As educators it is crucial to provide a high standard of care to each individual child. With this in mind, certain Montessori activities will be more useful to children at different ages than others. Today we will be detailing the most effective Montessori activities for toddlers!
Pouring Station: Create a pouring station by providing two small pitchers and a tray. Fill one pitcher with water and leave the other empty. Show the toddler how to pour water from one pitcher to the other without spilling. This activity improves their hand-eye coordination and concentration.
Dressing Frames: Set up a dressing corner with frames featuring different fasteners like buttons, zippers, snaps, and buckles. Show your toddler how to use each frame, and then let them practice dressing and undressing themselves. This activity promotes fine motor skills and independence, boosting their confidence as they learn to manage clothing fasteners on their own. Encourage imaginative play to make the experience more enjoyable. As they gain proficiency, introduce real clothing items for them to dress themselves in, fostering a sense of responsibility and autonomy.
Texture Exploration: Prepare a fascinating texture exploration basket to captivate your toddler’s curiosity and senses. Collect a diverse range of items with distinct textures, such as a piece of soft faux fur fabric, a square of rough sandpaper, a smooth polished stone, a bumpy rubber ball, a silky ribbon, and a crinkly piece of aluminium foil. Arrange these items neatly inside a shallow, sturdy basket.
Colour Matching: Provide colour tablets or cards in different shades and ask the toddler to match them to corresponding objects around the house. For example, match a red card to a red toy or a blue card to a blue book. This activity sharpens their visual discrimination skills.
Storytelling with Picture Cards: Use picture cards depicting familiar objects, animals, or scenes. Create simple stories using these cards and narrate them to your toddler. Encourage them to retell the stories using the picture cards. This activity boosts their language comprehension and storytelling abilities.
Labeling Objects: Label various objects around the classroom with their names using sticky notes or picture labels. Go around with the toddler, and together, read the labels and name the objects. This activity enriches their vocabulary and language skills.
Counting Beads: Set up a designated counting area for the toddler by placing a soft mat or cushion on the floor. Provide a bowl or container filled with counting beads, which can be colourful wooden beads, buttons, or even small pebbles. Sit with the child and demonstrate how to pick up one bead at a time and count it aloud, starting with “one.” Encourage them to join in as you count together. Once they grasp the concept, let them try counting independently, using their fingers to keep track. As they progress, you can introduce simple addition and subtraction by combining or removing beads from different containers.
Shape Sorting: Offer shape puzzles with different cut-outs and corresponding pieces. Encourage the toddler to match the shapes and place them in the correct slots. This activity helps them recognise geometric shapes and improves problem-solving abilities.
Planting Seeds: Engage the toddler in planting seeds in small pots or a garden bed. Let them water the seeds regularly and observe the plants as they grow. This activity connects them with nature and teaches them about plant life.
Nature Walks: Take the toddler on leisurely nature walks in the local park or nearby green spaces. Before setting out, discuss with them the wonders they might encounter during the walk, such as birds, squirrels, flowers, and trees. Encourage them to use all their senses – the sight of colourful blossoms, the sound of birdsong, the texture of tree bark, and the fresh scent of the earth. Bring along a small basket or bag for collecting treasures they find along the way, like fallen leaves, interesting stones, or delicate flowers (making sure they don’t pick living plants). Engage in conversations about the items they discover, asking questions like, “What colour is the leaf you found?” or “How does this flower feel?” Back in the classroom, you can create a nature display together with their collected items, further nurturing their connection to the natural world and fostering a love for the outdoors. These walks not only provide a valuable opportunity for physical exercise but also serve as a source of inspiration and wonder for your growing toddler.
These are only a few activities that are fantastic at promoting child development.
Do you want a deeper understanding or more activity ideas? If so, join us on September 29th for a CPD Short Course about Montessori Infant Toddlers:
This CPD Short Course will Detail:
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