Our 5 favorite montessori activities using materials you may already have at home.
1. Open and close
Look around your house for everyday items that open and close. Some examples are jars, bottles, tins, pouches, glasses cases, and non toxic markers. Opening and closing different objects strengthens fine motor skills, develops hand eye coordination and also teaches practical life skills.
2. Peg work
Most households usually have clothes pegs. Start by providing your child with a bowl which has pegs around the rim, encouraging your child to use their fine motor skills to take pegs out. Your child might then start to attempt to put the pegs back on the rim of the bowl. Once they do this, you can offer the pegs in a smaller bowl so they can peg themselves.
3. Washing
Children love to play with water and adding soap and brushes to it, only increases the fun. If you have a balcony or garden, your child can wash their scooter or bicycle while they can wash fruits, animal figurines and vegetables when indoors. Your child can visually see them getting cleaned as they dip them in a bowl with soapy water and scrub them with a brush. You can also provide a bowl with clean water and a napkin to dry them. Using a sensory table from Curious Cub during this activity to control the mess and present activity in an appealing way to the toddler.
4. Water transfer
Fill a bowl with water and set it next to an empty bowl on a tray. Add a sponge and a cloth to clean the spills. Your child can use the sponge to transfer water from one bowl to the other and develop their fine motor skills as they squeeze the sponge each time.
5. Scooping & Pouring
Regular bowls and spoons from your kitchen make great tools to practice life skills like scooping and pouring. Your child can scoop and pour any lentil or grain from one cup to another developing fine motor skills and hand eye coordination as well. Be sure to closely supervise your child to avoid choking if these items are put in the mouth.