Stacking Boxes

Age: From 1 year old

Montessori Activity: Opening & Closing Containers with Lids

Age: From 3 years old

Activity Duration: 5 - 15 minutes

Objective(s):

1. To train the child's fine motor skills.
2. To teach colors.
3. To distinguish between sizes
4. Teaching a sense of order

Materials:

1. 1 set of containers with lids of different sizes and colours
2. 1 tray (I am using a lap-table)

Directions:

1. Demonstrate how to open the container, putting the lid on one side and the container on the other side.

2. Then slide close the lid.

3. Encourage your child to try.

Cost:

Set of 8 Containers with lids: 39 DKK (8.50 SGD) from Netto

Additional Information:

I bought this set of containers to serve as inner-boxes for J's bento style lunch box. Before we started to use it, J wanted to play Montessori with it. J could not open those lids when he was two years old at the day care, and I have not used the lids. So today, I let J practiced opening and putting back the lids. At 3 years old, he  (3Y3M18D) could open the lids very well now, but it is still a challenge for him to put back the lids.

Thereafter, we stack the containers from big to small, from small to big. We also divided them into two equal sets (this is a subtle lesson on division Maths concept in a fun way) and Mommy stacked one set and J stacked on set. We competed on speed, and it was very fun for J.

I use the lap-table for this, asking J to put the lids in one of the side compartments and the containers in the other side compartment of the lap table.  I have been very pleased with the lap-table and it is a good tray to be used along with many Montessori activities. We also use it for reading.

Montessori Activity: The "Pink Tower"

Age: From 2.5 years old (Level 2)

Activity Duration: 5 - 15 minutes

Objective(s):
1. To teach the concept of big to small.
2. To learn the skills of stacking blocks

Materials:
1. The Montessori Pink Tower or the nesting boxes
2. 2 mats
3 Some animal figures (optional)

Presentation:
1. Place the boxes randomly on a mat.
2. Place another mat across the room.
3. Show your child how to stack the boxes from big to small vertically into a tower by bringing the boxes one-by-one at a time to the other mat.
4. Dismantle the tower and place the boxes randomly on the mat.
5. Invite your child to try to build the pink tower on the other mat.

Video Demonstration:

https://youtu.be/3Wfo28SvgLg

https://youtu.be/PccJvhRZXr0

Tips:

1. You can also arrange the boxes horizontally like a stair on the floor.
2. You can turn the boxes as shown in the pictures to play as home for animal figurines or matching the animal figurines with the pictures on the boxes.

Additional Information:
J has never been very fond of our "pink tower". I saw in a blog of stacking it this way and letting the animal figures into it. And J loved it. He (2Y5M14D) played with it for the longest time ever (his longest time is still very short, about 10 minutes) on 19.8.2011!

References:
http://www.montessorialbum.com/montessori/index.php?title=Pink_Tower
http://www.infomontessori.com/sensorial/visual-sense-pink-tower.htm

19.8.2011 (2Y5M14D) - J stacking the boxes

Moo moo moo... here comes the cow... to home to home... to home sweet home :-)