6 Montessori-inspired activities to save your sanity
Brought to you by Little Bellies
Looking for activities that will not only keep your children entertained but also teach them something?
Activities inspired by the Montessori method of education might be just the thing you’re looking for.
Created by Dr Maria Montessori, the popular approach involves providing opportunities for your children to lead their learning through hands-on activities that interest them.
According to Montessori Australia, “The Montessori approach to education, inspires children towards a lifelong love of learning by following their natural developmental trajectory. Children become confident, responsible, independent learners who trust in their own abilities.”
To get you started, we’ve rounded up a bunch of activities that combine hands-on learning and play – it’s a win-win.
1. Cooking
There’s lots of fun to be had in the kitchen, such as mixing, measuring and baking. But that’s not all – simple activities like teaching your child to wash up, crack an egg, or butter a piece of bread all offer valuable learning opportunities and encourage independence.
This activity from Inspire.Learn.Teach offers lots of fun and opportunities for development … and a delicious outcome!
2. Dinosaur sensory play
Toddlers love dinosaurs, which means they will enjoy playing with a dinosaur-themed sensory bin. Sensory play is a great way to stimulate all of your child’s senses, while also supporting cognitive growth, fine and gross motor skills and language development. All you need is a tub or old water table, some dirt, some large rocks or pebble, maybe a small plant or two and, of course, toy dinosaurs.
3. Balancing activities
This is a simple indoor activity that involves your child walking a line while balancing something on a large spoon. This activity helps develop skills to support balance, coordination and self-control – and all you need is some tape or a long piece of string, a spoon and something to balance on the spoon. You can also experiment with different sized spoons and balls.
4. Gardening
There is much to learn in the garden. From the tedious (weeding) to the fun (growing food), kids can learn about how food is made, life cycles, plants, animals and more. If you live in an apartment, try growing herbs indoors – something as simple as watering them could be your toddler’s favourite new activity.
5. Sorting animals
In a way, sorting is the first stepping stone for helping children to understand numbers. Sorting activities help kids understand that things are alike and different. This activity involves sorting toy animals depending on where they live. Grab some cardboard and felt to create your mat, and start sorting your toy animals.
6. Acting out songs and stories
Story time and singing songs helps your child develop their imagination, vocabulary, and, eventually, how to read. Go one step further and bring the characters in your favourite songs and books to life with activities like this ‘5 Little Speckled Frogs’ printable. Sing the song while your toddler acts it, so they get to the tell the story in their own creative way.
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