I thought I would share some of my favorite materials for a Montessori Infant to Toddler classroom. Since I teach infants and toddlers, I find that these materials really aid my tiny students in their development and growth. Last year, my students used many of these over and over in the classroom so not only do they help in their development but they also enjoy using them. What is so great about some of these, is that you can use and make them at home.
1. Plan Toys Geometric Sorting Board (aids in helping children recognize colors, sorting, shapes and even helps in counting abilities.
2. Plan Toys Walk N Roll I have seen in the past what a big hit this material is. Children love the sound it makes as they walk with it. Great sensorial work for older infants as well as young toddlers.
3. ALEX Toys: Early Learning String A Farm Another big hit with my students this past year. You may want to show them first how to use this but once they see how it works, they will love it. I was so surprised that even my youngest of students were able to use this. This material is great for their fine motor skills and manual dexterity. The animals are a point of interest for the child (sheep, dog, cat, cow, pig, etc).
4. Single Shape Puzzles Even the youngest of students will be able to use these shape puzzle pieces. They are great for language (introducing shapes) and eye-hand coordination.
5. Object to Picture Matching This is probably one of my favorite materials to make. Yes you can actually make this yourself! Object to picture matching is great for even the youngest of students (just make sure none of the objects you use are choking hazards). It really helps in their cognitive development.
6. Wooden Texture Cylinders A great sensory activity for older infants and toddlers. The touch and match cylinders helps in the development of tactile discrimination (smooth, rough, soft, etc).
7. Guidecraft Screw Block Great manipulative that aids in eye-hand coordination, fine motor, and color matching skills. Great for young - older toddlers.
8. Coin Posting Box Another one of my favorites! Infants and Toddlers a like love using this material. Very simple to make using a tin can, contact paper and craft store buttons.
9. Object Permanence Box You've probably seen this in many Montessori classrooms. It helps develop hand-eye coordination and indirectly allows the child to experience object permanence (when a child understands that an object continues to exist even when they cannot be seen).
10. Homemade Shakers I absolutely love this! I have made this for my students and also for my niece. I must say it is such a hit for infants and older infants! The bottles I used were from Michael's craft store, and I filled them up with rice, marbles, sand, cotton balls, or rocks. You can add water to one of them and also put glitter inside of it. Children love to shake them and watch the glitter! You can also use old baby jars.
I'd like to mention that books are a huge part of a Montessori environment. I did not mention any on my list because I just wanted to concentrate on some of my favorite materials. I definitely recommend books by Roger Priddy and DK Publishing, which contain realistic pictures, ideal for an infant and toddler classroom. I hope you enjoyed reading my list. Let me know if you tried any with your students or your children. :)
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