Christmas Tree Dressing Board

What you'll need:

1 sheet of dark green thick felt with adhesive on one side
1-3 additional colors of felt
Fasteners such as Velcro, snaps, or buttons
Needle and thread
Hot Glue or Fabric Glue (optional)

Getting Started:

Activities for self-care are an important part of Montessori learning. They're especially important for helping children develop both coordination and independence. A commonly used tool in teaching self-care is dressing frames—which can easily be adapted as a DIY Montessori activity for home.

As it "Tis the Season" today's example incorporates a Christmas tree theme—but use your creativity... and be sure to share the results!

To get started, cut out your tree shape from a thicker sheet of felt. We used one with adhesive on one side so that it could easily be adhered to a frame or sturdy backing such a cardboard.

Before attaching your tree, sew or hot glue various fasteners such as buttons, Velcro, and snaps to your tree. Cut out various colored felt ornaments and attach the other half of the fastener, or cut a small button hole when appropriate. (We chose to color coordinate our fasteners to help children in correlating the colors and style of fastener). Once all of your fasteners are attached, you are ready to mount the tree to the backing, and your child can start their work.

What it teaches:

Fine Motor Skills
Independence
Self-Care