winters here, so cozy gifts are a must. In our home, St. Nicholas brings a few of these gifts on December 6th so we can enjoy them throughout the entire Christmas season. Here’s a few ideas if you’re looking to add some hygge to your children’s Christmas holiday this year.

  • Warming pillow* – I managed to score these Senger geese on close-out clearance at a department store earlier this year and I can’t wait to surprise my kids with them on Christmas morning!
  • Throw blankets
  • Books, books, books. We love books. Send me a message if you want personal recommendations for your kids. I’m always up for chatting about our favorite read-alouds.
  • Slippers
  • Cozy socks
  • Fairy lights. My girls love them.
  • Hot cocoa assortment with mugs

If you found our gift guide helpful, please spread the holiday cheer by sharing it on Pinterest!

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