The aim to instill a lifelong love of learning in young children is one of the hallmarks of a Montessori toddler program. This often means ensuring they are able to participate in a wide range of activities that excite them and cater to their interests.
Do you need a little creativity boost in finding authentic Montessori activities that can be done anywhere? Here are five that young learners are sure to love.
Sink or Float?
Science-based activities and experiments are excellent for developing a sense of curiosity in your child, and they often have the added bonus of being interactive and enjoyable.
For this activity, you can fill the sink or bathtub with water. Then, have your toddler walk through the home and look for objects to put in the water. Before they put an item in, ask whether they think it will sink or float. The activity gives them an opportunity to make predictions and test hypotheses to see if they are correct.
Flower Arranging
Flower arrangements have so many potential benefits for children in Montessori toddler programs. First, they appeal to multiple senses, including smell, touch, and sight. Additionally, flower arrangements are creative and require the use of fine motor skills like hand-eye coordination. If you have your child create an arrangement for someone else, they’ll get a chance to learn about empathy and love.
Making Trail Mix
Making trail mix can be both a practical life activity and a way to develop math skills like measuring, sorting, and counting. Montessori toddler programs often incorporate snack preparation activities to give children a chance to apply their knowledge in these areas.
Try giving your child a simple recipe for trail mix (with age-appropriate ingredients, of course) and place the ingredients on a table. Then, let them count and sort the items to go into the mix. You can add even more learning and fun by having them divide the mix into bags and offer the snack to family members or neighbors.
Sensorial Mystery Bag
This activity only requires throwing a few fun items into a bag (such as toys or dry snacks). Then, you can have your child reach inside without looking and use their sense of touch to figure out what the item may be. This gives them an opportunity to differentiate how various objects and surfaces feel and use their reasoning skills to conjecture about what they are touching.
Rhyming Scavenger Hunts
You can help children develop their language skills with an enjoyable rhyming scavenger hunt. You can simply hold up any object in the room and ask your toddler to help you find an object that rhymes. For example, you may be holding a piece of rope and then go on the hunt for a bar of soap.
Be aware that, depending on where a child happens to be in their Montessori toddler program or educational journey, you may need to provide some extra hints and help. However, these activities are a fun way to build phonemic awareness skills with practical, everyday items.
Montessori Activities Encourage Exploration, Curiosity, and Enjoyment
To develop a lifelong love of learning, toddler-aged children should have the opportunity to choose and participate in activities that they find interesting and that spark their natural sense of curiosity. Most of these activities aren’t elaborate. They take a simple, real-world approach that allows toddlers to explore and build skills.
If you’re searching for an educational environment that will meet your child’s developmental needs for exploration and independence, the team at Montessori West can offer just what you’re looking for. Contact us today to learn more about how our Montessori toddler program can support your child through this critical phase of life.
