Tasks

Developmental games with children using the Maria Montessori method.

Many Montessori games do not require special toys; rather, they turn ordinary household items into toys. Children find it much more interesting to play with items that adults use. Furthermore, games using this method do not require significant financial costs from parents. This section contains some types of games based on the Montessori method. Come up with your own games! 

"Water Games" Toys: tray, watering can, bowl or basin, cloth. The watering can is filled to a marked point with colored water. The watering can and the bowl are placed side by side. You demonstrate to the child how to pour water from the watering can into the bowl and back, moving slowly and clearly, while showing interest in the activity. Then invite the child to repeat the exercise, while you observe them with interest. At the end of the exercise, the water is poured out. The container is wiped dry. Cleaning is part of the game. The game can be modified by using more containers or a container with a narrow neck (jug, bottle). 

"Aquarium Game" Toys: jar of water, chalk, and plastic items (buttons, mosaic pieces, chips, balls), ladle, long-handled spoon, colander (spoon with holes). Small items are thrown into the container, picked up with three fingers of either the right or left hand. After the aquarium is filled, fish can be caught. The child is given the opportunity to try all items as a "net," and they must extract them without using the other hand. 

"Pouring Water" Toys: tray, watering can, containers of various sizes, measuring cup, cloth. Colored water is slowly poured from the watering can into the measuring cup. Then this water is poured into different containers, and from time to time the water is returned to the measuring cup. Through repeating the sequence of actions, the child learns how equal amounts of water are distributed differently in various containers. Questions are discussed simultaneously: "Where are the equal amounts of water?", "Where is there more water?" It's interesting to pour not only colored water but also foam. As a control task, Montessori suggests offering the child to pour a drink, such as juice or milk. 

Water and Sponge Games Toys: watering can, two plates, tray, sponge. You pour a little water from the watering can into one plate, and then using the sponge, try to transfer the water to another empty plate. It is important that the water does not drip from the sponge onto the tray but is completely squeezed into the new plate. If a few drops do fall onto the tray or table, show the child how easy and pleasant it is to wipe up any puddle. Then the child performs this exercise. 

"Walking on the Line" Toys: a line in the shape of an ellipse, either glued or drawn on the floor. The diameter of the ellipse should be at least 4 meters long. Items to carry: a glass filled with colored water, a bell, a candle, flowers. It is known that children have a great interest when they move while balancing on a log, curb, or low walls. In this game, children carry various items: a glass or bottle filled almost to the brim with colored water, a bell, a lit candle, one flower, a book on their head. The child walks along the line, ensuring that the heel of one foot touches the toe of the other with each step. It is important to walk straight along the line, without spilling water, dropping the book, or extinguishing the candle. 

Bead Games Toys: beads or pearls of different colors, shapes, and sizes, boxes, thick thread or soft wire. Bead games occupy a special place in the Montessori system of games. The development of fine motor skills in children greatly influences the development of their thinking and language acquisition. Beads or pearls are offered to the child mixed in one box. The child sorts them into other boxes based on a principle of their own choosing, for example, by color. It is recommended to pick up the beads one by one, using two fingers. It is important not to have too many beads, as there is a risk that the child will lose interest in the game before finishing the task. It is also interesting and useful to string beads onto a thread to make necklaces. 

"Colored Paths": beads are carefully sprinkled on the table using three fingers ("a pinch"). The size of the path should be determined in advance so that the child learns to evenly distribute the material. 

«Beads in a Vase»: pick up beads from a flat plate and throw them with three fingers into a small vase. It is preferable for the neck of the vase to be narrower. 

«Sorting by Order»: pour beads of two colors (about 5-7 beads of each color) into a bowl and place two plates to the right of the bowl. Suggest: “Let’s put all the red beads in one plate and all the green ones in the other.” To liven up the game, say, for example, that this is a treat for the teddy bear and the bunny, with the bear only liking cherries and the bunny only liking gooseberries. The beads should be transferred one by one, using three fingers (demonstrate). If any beads fall onto the table, ask the child to pick them up with a scoop. Be sure to complete the task – this skill is very important. Therefore, at first, take fewer beads. 

Flower Game Toys: living flowers, small bucket, dustpan, various vases and jars, scissors, watering can, cloth. You pour water from the watering can into the chosen vase. The child should notice that the flowers in the vase need a certain amount of water. The water that spills over the edge is wiped with a cloth. The lower leaves and a piece of the stem are cut from the flower, after which the flower is placed in the vase. There should be enough flowers for the child to have the opportunity to repeat these actions independently with another vase. When the child finishes the exercise-game, you both clean up the workspace. Do not interfere with the child, even if they cut the stem too short. Let them realize this themselves. 

Game "More and Less" Toys: bottles, jars, containers from grains with lids of different sizes. Unscrew the caps from several bottles of different sizes, allowing for some to contain water. Show the child how to match and screw the caps back on. Invite the child to carry out the same procedures with their own bottles and jars. Watch their activity closely. 

