Montessori Activity: Jonah & the Whale Sensory Box

Jonah & the Whale Sensory Tub

Age: From 2.5 years old

Activity Duration: 5 - 15 minutes

Materials:

1. Transparent Smartbox B39xL50xH26cm tub half-filled with water (water not shown on picture)
2. Lego figurines dressed in homemade traditional costumes, one of the figures representing Jonah
3. Used empty orange juice plastic bottle for the big fish or whale
4. Paper boat
5. Throw in a water-can to create "rain", fan to fan the "windstorm", scoop, etc. for play

Directions:

1. This sensory tub goes very well with the biblical story of Jonah and the whale (Jonah 1-4).  Talk about the story as you go along. You can find the story here.
2. Fold the paper boat together with your child.
3. Dress the legoman into Jonah by using a new rug, cut into small rectangular, and a small round hole for the head and then tie the waist with string.
4. Let your child scoop, toss Jonah and catch it with the fish, etc.

Additional Information:

I was preparing for the Bible Story nursery lesson for tomorrow, and it led to the creation of this sensory tub for October. I cut out the mouth of the fish from the plastic bottle big enough to swallow Jonah Legoman.. Instructions on how to make the fish is here. I was very nervous about drawing and cutting the mouth for the fish. Daddy was beside me to give me courage. Thank God it all went well, in that it is still a decent fish with a mouth big enough to swallow Jonah :-) Can't imagine that I am becoming jacks of all trade, after J was born, and in the process, I have learned to do many things far more challenging than my professional work. I have not attempted to draw for so many years!!! Ah, the joy and challenges of motherhood! I will re-use this as October sensory tub for J after the class.

J tried it on 19.11.2011 (2Y8M14D). He played mainly with the watering can.

Thereafter, J took his bath in the tub

Montessori Activity: Making Musical Scales with Glass Bottles

Age: From 3 years old

Objective(s):

1. Introducing the child to high and low pitch and the idea that harmonics of sound work only in a certain order.

Materials:

1. 5 - 8 glass bottles or glasses filled with water at an increment of 1 inch of level of water for each bottle

2. Teaspoon

3. Food colouring (optional)

Directions:

1. Place the bottles in front of you in a row.

2. Say "I am going to show you how to make a musical scale".

3. Say, "I am going to find the lowest pitch". Pick up the teaspoon and gently tap the sides of the bottles to find the lowest pitch. When you have found the right bottle (which is the bottle that is completely full), take it out and place it on the left.

4. Say "I am going to find the next higher pitch" and repeat the action in step 3.

5. Shift around the bottles and let your child try.

Tips:
According to the book "Teach Me To Do It Myself", if your child comments on the different bottle sizes or the water in them making a difference in the pitch of the sound, let him experiment with these ideas.

Additional Information:
Bottle caps, food packaging, milk packet, egg cartons, jar caps, jam jars, toilet roll cardboard, old magazines, shoe boxes, styrofoam... and the latest to add to the collection are beer bottles... I am fast becoming a professional garbage collector... hmmm.... i think i should myself a Green Recycler. That sounds nicer:-)

I tried this activity with Joshua, but J wanted to turn it into a pouring activity. He was not developmentally ready for this yet. I will put it away and try this activity a few months later.

This is a fantastic book providing hands-on guide on Montessori activities that is practical, simple and easy to follow. The book also provides lots of ideas on using simple equipment that you can find at home. I found this idea in this book:

http://amzn.to/1NGSy8P

References:

http://www.ehow.com/list_6136701_glass-pitch-science-projects.html

Teach me to do it myself by Maja Pitamic

Updates 28 Dec. 2013 (4Y9M23D)

Montessori Activity: Funneling Flour

Age: From 2 years old

Activity Duration: 5-15 minutes

Preparation Time: 3 minutes

Objective(s): To train the child’s fine motor skills

Materials:
1. 1 small bowl with flour
2. 1 funnel
3. 1 bottle
4. 1 tray

Directions:
1. Demonstrate to your toddler by pouring the flour from the bowl into through the funnel into the bottle slowly and repeat.

2. Encourage and let your child try it.

Tips:
If you have an older toddler, you teach him/her to use the vacuum cleaner to vacuum any flour that falls out of the funnel.

Total Cost:
20 DKK for funnels for Søstrene Grene (4.75 SGD)

Additional Information:

Montessori Activity: Filling & Emptying Bottle/ Fyldning og Tømning Vand/装与倒水[zhuāng yǔ dào shuǐ]

Age: from 1.5 years old

Activity Duration: 5-15 minutes

Preparation Time: 3 minutes

Objective(s):
1. To train the child’s fine motor skills
2. To teach the concept of full and empty

Materials:
1. 2 basins
2. 1 small bottle
3. 1 small towel (to wipe dry the tray)
4. 1 tray

Directions:
1. Demonstrate to your child by filling water into the bottle from the basin and pouring the water out from the bottle into the other basin.
2. Encourage and let your child try it.

3. Then demonstrate to your child by wiping the tray dry using the towel.

4. Encourage your child to try wiping.

Tips:
J loves to fill the bottle and empty it at the sink using the tap, which is a waste of water. So I decided to make this activity for him. Can’t wait to try it out tomorrow evening!!!