Stringing Bottle Caps

I've seen many variations on this activity, including lacing tiny beads into bracelets and lacing big wooden beads onto shoe strings, as in the Melissa and Doug version.

This is an activity that requires and encourages a great deal of fine motor skills. Tobias at 16 months old is able to string 1-2 beads independently and watches me intently as I do it and with me holding the string he can do more beads halfway independently. I wouldn't suggest trying this under 15 months old unless your child is already scribbling with a crayon and using a fork and spoon with some success. This activity can be great for 15 month olds to 3 year olds.

Materials:

• As many bottle caps as you can find (a slight addiction to soda could be a good thing here)
• Half a shoelace with a big knot in the loose end
• drill with large drill bit

Preparation:

• drill holes in the center of the bottle caps

Activity:
Demonstrate to your child how to lace the bottle caps onto the shoelace. Do it slowly and holding it up in front of them. Talk about the colors of the bottle caps as you lace them and then hand one to your child if he hasn't already picked them up and encourage him to put it on the shoelace as you hold the shoelace up. Once your child shows interest in doing it, step back gradually and let them take it on independently.

Extensions:
With an older child (ages 2+) you can make a pattern (red, green, red, green) on your own shoelace and ask them to copy the pattern.


* ignore the goofy face, that's just Tobias' brilliant look of concentration, or maybe the flash was just in his eyes :)

Sorting Dinosaur Hunt

Materials:
-large plastic container
-dry rice, beans, or lentils
-small toys (we used dinosaurs)
-small bowl
-spoons, measuring cups (optional)

Preparation:
-fill large container with rice
-hide toys in the rice, leave some barely covered to make it easier for little kids

Activity:
-show child how to uncover a dinosaur and put it in a bowl
-let child collect all the dinosaurs in the bowl
-after all the toys have been found in the rice, your child can practice scooping the rice with spoons or measuring cups.

Skills:
-sorting
-scooping

Extensions:
-read a book about dinosaurs or watch "Dinosaur Train" on PBS to learn more about dinosaurs.
-talk with your child about how archeologists dig for dinosaur skeletons so we can learn about dinosaurs that lived a long time ago.

Pouring

Materials
-3 small cups
-1 cereal bowl
-water
-lentils, beans, rice, or cereal

Preparation
-fill the small cups halfway with the lentils (or beans, rice, etc)

Activity
-place the bowl in front of your child and pour one cup of lentils into it to demonstrate. Explain verbally as you do so.
-hand your child a cup of lentils and help him pour it into the bowl
-give the 3rd cup and allow your child to try to pour it himself
-repeat as many times as you like
-repeat with water as well. You should start with a small amount of water at first so it's not too heavy. If your child is very young or uncoordinated you may want to only use 1/4th a cup of water. My son is 15 months and he managed to pour half cups of water fairly accurately with just a little accidental spilling.

Extension
1) discuss concepts of empty and full
2) use a smaller container to pour into or a larger container to pour out of (like a pitcher). You can even use a funnel.
3) children 18 months and older can pour a half cup of water from a pitcher into their own cup. As they get better at it fill the pitcher with more water than the cup can hold and they will have to learn to stop pouring before it spills over.

*If/when your child spills have him help you clean up. When Tobias spilled the water I handed him a dry washcloth and we mopped up the spill together, he thinks this is tons of fun and it teaches him to be responsible for his own activities and messes.

Skills
fine motor skills
practical life skills

Resources Used
Tot School Blog
Montessori from the Start by Paula Polk Lillard and Lynn Lillard Jessen

Scooping-Water Play

Materials
-2 large bowls or pots
-a variety of spoons (including measuring spoons)
-a towel or bath mat

Preparation
-fill one bowl halfway with water
-set up activity in bathroom, kitchen, or outside where it's safe to get wet

Actvity
-let your baby or toddler play in the water :) Show them how to scoop water from one bowl into another using the spoons. This is a good preparatory activity for children who are almost ready to feed themselves using a spoon.

Fun With Small Spaces-Cotton Balls

I got the idea for this activity at the Tot School blog. This is an ideal activity for a child ages 10-24 months. It could even be made more difficult by asking your child to sort the puff balls by color in 2 separate containers or asking him/her to count the balls as they are pushed in the container.


Supplies
-cotton balls or puff balls (can be found at Target or a local craft store)
-clean plastic container with lid (I used a yogurt container)
-scissors

Prepping
-Cut very small holes in the lid of the plastic container. Be sure they are small enough that it takes a little push to put the cotton ball through but not so tight that it will be impossible. Feel free to make slightly larger holes for younger toddlers.


Activity
-Set out plastic container with lid on it and a handful of cotton balls.
-Demonstrate how to push the cotton balls through the small holes on the top. Let your child join in when he/she wants to.
-Sit back a bit and allow your child to investigate it on his/her own. If he/she loses interest join in again so it's more fun as a group activity.

Photo
Here is my son playing with this activity. He absolutely loved it because he is always looking at how things work. Any child who seems to learn well through sensory activities will enjoy this as well. After playing with it the proper way we dumped all the cotton balls out again but he decided dumping the balls out was just as much fun as putting them in. He had a great time dumping them out and putting them back in on his own :)

Montessori Links

Here is a list of links for teaching Montessori style:

• Maybe Montessori
• Miss Patty's Montessori Day
• Montessori
• Montessori Journey
• Montessori Moments
• Our Montessori Story
• Tot Trays