Montessori-Based Activity Sets and Suggested Activities for Toddlers to 8 Years Old

I love Montessori activities - the actual, based or inspired. I have been giving my son these kinds of activities since he was a toddler. When people meet my son, they often ask me what I fed him as a baby, what we do at home and what I teach him that has made him become a profoundly gifted boy. 

I believe giftedness is first and foremost from God but the parents have the responsibility to nurture and develop it and that's where the activities and lessons come in. I believe that giving my son activities as early as 1-2 months helped him to become a better learner. Now what those activities are at that stage is a topic for another blog. Today I will be sharing with you activities for 6 months old and above. 

If you have kids 6 months up to 8 years old, here are some activity sets that will be very beneficial for them. I put links on where to buy the products for your convenience. 

Stacking Ring Tower

The first one is a stacking ring tower. I think that every toddler needs this. This is such a versatile toy! Here's what you can do with it starting with 6 months old going up:

6 months

Take out all the rings and even the ball. Just make sure that you supervise the toddler at all times. They might throw the ball. This is a wooden toy and it can hurt someone. 

When your child is in his high chair or when it's floor time, spread all the rings in front of him. Keep the tower for the time being. Let him explore the different sizes and colors of the rings. You can also choose a ring and tell them the color. You'd be surprised at how much information kids can retain. My son already knew the alphabet, colors, shapes, numbers even before he could speak. My mom would always point and tell him what those are. When he learned how to speak, we were amazed when he started reciting them to us. 

1-2 years old

By this time, your child should be able to stack the tower themselves in random order. You can also start teaching them the concept of big and small. 

2 - 5 years old

During this time, your child should be able to stack the rings in order. Try challenging them to stack the rings in reverse. This is also a good time to reinforce shapes and colors to get them ready for school. 

Shape Sorting House Set

Another toy that we loved is a shape sorting set. I like this one because the holes are big so you can put other things inside like big pompoms, baby food caps, ribbons and other manipulatives that your child can try to pull out. This is good fine motor skills practice. Just make sure that they don't get their cute little hands stuck in there!

6 months to 1 year

Again, lay out all the shapes in front of your child. During this age, they just want to explore. They might also try to put stuff in their mouths so keep a watchful eye. Have them explore the different shapes and textures. What I love about this set is that it has both numbers and shapes which will be helpful as your child grows. 

2 to 5 years old

By this time, your child has become accustomed to the different shapes and holes in the house. They can easily put the shape in the correct slot. This is also a good time to teach them the different kinds of shapes and numbers. The numbers here can be used as a tactile teaching aid. Have your child trace the numbers with their finger. This is a good pre-writing practice. 

Part and Whole Shape Puzzle

Now, this is a great set because it grows with your child. 

6 months to 1 year old

The pieces are small but with adult supervision, you can let your toddler play with this set. Just let them explore the different textures and shapes with their hands and eyes. I was able to let my child play with small pieces when he was young because I kept a close eye. The bonus was, his fine motor skills improved quickly because he had to learn how to hold the small objects with his fingers. 

2 to 5 years old

Your child should be able to put all the pieces into their proper places. Introduce numbers, colors and shapes. 

Older kids

Use this set to teach part and whole and as an introduction to fractions. 

Wooden Shape Puzzle

6 months to 1 year old

Again, all you need with this set are the circles. This is a good sensory experience for young kids as they explore the shapes in the circles. Some advanced kids will be able to figure out this puzzle on their own after a few tries. 

2 to 5 years old

Kids in this age group should have no problem solving this puzzle. The next step is identifying the shapes. Say the shape, let their fingers trace the shape then say the shape again. Try to mix up the shapes and ask them to put the circles in their correct places for a more challenging activity. 

You can also use this set for patterning activities with older kids. You can draw the shapes in different patterns on a piece of paper and ask your child to follow the pattern. Sample patterns: Colors - Red, Blue, Yellow, Green. Shapes - Circle, Square, Triangle, Rectangle. Then they will place the circles in the correct order. Use a tray for this kind of activity. Put one pattern card at a time on the tray. 

Wooden Fraction Activity Set

This is another set that can grow with your kids. We had a set like this and my son used it from 6 months up to grade 1.

6 months to 1 year old

Another sensory activity. Let your kids explore the different shapes and textures. Advanced kids will be able to put the parts in their proper places. 

2 to 5 years old

Advanced kids will explore different combinations. Encourage this by asking questions like, "what will happen if you put 2 blue parts with one green part?"

6 years old and above

Whether you're homeschooling or doing distance learning or traditional school, this set is a good investment to practice fractions. Older kids can use this set for adding and subtracting fractions and learning mixed fractions as a visual representation.

I hope you got inspired by these activities. These sets are very affordable and as they are made with wood, are very sturdy and can last a long time. They can grow with your child or can be used by multiple kids. 

Stay tuned for more activities for your homeschool!