Summertime Montessori Activities for Toddlers

Engage Team • May 30, 2017

“A child, than anyone else, is a spontaneous observer of nature.”

~ Maria Montessori

Summer break is almost upon us, and now is the time to start planning some fun activities for your kids. Take a look at our favorite summertime Montessori activities geared towards the toddler years !

Painting Seashells

-Art-

This is a simple painting art project involving seashells,watercolor or finger paints, and a paintbrush. Toddlers can work on holding the paint brush in his one hand and steadying the seashell in the other hand. After the seashells are painted, children can enjoy washing them clean in a bucket of soapy water. This Montessori practical life activity encourages the development of fine motor muscles with the fun sensation of using soapy water and a dish brush for scrubbing. It also re-enforces the concept of cleaning up.

Smoothie Popsicles

-Cooking with Kids-

This is the simplest smoothie popsicle recipe ever, and it’s perfect for the kids that want to be independent in the kitchen but still need some guidance. It uses up only a few ingredients but transforms into a healthy treat. You will need some ripe strawberries (the riper, the better), an equally ripe banana, your child’s favorite yogurt, a popsicle mold and blender.

Instructions:

Nature Threading

-Fine Motor Skills-

It is so wonderful finding new ways to use nature in preschool activities because, really, you can’t beat the beauty of nature and all the sensory benefits it brings!

Here’s the short list of supplies you’ll need to get started:

You can collected leaves and flower petals from our front yard, but if you don’t have many plants in your yard, you can consider taking a nature walk to find materials. You can even use the items found on your Nature Scavenger Hunt (see activity below)! Place your nature finds on a tray and start by threading the embroidery floss onto the yarn needle for your toddler. Showed him how to “sew”a few leaves and petals onto the string, and explain that the materials you are working with are very delicate so they should work carefully and slowly. This is fantastic fine motor practice!

Allow your child to thread as long as they desire. Some will want to make long necklaces, others will just want a few petals and leaves. You can add a further challenge students by asking them to make patterns (leaf, petal,leaf, petal, etc.).

Gardening

-Life Skills-

Gardens are full of surprises – and for children there is an attraction that goes well beyond dirt. The connection to the earth is a stress releasing, quiet moment. As well, growing teaches patience, love of good food, and provides exercise. In our sedentary technology filled world, our kids need to learn these skills more than ever. Gardening is a wonderful way for children to connect with nature and nurture living things. It provides learning opportunities when studying parts of seeds, flowers and plants. Children love to dig in the dirt and get great exercise while doing so.

Tips for Gardening with Toddlers:

Nature Scavenger Hunt

-Gross Motor & Sensory-

Casual, frequent walks in nature provide fun adventures, promote healthy habits, and help to create a stronger bond with your toddler. Enjoy using your imagination to create gross motor challenges together using whatever natural materials you find! Regular gross motor exercises are essential for child’s development and contribute to many aspects of their well-being. They:

A fun way to get children moving in nature is to incorporate a scavenger hunt into your playtime. It’s easy to do with an egg carton or a paper bag to collect small natural treasures into. Print your scavenger hunt list (there are some fantastic free printables found online!), glue it to the top of an egg carton or on the outside of paper bag and off you go on your adventure!