Game "Washing Dishes" Toys: dishwashing liquid, sponge, dish for a small amount of cleaning solution, metal item (small pot, kettle, or spoon). The process is complex and responsible, making it particularly interesting for a young child. The entire procedure of cleaning the pot is demonstrated to the child slowly and with clear interest in the task. This allows the child to understand the sequence of actions in relation to each other, clearly comprehend individual actions, and focus on the task as a whole. The child is invited to repeat the exercise with another item. After some time, you can step back, but maintain continuous contact with the child who is working. When the play activity is finished, show the child how to clean everything up. Only after cleaning is the exercise considered complete. 

Game "Cleaning Up" Toys: grains, spoon, tray, sponge or brush, scoop. Transferring grains from one jar to another with a spoon, sorting buckwheat or millet, as well as cleaning up spills, especially with the help of a sponge and scoop – are developmental games in the spirit of Montessori. 

«Do not spill or pour»: first, pour some grains into a jug and show the child how to hold the jug with the right hand while supporting it with the left, pouring the grains into a cup placed to the left of the jug. (All spilled grains should be swept up with a brush into the scoop.) Do not forget to quietly praise the child if they cleaned up carefully. Transitioning to pouring should only happen when the child has mastered the pouring technique well. Help them start and finish pouring – this is the hardest part for them. Show how to collect spilled water with a sponge. 

«Magic Sieve»: say, “In this bowl, rice and semolina are mixed (show the grains of rice and semolina separately). How can we choose all the rice grains from here? It’s hard to do even with your small, nimble fingers. But a sieve will help you!” Separating one grain from another seems like a trick to the child. Explain why this happens by first pouring clean semolina into the sieve, then the rice. The sifted rice should be poured into a prepared plate. Celebrate the result with the child. 

«There was a puddle – and now it’s gone»: this exercise has great educational value: when the child spills something, they will be able to clean up after themselves. First, teach the child to transfer water with a sponge from one plate to another. Place two plates on the tray: one with a small amount of water on the left, and the other empty on the right. Show how to use the sponge to scoop water from one plate and squeeze it over the other. Pay attention to the fact that the water should not drip from the sponge onto the tray. Then spill a little water on the tray and show how to wipe up the puddle with the sponge. 

«Sweep it up, but don’t spill!»: this skill can be used by the child every day when helping to clean the table. They will be happy to have their own responsibility, just like an adult. Show the child how to hold the brush in their right hand, how to sweep it off the table, and how to hold the scoop so that the waste does not fall on the floor. A bright or dark edge along the scoop will help in this: the scoop should be brought under the table edge so that the edge is not visible – then nothing will spill onto the floor. 

Games with Fasteners Toys: straps, buttons of different sizes and their loops, laces, snaps, hooks. On a thick piece of fabric, sew on large and small buttons, snaps, bows, a lace that can be threaded through a hole, a lace that can be wrapped around a hook, hooks and their loops, strap fasteners, and Velcro fasteners. Each action, such as tying shoelaces, should be performed slowly and carefully, allowing the child to observe the entire process attentively. There are giant button lacing toys for toddlers. More than 10 cm in diameter with 4 or 6 large holes – these also embody Maria Montessori's ideas. You can learn to "sew" such a button starting from 1.5 years old. For older children (2-2.5 years), thematic lacing toys are suitable. They involve not only the action itself (lacing, tying knots) but also thematic play and dramatization. The child helps the hedgehog carry a mushroom, basket, nut, sorting, and lacing them onto the hedgehog’s back. 

Game "In Silence" Toys: any items in the room In this game, the child learns self-control. In silence, the children listen to individual noises or sounds they had not previously noticed: the ticking of a clock, the singing of birds, the sound of rain. These exercises are only useful when children do them completely voluntarily. It is better if the room is slightly dimmed. This way, children learn not only to see but also to listen. The enhanced ability of children to perceive can be utilized by offering them a story, looking at pictures, or singing a song. 

“Let’s Make Balls, Sausages, and Pancakes” Give the child a small piece of kneaded plasticine. Suggest preparing a festive meal for the dolls. Show how to make “balls” (roll into balls), “sausages,” and “pancakes.” Then from these “ingredients,” various figures of people and animals can be “assembled.” While helping the child, do not restrict their imagination – resist the temptation to shape things for them. 

“Open and Close” Come up with a game: for example, the child can be a doctor with many jars of medicines or a hostess holding various grains in jars. Place several small jars with closed lids in front of the child (the jars should differ in size and shape). Suggest opening all the jars and then closing them again, matching the lids correctly. If the lids screw on, ensure that the child turns the lid, not the jar. 

“Fish Them Out” Place two plates on the tray: one deep on the left and one shallow on the right. Fill the deep plate with water and toss in several small floating items. Invite the child to fish them out one by one with a spoon and transfer them to the shallow plate. Initially, help them by gently guiding their hand. Ensure that the child holds the spoon correctly. It is important to complete the exercise: transfer all items to the shallow plate and collect any spilled water with a sponge. 

