Montessori Half-Day Lesson Plan (3-year-old) — First Great Lesson + Experiment

Below is a ready-to-use, time-specific Montessori-style daily lesson plan for a 3-year-old that centers on the First Great Lesson (with props) and includes your puzzle, matching activity, lemon + bicarbonate experiment, and coloring. Times are suggestions — adjust start/end times to fit your schedule.

Daily schedule (half-day example — 9:00 AM to 12:20 PM)

• 9:00–9:15 — Arrival & welcome (15 min)

  • Child hangs up coat, washes hands, chooses a quiet independent welcome activity (blocks/soft toy) while others arrive.
  • Teacher greets individually with eye contact and name.

• 9:15–9:35 — Circle: Greeting + First Great Story with props (20 min)

  • Short grace & courtesy, one or two name songs.
  • Tell the First Great Lesson simply and visually with props (see props list & script notes below).
  • Keep it short, dramatic, and sensory — allow child to touch a prop after the telling.

• 9:35–9:50 — Transition & set-up for experiment (15 min)

  • Invite children to help set up trays if appropriate.
  • Quick bathroom/wash hands, move to experiment table. Explain safety and what to expect.

• 9:50–10:10 — Experiment: Lemon + bicarbonate (20 min) — adult-guided

  • Demonstration + child hands-on exploration (see steps and safety below).
  • After experiment, child helps wipe table and washes hands.

• 10:10–11:30 — Uninterrupted work period (1 hr 20 min)

  • Prepared environment with four main activity trays set out: 1) Puzzle (knobbed or inset puzzle for 3-year-old) 2) Match-the-topic tray (picture-to-object or picture-to-picture matching tied to Great Lesson vocabulary) 3) Coloring tray (Great Story-themed coloring sheet + crayons) 4) Practical life / sensor tray (simple transfer or nature-sorting to support concentration)
  • Child chooses any activity and works as long as interest holds. Teacher observes, offers a gentle three-period lesson when introducing a tray, and only intervenes to extend language or model care of materials.

• 11:30–11:45 — Snack & wash-up (15 min)

  • Child participates in preparing snack if possible (pouring, passing plates).
  • Emphasis on independence and grace & courtesy.

• 11:45–12:00 — Outdoor gross motor / free play (15 min)

  • Running, climbing, ball play, or nature walk if possible.

• 12:00–12:15 — Closing circle & tidy-up (15 min)

  • Short song about the day, children show a work they enjoyed, teacher gives a brief notice about next day.
  • Children help return materials to their places (teacher models and helps).

• 12:15–12:20 — Goodbye (5 min)

  • Collect belongings, final goodbyes.

Materials & setup

• Props for First Great Lesson:

  • Tray with: a bowl of soil, a cup of water, a seed, a small plant or leaf, a stone, a small animal figure, a sun/moon picture or simple light/dark cloth.
  • Optional: sand, a feather, a tiny “boat” for water, a small candle (unlit) for discussion about light (supervised).

• Experiment materials (per child or small group):

  • 1 lemon (halved) or small cup with lemon juice
  • Small dish or lemon half on tray
  • Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate), small spoon (1/4 tsp)
  • Tray to contain mess, paper towel, small cup of water for rinsing
  • Optional: pipette or straw; food coloring for visual interest (a drop)
  • Safety: wipes and hand-washing station

• Puzzle:

  • One or two knobbed puzzles appropriate to age (animals, shapes, simple farm/house scenes)

• Match-the-topic:

  • Small set of picture cards and corresponding objects (e.g., sun card + small sun prop; seed card + real seed; leaf picture + real leaf). Use sturdy cards and a shallow tray.

• Coloring:

  • Great Story-themed coloring sheet(s), crayons, small tray or non-slip mat.

Learning goals / focus areas

• Language development: vocabulary from the story (sun, seed, water, earth, animals), using three-period lesson for matching activity.
• Sensorial exploration: touch soil, smell lemon, feel fizz.
• Science / cause-effect: observe chemical reaction (acid + bicarbonate = fizz/CO2).
• Concentration & independence: uninterrupted work period, selecting and completing activities.
• Practical life & grace: carrying a tray, washing hands, wiping up, cleaning up.

How to present each activity (brief)

• First Great Lesson (20 min)

  • Keep the story brief and vivid. Use props in sequence: show dark cloth for “nothing,” bring out a spark (light picture), add water, soil, seed, plant, animal, sun. Use short sentences and pause for wonder (“What do you think happened next?”). Allow the child to handle one prop at the end.
  • Aim: spark curiosity about the world — do not try to explain everything.

• Experiment: Lemon + bicarbonate (20 min)

  • Adult demo: place a lemon half on a tray, sprinkle a small pinch of baking soda on its cut surface. Watch the fizz. Say simple words: “Look — bubbles! The lemon and the baking soda make fizz and air.”
  • Then invite child to try: let them sprinkle a little baking soda and describe what they see.
  • Extensions: use a pipette to add lemon juice to baking soda in a small cup; count bubbles aloud; try on a lime or compare with vinegar.
  • Safety: supervise closely, keep mixture away from eyes and mouth, small amounts only, child washes hands after.

• Match-the-topic (3-period lesson)

  • Introduce the matching set by naming each item and allowing handling (period 1).
  • Ask the child to show a named item (period 2).
  • Point to a card and ask “What is this?” (period 3).
  • Keep sets small (3 items) to avoid overwhelm.

• Puzzle

  • Demonstrate only if needed: show how to pick up knob, match shape to hole.
  • Encourage independent problem solving; offer vocabulary (edge, corner, piece).

• Coloring

  • Offer the themed sheet and a range of crayon choices.
  • Encourage choice of colors, gentle encouragement to stay on paper, praising effort and creativity.

Classroom/teacher tips

• Uninterrupted work cycle is key: after circle and experiment setup, leave the child time to choose and repeat an activity.
• Prepare each tray on a small, low table or mat and only present a few trays (3–4) so the environment feels calm.
• Use low language and lots of gesture; at this age, short phrases work best.
• For transitions, give a 2-minute verbal cue, a song, or a visual timer (hourglass).
• Let children help with clean-up — this builds independence and respect for materials.
• Keep experiment quantities small and do it at the beginning of the work cycle so hands can be washed and messy materials cleaned before snack.

Quick setup checklist (before children arrive)

• Lay out Great Lesson props in order on a tray
• Prepare experiment tray(s) and keep baking soda in a small sealed container
• Lay out 3–4 activity trays (puzzle, match, coloring, practical life)
• Prepare snack area
• Check outdoor/gross motor area for safety

If you want, I can:

• Provide a short script for the First Great Lesson tailored for a 3-year-old (word-for-word, 10–12 sentences)
• Make printable matching cards that match your props
• Give a step-by-step photo guide for the lemon experiment

Which of those would you like next?