In a Montessori-aligned manner, a child like mine takes an interest in diverse activities and learns a lot of things willingly.
Here I jot down 50 Montessori activities for a 2-year-old and I am certain that these activities promote sensory development, cognitive growth, and fine motor skills in a playful way.
50 Montessori activities for a 2-year-old at home:
I performed these activities with my child at home and he took an interest in them.
1) Brushing teeth with a child toothbrush
2) Washing hands properly with soap
3) Watering garden plants with a sprayer
4) Giving food to the pets
5) Dusting household things with a soft cloth
6) Placing cups, plates, and bowls on a table
7) Sorting forks, spoons and knives
8) Opening and shutting various containers
9) Playing with sensory bins, filled with rice beans, pulses etc.
10) Painting with fingers.
11)Playing with water in a basin.
12) shaping playdough with hands.
13) Solving age-appropriate puzzles.
14) Reading out illustrated books to my child.
15) Dancing to baby songs 16) Putting stones, leaves, marbles, and sticks into different boxes.
17) Using crayons on pictures
18) Imitating animals or bird sounds
19) Mixing and stirring mixable items.
20) Cleaning vegetables
21) Planting seeds in the Kitchen garden
22) Rolling a ball back and forth
23) crossing over obstacles of pillows.
24) Playing with old dresses and accessories
25) Using hand puppets while I was telling stories
26) Folding washed clothes.
27) Blowing and catching bubbles
28) Playing with sand and small toys
29) Peeling off fruits like bananas or oranges
30) watching reflections in a big mirror
31) Making hand and footprints with paints
32) creating collages with paper scraps
33) Stacking rings according to sizes
34) Finding objects that I hid at some accessible spots
35) Squeezing sponges
36) Using tongs to hold and transfer objects
37) Dressing with velcro attachments.
38) Blowing feathers from one place to another
39) Placing big pegs into a pegboard.
40) Cutting cakes or soft fruits with a child-safe knife
41) Making Sounds on dreams or maracas
42) Mixing sets by matching picture cards
43) Pinning clothespins onto a line
44) Washing plastic toys in a basin
45) Making sets by matching picture cards
46) Arranging plastic flowers into a vase
47) Sorting big buttons by sizes and colors
48) Stocking wooden black for building towers
49) Threading large beads
50) Practicing pouring Water from one pot to another.
5 Age-Appropriate Activities For A 2-Year-Old:-
Out of 50 Montessori activities for a 2-year-old, I do think that the following are more age-appropriate and effective for motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and the sense of exploration. It is because I have tested these with my children.
- Reading Picture Books:- From the market, I collected interactive picture books with colorful pictures, textures, or paper-cut figures. Therefore, I found that my children’s interest in them supports language development.
- Building With Wooden Blocks:- Another activity that my child took great interest in was building with wooden blocks or other structures. As a result, I sensed that this helped them to develop fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination.
- Artistic Creativity:- For this, I supplied my child crayons, finger paints, or play-dough that enthused my 2-year-olds to create many things as per their liking.
- Solving Simple Puzzles:- In respect of developing problem-solving skills in my children, I provided them with some simple large chunky puzzles. I was glad that they paid attention.
- Outdoor Activity: Concerning more physical activity, I used to take them outside and urge them to play with a ball, run, jump, or slide. Surprisingly, they felt more and more interested.
Best Montessori Activities For A 2-Year-Old:
Previously I have jotted down 50 Montessori activities for a 2-year-old though as per my consideration, the following are the best because my children adopted them easily and developed themselves a lot.
- Under Sensorial Activities-
(a) Matching colors of variant objects or cards.
(b) Making Sounds by shaking small containers, filled with rice, beans, or marbles.
(c) Exploring different texture boards, made of sandpaper, velvet, or cotton.
- Under Motor Skills –
(a) Stringing beads with a lace for developing concentration.
(b) Overcoming obstacles of pillows or other soft articles.
(c) Walking along a line, fixed with a tape on the floor.
- Under Practical Life Activities –
(a) Pouring water from one container to another with a plastic cup.
(b) Transferring objects like pom-poms, beads, etc. with the help of tongs or ladles.
(c) Buttoning and unbuttoning or zipping and unzipping dresses.
- Under Language Development-
(a) Naming different objects and repeating them.
(b) Telling stories to my children by showing pictures and naming them.
- Under Artistic Creativity :
(a) Painting with crayons or sketch pens to develop a sense of art.
(b) Pasting Stickers on boards or papers.
All these activities are meant to promote self-reliance and foster a sense of achievement in a 2-year-old. I had these experiences with my children.
Sumanta De is an educator. He has been teaching students for more than 16 years following the principles of Dr.Maria Montessori. He has a 7-year-old son and a 5-year-old daughter.
He is nurturing his children abiding by the principles of Dr.Maria Montessori. His passion for Montessori methods goes beyond the classroom.
Hence, he shares his experiences and insights through a dedicated Montessori blog and a YouTube channel under the name “NewChild Montessori”. He aims to offer valuable guidance to both parents and educators.
Education: M.A. English, Masters in Child Psychology & Bachelor’s Degree in Montessori Teachers Training