Montessori inspired toys and activities

The other day I ordered a great big box of board games from V@tera  (some 8 different second hand games for 625 ft each. It was a bargain and I can reuse it and combine them, and just use them partly or entirely or just save them for Christmas (there are some never used). Anyway I am hooked on the Montessori inspired resources.

Montessori education is an educational approach developed by Italian physician and educator Maria Montessori and characterized by an emphasis on independence, freedom within limits, and respect for a child’s natural psychological, physical, and social development. 

Read the whole entry click here .

Sorting and spooning are a core activity in a Montessori classroom. (source: Kreative Resources)

So among the newly ordered board games there was this squirrel game, and it is from Ravensburger after all... for 625 ft.... this is not a typical brainless roll the dice and move board game, it includes some thinking and decision making, but this feature can be pretty well put aside for another 4 years at least I think... not for my baby, or me (at the moment I feel a bit brainless myself) muhaha. (Well we have got a toddler, so it doesn't matter really at the moment, I only want to use the squirrels and borrow their wheelbarrows). Originally it comes with pinecones as little as an ant or something, so I carefully bagged them and save them for Christmas :) or later times. So I am around and about to use the squirrels and their yellow, green, blue, red wheelbarrows only as I said before. 

Source: boardgame geek

How does the Montessori method come to the picure? Well I like mixing things, and this time I matched TESCO's 50 Favourite board games with the Squirrel Game. I used the tiny colourful buttons from the Tesco set of games and mixed them with the Squirrel Game.  It is a very simple colour matching game really, I just gave it a little pimp with these not so home-made looking materials. (Do not get me wrong I adore home made things but these ready made materials are very pretty, time and labour saving).

These are my little hardworking squirrels

So we have the 4 different coloured buttons and the matching squirrels with their matching wheelbarrows and the colour matching can get started. Easy and fun way to teach your toddler some colours and new vocabulary like (wheelbarrow, squirrel and maybe pretend pinecones).

The pretend pinecones.

The squirrels in action.

Plus side: cheap, great fun, looks good, and you have plenty of space for improvisation.
Downside: contains small pieces, choking hazard, can be messy.