MONTESSORI FOR YOUR 24-27 MONTH OLD
Montessori for your 24-27 month old is all about supporting your child’s need for independence. If you haven’t already noticed your child’s growing need for independence in the past few months, you will surely notice it in the next few months.
This is a fun and exciting time for you and your toddler! Teaching your child how to live in the world today is truly a gift that keeps on giving. The basic practical life skills they learn now will stay with them throughout their entire lives.
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Check out Montessori for 18-21-month-olds here.
As a reminder, these activities and material suggestions are just starting points. Don’t expect your child to be able to do all of these things on the first try. This is just an age-appropriate time to begin working on mastering these suggested activities.
Montessori for your 24-27 month old
PREPARING YOUR ENVIRONMENT
As your child starts to transition into new sensitive periods you will need to provide new prepared environments. This can be done through activities, practical life, and creating ways for your child to gain independence.
If you haven’t yet created some practical life stations throughout your home this is the perfect time to do so. Your child will be looking for ways to start helping themselves. For instance a self-care station in the bathroom, wooden stool by their dressing area, or a self-serve station in the kitchen.
Creating distraction free spaces for your child’s independence to grow should be the number one objective to preparing your environment. You can read more about preparing your home environment by clicking here.
TOYS & MATERIALS
Montessori materials support a number of different development stages. In order to find the right materials for your child it is important to follow your child’s lead. What are they interested in?
Do they like getting their hands dirty? Try more sensory materials. Do they like jumping and running? Try a climbing dome or pickler’s triangle. Are they able to concentrate for longer periods of time? Try a more challenging puzzle.
It is important to remember that the materials you provide should change with your child’s interests. Using an educational program such as Monti Kids will be of great help. This program grows with your child and takes the guesswork out of finding Montessori materials for your toddler.
Here are just a few materials your 24-27 month old may be interested in:
- Open Dresser
- Rolling Pin
- Color Box
- Marble Run
- Balance Bike
- Riverstone Climbers
- Objects to Object Match
- Card to Object Match
- Wooden Nesting Dolls
- Felt Wall
- Books
- Magnetic Toys
MONTESSORI ACTIVITIES
Montessori activities are meant to help support yoru child in every developmental stage or sensitive period. Some children will be different ages when experiences the same sensitive period and that is perfectly okay. This is exactly why it is important to follow your child’s lead when you’re preparing activities for them.
If you’re just getting started with Montessori remember that your child won’t always be able to understand something on the first try. It may take days or weeks for your child to comprehend the activity. If you think your child is getting frustrated because of the difficulty level just put the activity away for a few weeks and try again later.
Here are some activities your 24-27 month old may enjoy:
- Magnetic Games
- Ride Balance Bike
- Using Balance Beam
- Color Sorting
- Object to Object Matching
- Object to Card Matching
- Using Wheelbarrow
- Painting On Stones
- Make Clay Faces
- Make Art w/Flowers
PRACTICAL LIFE
Your toddler’s independence is becoming more and more important to them. Providing your child with practical life activities will help support this need for independence. Supporting your child in their quest for independence can be hard but with practical life activities, you can feel good about enabling them to do tasks on their own.
The main thing to remember with practical life activities is to always be prepared! Don’t start the activity if you haven’t yet gathered all the necessary materials. The activity will go more smoothly if everything is prepared beforehand. Start with one activity and keep building from there.
Start by trying one of these practical life activities for Montessori for your 24-27 month old:
- Crack an Egg
- Getting Undressed
- Arranging Flowers
- Window Washing
- Measuring Liquids
- Using Toilet
- Preparing Own Snack
- Getting Own Drink
- Sweeping
- Shaking Rugs
- Help Mopping
SENSITIVE PERIODS
Maria Montessori identifies sensitive periods in development as the child’s absorbent mind (age 0 – 6 years). Follow your child’s lead for his/her cues of sensitive periods beginning. Try not to underestimate your child’s ability or work. If he/she is doing certain work over and over, they are probably in their sensitive period for that work/task.
Here’s a list of sensitive periods your child may be experiencing at 24-27 months:
- Movement Birth-6 Years
- Gross & Fine Motor Development Birth-2.5 Years
- Language Birth-6 Years
- Sensory Skills Birth-5 Years
- Small Objects 1 Year – 3.5 Years
- Refinement of Senses 2 Years – 6 Years
- Emotional Control Birth-2.5 Years
- Order 1 Year – 3.5 Years
- Music 2 Years- 6 Years
Learn more about sensitive periods and how they affect your child by clicking here.
Remember that each child is unique and these sensitive periods do not ALWAYS happen between the time frames given. Some children go through them earlier and some later. Follow your child’s lead.
Ready to take the next step into Montessori living? Join us in The Montessori Learning Center to learn everything you need to know about Montessori for your 24-27 month old! Click the image below to learn more.
What questions do you have about Montessori for your 24-27 month old? Leave a comment below!
Disclaimer: This isn’t the end all be all for Montessori for your 24-27 month old. Montessori is largely based on following your child’s lead, knowing that every child is unique, there can not be one set standard for every child. Use this information as it suits your child.
