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Best Montessori Activities
Are you looking for the best Montessori activities to do at home with your toddler or preschooler? Don’t worry, because we’ve gathered the best Montessori inspired activities for young children. We’ll tell you everything you need for these great learning activities. With that, let’s get to it!
What activities do Montessori children learn best?
If you aren’t familiar with the Montessori method, we’ll recap for you a bit. The Montessori classroom focuses on self-directed learning through real-life experiences. Meaning, Montessori focuses on hands-on learning, collaborative play and self-directed activity. You can read more about the specifics in our article here.
So, you may be wondering…what makes an activity a “Montessori learning” activity? Is simply experimenting with wooden blocks or doing sensory play a Montessori-style activity?
Don’t worry – we’ll explain for you! The Montessori education really wants children to do things on their own. Therefore, Montessori teachers are taught to give children space to experiment and make mistakes on their own.
So, when you’re doing at-home activities with your little one, you want to give them the same space to grow. Montessori activities are designed with a control of error. This means that if the child makes a mistake, the activity is specifically designed so they can self-correct themselves.
What qualities make up the best Montessori activities?
We started to explore this question a bit above. Given that it’s really important to touch on, will now dive even deeper into it.
Like we said above, Montessori activities are designed with a control of error.
Well, what other attributes do they have? For one, they need to be self motivated. Founder Maria Montessori made sure that kids were encouraged to follow their own interests and explore on their own. Specifically, she believed that that’s how you cultivate a true love of learning.
Secondly, children learn by doing. Adults should be present in case any problems arise, but again, activities are designed so children can feel a sense of accomplishment. How? By figuring them out on their own. For instance – independence, independence, independence!
Thirdly, activities should focus on sensory exploration. So, any activity that stimulates your child’s senses. This is how children discover the world through their own play. Therefore, it is so important!!
So, on the best Montessori activities…
Now that we’ve gone over what makes up a Montessori activity – let’s get to the fun stuff! We’ll go over allll the things you need to know for Montessori at home – including practical life activities, play that encourages fine motor skills and even some Montessori math activities!
Best Montessori Activities – Practical Life
#1 – Washing/Cutting Fruits and Vegetables
Get your kid friendly knives out and get to chopping! My little one loves having a job. It provides her with a sense of purpose. So, I love preparing fruits and veggies with her. To make it more official, I make sure to bring out an apron and a scrub brush so she can join along.
#2 – Apple Slicing!
Do you have a budding garden at home? Another great idea is grab a watering can (I’ve linked one off of Amazon below). Then, bring your kiddo outside and have them help you water the plants! This is a great practical life activity for any age group – year olds, 3 year olds and even older kids!
#3 – Plant Watering
Do you have a budding garden at home? So, another great idea is grab a watering can (I’ve linked one off of Amazon below). Then, bring your kiddo outside and have them help you water the plants! Because this is a great practical life activity for any age group – year olds, 3 year olds and even older kids!
#4 – Bubble Making
I mean, who doesn’t love making bubbles? It’s a simple and fun DIY homeschool project. Grab a bowl, pour some water in it and then some dish soap. Mix together. While you’re mixing, explain to your child the science activity within it.
#5 – Sweeping
I don’t know about you, but I can remember that one of my favorite things to do as a kid was to help my mom clean. Start em young, am I right?! The cleaning set I’ve linked below is a great tool for practical life skills.
Best Montessori Activities – Sensory
#1 – Spice Play
Let’s bring out those smells! Grab some spices and put them into tiny bowls. Next, have your child try to guess what each smell is. And it’s even fun for the adults!
#2 – Mystery Bag
Go around the house and find objects that are somewhat easy to determine what they are by just feeling. Put them in a bag or a large bowl. Cover your child’s eyes and try to have them guess what each object is. DIY Montessori activities are THE BEST!
#3 – Scavenger Hunt
Montessori Scavenger Hunt Ideas
If the weather outside is nice, this activity is a MUST. And it’s great for all ages! So, go on a scavenger hunt outside for natural objects. Bring a bag or basket and start collecting. Pinecones, flowers, anything. Above all, it’s a great sensory activity for getting to know different feels of objects.
#4 – Adventures with Playdough
Playdough time! Because who doesn’t love experimenting with playdough. Above all, it’s a great way for kids to build their hands-on gross motor skills. The playdough I linked below comes in 80 different colors. Yes, I said 80!!!
#5 – Pikler Triangles (movement activities!)
In particular, I really recommend investing in a Pikler Triangle. They’re a great Montessori toy that can really beautify your playroom. Therefore, check out our article on the Best Pikler Triangles for 2021! In fact, you won’t be disappointed, I promise!
Best Montessori Activities – Art
#1 – Clay
While playdough is great, clay is even better. Moreover, it’s a bit tougher, which makes it great for strengthening hands.
#2 – Art Station
Create an art station. At our house, we have a small table filled with different “art” supplies. The supplies rotate every month, but this month we have toilet paper, markers, pinecones and sequins out. It’s a great activity for kids to have some independence and explore on their own.
#3 – Painting
Painting is a great toddler activity AND a great activity for older children. With the younger ones, I recommend starting out with two or three paint colors and working up from there. Because we all know how messy painting can get…
#4 – Chalk
Similarly, chalk is another great Montessori activity. However, since I live in Montana, doing chalk outside isn’t always an option (winter!). Therefore, I bought an easel that has a chalkboard side. It’s seriously a life changer!
#5 – Sewing
Montessori Notebook Sewing Activity
My mother is a big sewer. Therefore, she is constantly encouraging my child to play around with different fabrics. So, in our house, we have a basket with a bunch of different fabrics with various textures. For instance – think satin, velvet, cotton and nylon. It’s a really great sensory activity.
So, on the best Montessori activities…
Hopefully this article was helpful in giving you some great Montessori activity ideas. Whether you’re looking for your Montessori toddler or older child – all of these activities are great for all ages.
Above all – we’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments! For instance, if you used any of these activities let us know how they went!
Therefore, if you liked the best Montessori activities, go check out these articles:
Firstly…
Montessori vs Waldorf Schools
Secondly…
