The Montessori method has become a mandatory reference for all parents, especially for those with very young children who are now beginning little by little to develop their skills.
This method that we are talking about was developed by María Montessori, a doctor and educator by profession and a native of Italy. His method was developed with the intention of releasing the abilities and potentialities of each child and also in order for them to develop themselves in controlled spaces. The objective of this method is to guarantee the integral development of their intellectual, spiritual and physical capacities, always with the collaboration of an adult. His motto was to consider children competent beings, capable of making important decisions by themselves.
Montessori was in charge of raising her pedagogical approaches to easy and fun games and including them in the educational models of many countries. That is why we want you to know a little more about the activities that can be done to carry out this method in the learning of the little ones, and we leave you 3 fun Montessori games to do at home .
Montessori games to play at home
- The color wheel
It is considered the most classic game of this method, ideal for children aged two and a half and up, and which serves to stimulate the principle of color differentiation. This game helps develop motor skills by coordinating sight and hands (eye-hand) to locate clothespins in the similar color of a wheel. All the child has to do is place the yellow clip on the yellow sector of the wheel, for example, and so on with the rest of the colors.
It seems simple, but in the first years of life this simple task can be complicated. That is why it is necessary that you play games like this with your little ones, talking to them about what a wheel is, its colors and the clamps.
The materials to make it at home are simple, you will need:
- A medium size carton.
- Scissors.
- Tempera of colors.
All you have to do is cut the cardboard into a circle and then divide it into equal parts and also color as many tweezers as you have or are going to use to match the colors of the wheel. The idea is that each clip matches the color of the cardboard circle … It’s that simple!
- Sort and match socks
Children, through play and imitation, love being a mom and dad, since this simple game helps them feel more autonomous; The same reason why they love to help with everyday activities at home and feel useful and full members of the family . Taking advantage of this innate desire, a good idea is to incorporate it into the game, and in this line we can carry out this other Montessori- style activity that is none other than ordering and matching socks. With this simple task you will stimulate in them values such as: order or discipline and at the same time you will help them identify colors, know sizes and identify models.
- Cut food
Children pay attention to culinary activities at any age. And more if we are always saying things like: “watch out! Don’t do it, it’s dangerous! ” The interest in imitation makes children at these ages want to do activities when they are older. That is why a good idea is to invite them to cut food like adults do . Place them on a cutting board, either made of wood or plastic, with soft foods that do not offer resistance when cutting. It can be a hard-boiled egg, a banana, or any other soft-textured fruit. The little ones will not forget this experience! In addition, there are special stools, widely used in the Montessori philosophy, that allow children to work on the kitchen counter, just like the grown-ups, without the risk of falling.
Of course, always warn them of how delicate the activity of cutting and cooking is and always keep an eye on what they do. If you are willing to give them a real knife, look for a rounded one, the kind that don’t have an edge (like those for spreading butter). Using this type of knives they can work and learn in good conditions without the possibility of cuts.
Involving children in everyday tasks is one of the most fun games we can teach them , especially in early childhood, and Montessori Education teaches us a lot about this . So take advantage of these daily and happy family moments to learn new things and teach them everything you can… Remember that at that age they are a sponge and everything they see they learn!
