Do you have a busy, active toddler?

 

These Montessori must haves will keep your toddler engaged and learning and asserting their independence at the same time!

 

Most of my posts are often geared towards preschool Montessori activities, ideas, and items so I decided to share some toddler ideas this time around!

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The Montessori Toddler

Montessori for toddlers is very similar to Montessori for preschoolers. In a Montessori toddler environment, they learn many of the skills that they learn while in a Montessori preschool environment, just scaled down and simplified a bit.

Montessori for toddlers encourages and develops confidence and finding their way independently. Children learn to find and choose work, explore freely, and express their curiosity and creativity. A self-care area is their first look into developing awareness and independence in maintaining personal hygiene (such as learning how to wipe one’s nose and wash hands independently). Gross motor activities are commonly found in Montessori toddler environments to help children coordinate their movements, and lower tables enable them to help prepare, serve, eat, and clean up their snacks and meals.

As you can see; whether children are in an infant environment or the elementary environment, the practices, principles and ideas surrounding The Montessori Method stay the same!

 

Related post: Montessori Tidbits Part 5: 8 must haves for an awe-inspiring Montessori playroom

 

Montessori must haves for busy & active toddlers

1. Montessori shape sorter and color stacker

This activity is designed to help children develop their fine motor skills, count and sort and better recognize patterns. This wooden stacking puzzle contains 20 pieces including blocks of 5 different colors and 5 geometric shapes. The oversized pegs and shapes that come with this set are large enough to be easily grasped by tiny fingers, and is an excellent hand-eye and wrist coordination challenge for children.

 

2. Montessori color sorting

This activity consists of 12 wooden balls, 12 wooden cups, a wooden bowl and a wooden spoon a linen bag for balls storage and a plywood tray to help to keep everything in order; in true Montessori fashion! It helps children develop visual focusing, thinking, memory, sensory and fine motor skills, perseverance, diligence, attentiveness. It also helps children learn concepts of color, shape, size; comparison, classification, and analysis.

 

 

3. Montessori ball tracker

With this activity, the smooth-sanded balls drop down after hammered, then roll down the ramp out on the bottom tray. It is ideal for hammering practice, promotes dexterity, hand eye coordination, manipulation, arm movement, and cause & effect.

 

4. Montessori wobble balance board

This wobble board is multifunctional-it can be a swing, a bridge, a shop, a cabin, a stepping stone, a racetrack, a lounge chair, fitness equipment, a puppet, a small football goal, a teeter popper or a tunnel. It is great for stimulating the vestibular system, which is of great importance for general development and learning. It supports the muscles responsible for the correct posture develops the sense of balance.

 

Related post: Kids in the kitchen: Montessori tools, recipes & activities for children

 

5. Montessori balancing stones

This activity helps children increase curiosity, and introduces them to the first stage of problem-solving activities.  It is a good way for children to develop creativity and help them explore various shapes. Unlike the traditional wooden building blocks set, this set provides 20 unique blocks, in 5 different sizes, shapes, and weights, making the game more challenging and interesting.

 

6. Montessori stacking & nesting blocks

 

This activity is great fun for stacking and nesting and at same time learning sizes, weight with the boxes. An activity similar to the Montessori Pink Tower found in Montessori classrooms.

 

 

7. Montessori sensory bin tools

These toys can provide your children with more entertainment time and encourage them to master good motor skills and develop abilities. These sensory bin tools including scoops, tongs, containers, pliers and other small objects. Fun activities for every stage used for transferring, pouring but also stacking, nesting, and kitchen learning. It allows children to build real life skills.

 

8. Montessori tactile touch board

This activity consists of seven wooden cylinders of different tactile materials are placed in the tray, with seven round holes on them, corresponding to the colors and textures in the wooden cylinders. The wooden touch and match board is a sensory game for toddlers to find the same material surface on the board by touching seven wooden cylinders with different color textures. Promotes fine motor development and control of hand muscle movements. Children can feel the difference in friction by touching the material to distinguish different materials. Helps to develop a child’s visual perception skills, tactile awareness and associative skills.

 

Related post: 8 Montessori inspired subscription boxes to peak any child’s interests

 

9. Montessori size & color sorting

This color sorting activity encourages hand-eye coordination, color and shape recognition, thinking, memory, sensory, develops fine motor skills, creativity and imagination. It helps children learn the concepts of colors, shapes, and sizes; learn to compare, classify, and analyze objects.

 

10. Montessori weaning table & chair 

This piece of toddler furniture can be used as a beginner chair, big kid chair, stool, and table. It is a versatile piece that easily transforms from a portable toddler seat to a step stool for kids or an activity surface. The lowest setting can be used by infants as young as 8 months. The higher seat and tabletop can be used all the way up to kindergarten. This weaning table is designed to develop your child’s independence. This sturdy wooden step stool is the perfect height to help little ones reach all their favorite places without needing an adult’s assistance. It is perfect for a Montessori home or classroom.

 

 

Lovevery Montessori Play Kits

Loveevery is a child play and learning company that specialize in providing Montessori inspired activities to parents. They offer subscription kits as well as toys and other learning exercises to incorporate Montessori at home.

Below are the toddler play kits that Lovevery offers. They also have other activities; like their home collection and playthings.  They also have activity kits for infants and children up to three years of age.

The Helper Play Kit

This Play Kit responds to your two-year-old’s natural curiosity with Montessori-practical life activities and tools to develop security in their routines.

• Support your child’s budding independence
• Develop security in routines
• Practice fine motor precision
• Build resilience and problem-solving skills

 

The Enthusiastic Play Kit

Your two-year-old is ready for new cognitive challenges in spatial understanding and pattern recognition. This Play Kit includes opportunities for your child to refine their motor precision, explore geometry, and experiment with weight and balance.

• Find and fit geometric shapes
• Balance liquid and solid volumes
• Practice grip and two-handed play
• Engage in pretend play with pals

 

 

The Investigator Play Kit

Your toddler is working on their emerging executive function skills, which are important for everything from controlling one’s behavior to planning a future task, and even creativity. This Play Kit will support their natural curiosity.

• Practice jumping, balancing, and tossing
• Build concentration, language, and memory skills
• Strengthen gross motor skills
• Learn lessons in liquid conservation

 

The Free Spirit Play Kit

Your child is almost three years-old! Age three is sometimes called “the magic year,” a time when language blossoms, independence and curiosity grow, and social-emotional skills start to sharpen. Embark on this special stage together with play essentials to support their growing skillset.

• Fit shapes and contrasting colors together
• Early exposure to numeracy
• Practice problem-solving and balancing skills
• Engage in imaginative play
• Build real-life skills

The Lovevery play kits and activities are a great way to provide your child with a variety of exercises in one convenient way!

 

Related post: The best Montessori beds to promote your child’s independence

 

What to take from this

The most important take away from this is to observe your child and choose activities that vary in the learning skill set and difficulty. Since toddlers can sometimes get bored easily and want to change activities often, it wouldn’t hurt to have a variety of exercises for them to choose from on the shelf.

Do not worry if at first your child does not use the activity in ways that they are not necessarily intended for; they are developing creativity and are curious about how things work!

 

Do you have any of the above listed Montessori must haves for your toddler? I’d love to hear which ones, drop them in the comments!

 

Until next time!

Anitra J.