5 Montessori Activities to do with your Toddler

Montessori activities benefit babies/toddlers in many ways. They not only teach real-world skills but emphasize Independence. In this blog post, I will include five Montessori activities anywhere from fine motor activities to practical life activities.

These activities are easy to incorporate into daily life and can have a huge impact on your toddlers' development. I have chosen these Montessori activities because they were and are my son's favorite, but, remember, use the age as a guide to determine if your child is ready for any of the activities. Follow the child through these and see how they go about it in their own way.

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1. Toy Rescue

This activity is great for fine and gross motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and grasping. This is my son's first choice when it comes to all the activities we do.

The supplies needed for this is super simple and you probably have it in your home already. You will need to grab some Washi tape and any toy that is not too small and not too big, I like to use magnetic letters. You will want to place the tape on a flat surface (I like to use the dry-erase board in our learning corner), then have the toys in a bin nearby. You will want to show your toddler how to do this activity by taking the toy out of the bin, sticking it to the tape, and then taking it, off the tape and back into the bin.

2. Peg Puzzles

Peg puzzles are filled with different kinds of problem-solving skills, spatial awareness is also one of the many benefits of Peg Puzzles (Write, 2024).

I personally suggest starting with bigger-sized peg puzzles as they’re easier to hold and maneuver. These also have more opportunities for learning than just putting the pieces where they go. When playing with the puzzles I like to name what is on the puzzles and then ask my son, “Where’s the apple?” Endless options for creativity with this one.

3. Scoop and transfer

I normally use rice for this activity but you really can use anything you want. If this is your first time trying scoop and transfer, you can use a baking sheet underneath to prevent mess.

Around 14 months my son was obsessed with this activity. When you're running out of ideas of what to do that day scoop and transfer is a huge hit and super simple as you can use items at home. Using different-sized spoons always makes it a bit more challenging.

4. Hide and Seek toys

I probably have more fun with this one than my son even does, haha. This keeps us busy for a good while and is a good activity to let out some energy. Depending on the age of your toddler will be the determining factor of where to hide them. Hide and Seek toys are a great activity for learning teamwork as I will find the toys with him, with learning teamwork also comes with learning patience. When you find an item you can name the toy and if it's an animal for example demonstrate its sound, every activity can be a learning one!

5. Salt Painting

We recently did salt painting for the first time, and it honestly was satisfying and a lot of fun! The only supplies you need are Elmers glue, watercolors, any kind of paper, do not use construction paper as I did, and lastly paintbrushes. I made my own with water and food coloring because I did not have watercolors at the time of this activity. To start you will want to use your glue to create the design you want. For the fun part grab your paintbrush with some of the watercolors and just hold it over the salt or just lightly touch it. The color is going to spread down the salt, this is the satisfying part I was talking about. This activity needed a lot of guidance but it was fun and a good bonding moment.

I chose these activities because of how flexible they are and can really be for any toddler. I hope you and your little one have the best time with these, let me know how these went in your home and if you want to see more!

Sources

White, H. (2024). Montessori Puzzle Progression. Guide and grow. March 16, 2024, https://www.lindseygamble.com/blog/target-launches-a-new-creator-marketplace-with-the-target-creator-program