“Transferring with a Spoon” Place two cups on the tray: one with grains on the left and one empty on the right. (Both cups should be dry.) Initially, by moving the child’s hand, show how to scoop a partial spoonful of grains, wait for the grains to stop spilling from the spoon, and smoothly move the spoon to the right cup and tip it over. Help the child scoop grains when there is little left (suggest that they lean the cup with their left hand). It is useful to combine this exercise with stirring. For example, the child can pour sugar into tea and stir it. 

“Preparing Medicines” Children love to stir with a spoon, for example, sugar in tea. However, this doesn't always work out: the child’s movements are still abrupt, the spoon hits the cup, and tea spills. Help the child by initially moving their hand. Note that children find it much more interesting to stir substances in water that change its color when dissolved. Ensure that the child holds the spoon correctly. Many games can be linked to this exercise: preparing medicines, food, etc. To help the child master actions with a spoon well, combine this exercise with transferring grains with a spoon. 

“Sprinkling Paths” Invite the child to sprinkle “sand” (semolina, millet) to make a path on the table 3-5 cm wide. Limit it with something, for example, strips of paper. Play: the path can go from one house made of matches to another. The sand should be sprinkled with three fingers (pinching), without going over the edges of the path. While playing outside, you can make a path between two sticks, sprinkle “sugar” on a sand “cake,” and so on. 

«Colored Water»: children enjoy learning to recognize and differentiate colors using various jars and containers with water, brushes, and paints. You will need several cups (preferably of different sizes and preferably transparent). Before conducting such an exercise, you can note with the child that the water is clear, colorless, and visible through the bottom of the cup. Take a little paint on the brush tip and add it to the cup of water. Watch the beautiful swirls (“flowers”) that appear in the water, note how the color of the water has changed, and definitely name it or come up with a name together (“pink” water - a little red paint added, or “like a strawberry milkshake” can be said by the child). You can add more paint to the cup of water, paying attention to how the color has changed. You can, conversely, dilute the obtained color with clean water and note again that the color has become lighter, more transparent. And how many opportunities for imagination and creativity arise when starting to pour colored water from one cup to another, mixing colors! You can also observe how different colors are obtained (red+yellow=orange, blue+yellow=green, etc.). Such exercises open up vast opportunities for developing the child's creativity and imagination. The child will independently gather countless different colors and their shades, and together we will assign names, compare colors, observe the properties of water and color, and learn to visually estimate the volume of liquid (if we pour more water into this cup – will we have enough space? Will it overflow?). And most importantly – these games and activities are very enjoyable for children. The child eagerly learns colors, “creates” them himself, comes up with names, developing speech and imagination. 

«Box of Fabrics» (from 2.5 to 5 years) Toys: a small box containing a pair of pieces of each fabric of different textures (for example, silk, cotton, wool, mohair, etc.). Show the child three pairs of pieces of fabric that contrast the most in texture; then mix them up and ask the child to find the pairs by feeling them with their hands; once the child understands the exercise, add other pieces of fabric; encourage the child to do the same with their eyes closed. 

«Magic Bag» (from 3 to 5 years) Toys: a bag containing 8-10 familiar objects (for example, a comb, whistle, lace, etc.). Blindfold the child or ask them to close their eyes; let the child take one object out of the bag and try to identify it by touch; after the child successfully identifies all the objects in the bag, you can replace them with others, gradually increasing the level of difficulty based on the child's age; this exercise can also be used with objects that start with the same letter (for example, if you’ve learned the letter "l," you can put a spoon, leaf, eraser, etc., in the bag). 

«Funny Clothespins» Clothespins are a wonderful exercise for small fingers. Show the child how they can be attached to any flat object, such as cardboard, a wide ruler, or a plate. Over time, the task can be made more challenging: ask the child to secure the clothespins on a taut rope. To make your activities more engaging – create special cardboard templates, for example, cut out the silhouettes of a Christmas tree and a sun. It will be much more interesting for the child to attach the clothespins as needles to the Christmas tree and rays to the sun. 

«Who is Hiding?»: fill a bowl with beans, peas, buckwheat, and rice. Hide animal figures in there and ask the child to find who is hiding in the grains? :-) This is beneficial for developing fine motor skills. 

«Paper Balls and Snails» Games with paper are also a very useful pastime, and this activity will not require parents to spend much money. Teach the child to crumple the paper and roll paper balls from the crumpled sheets. A two-year-old can quite easily create a fun snowman from them! Another useful activity is tearing off small pieces from a whole sheet of paper with fingers. It is quite possible that after such a "paper" game, the apartment will need a thorough cleaning, but these little things pale in comparison to the joy your child will get from the process of tearing paper. Plus, it is highly beneficial for the development of motor skills. Show the child how to roll up strips of paper into rolls. They can become little rolls or snails – whichever they prefer!