Activities for 1-3 Year Olds
I recently had an article published in Montessori Voices (a magazine published by Montessori Aotearoa New Zealand), which I thought I might re-publish on my blog incase you don’t get Montessori Voices where you are!
“We must help the child act for himself, will for himself, think for himself; this is the art of those who aspire to serve the spirit.” (Maria Montessori - Education for a New World, p.69)
I have two children, aged two and three years old, which means I have been fully immersed in the ‘first phase of development’ for the last three years. While having two children so close in age has brought its challenges, it has also been a beautiful period full of wonderful learning’s. Here are my favourite four!
1. Independendence & the prepared environment.
“I do it!” was pretty much my childrens’ first and forever favourite phrase. Maria Montessori talked about the “conquest of independence” (The Absorbent Mind, p.76) and young children certainly do see independence as a conquest. Their drive to do it themselves is very strong - and frustration follows closely behind.
A well-prepared home environment is key. But don’t try to do everything at once...focus on the areas your children are showing an interest. For example my daughter is all about putting her own shoes on, so we have a little stool just for her and a basket for her shoes by the front door so she has what she needs to get the job done. Tip: Set the clock 5 minutes ahead of the actual time so you’ve always got a couple of minutes up your sleeve. Activity idea: Make a game out of the washing - starting with asking her to sort her dirty clothes into lights and darks and take her right through the process, letting her do as much as possible on her own, to the point she is putting her own clean clothes back into her drawers.
2. Make learning a part of everyday activities.
“Not only does he create his language, but he shapes the organs that enable him to frame the words. He has to make the physical basis of every moment, all the elements of our intellect, everything the human being is blessed with.” (Maria Montessori - The Absorbent Mind, p.22)
Young children are active both in body and mind. Keeping up with them makes for a busy day, but is also so much fun! Incorporating simple learning games into everyday activities gives children the ability to learn in a meaningful way. Activity ideas: When driving, play i-spy - start with phonetics (the sound a letter makes) before using letters. Count, having an abacus or number puzzle on the shelves at home can make counting fun. Turn moments into projects - take note of a subject your child keeps mentioning and turn it into an opportunity to learn more about it. For us it is currently rockets so we have made rockets from lego, borrowed a couple of books from the library, made a paper telescope and even managed a trip to the Star Dome!
It is a well-known fact that getting outside can be just the tonic for mothers and children! It is a Danish saying that there is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing choices. Try to get outside with your children every day, even if it is just a walk around the garden or to the mailbox. Let them forage, collect natural materials (or worms and slugs), let their imaginations run free and let them guide you. It is amazing what can be accomplished in 30 minutes of fresh air. Activity ideas: Collect as many different leaves as possible and thread them into garlands, use them for crayon etches or even turn them into a pretty leaf arrangement when you get home. Collect rocks and pebbles and other treasure to make a habitat of your favourite animal figurine. Let your child pack their bug collector (or ice cream container) and a magnifying glass for closer examination of everything and anything!
Pre-schoolers love to help. They often want to do what you are doing, especially when you are busy trying to get something done! These two factors, combined with a love of food, means that it’s not unusual to feel some very enthusiastic pulls on your apron strings while you are preparing meals. While sometimes it is necessary to distract them with another activity outside of the kitchen (they don’t call it the ‘witching hour’ for no reason), there are times when you’re possibly able to set up a food-related activity for your child at a low bench, their own table set or even on a mat on the floor. Letting your child help in the kitchen means they are learning what goes in to preparing their meals - and they will often enjoy the meal more as a result. Bonus! Tip: Set up activities with foods you don’t mind them eating before dinner! Use child-size materials where possible to avoid accidents and unnecessary frustrations. Activity Ideas: Sorting the peas from the corn, scrubbing the potatoes or carrots, grating cheese, crumbing fish, whisking or beating eggs, sifting flour. All of these activities are also fantastic for small motor skill development.
