Maria Montessori’s observation regarding the self-learning of a child is correct and so easy to follow. Personally, I feel that Montessori activities for a 3-year-old in the Montessori-inspired way are efficacious.
Montessori Activities For A 3-Year-Old:
I cover some activities here:-
- Sensorial Activities-
- Sorting Colors- For this, I gave my 3-year-old child small colored objects like buttons, beads, or marbles and asked him to sort them according to colors.
- Making Sounds- Sweet sounds always interest children. To create the same interest in my child, I provided him with sound shakers with different materials inside and urged him to match them by sound.
- Practical Life Activities-
- Scooping and Replacing- At this, I encouraged my child to use scoops or spoons to replace rice, beans, pulses, etc. with other pots or bowls.
- Washing Small Vegetables- In a playful manner, I told my child to wash vegetables like potatoes, beans, carrots, etc.
- Pouring Water – I also asked my children to pour water from one container to another or bottles.
- Creativity-
- Painting- I offered my child some suitable time for painting with crayons, sketch pens, and colored papers according to his wish.
- Collage Making- I supplied different types of papers, fabrics, and other light objects for making collages on easy topics. If needed, I helped him to some extent.
- Linguistic Activities-
- Story Time- It enthralls all children. I accompanied my child for some time or in leisure to read story books with him and then I asked him to recollect.
- Word Cards- I also handed my child some picture cards with names and some adjectives to enhance his vocabulary.
- Music Time –
- Rhythmic Activities- One of Montessori activities for a 3 year old is music. I urged my child to use instruments or sweet-sounding objects to create rhythm and learn a sense of music.
- Dancing- For this, I played some music and cheered up my child to dance to the tune together.
Outdoor Montessori Activities For A 3-Year-Old:-
As a part of Montessori activities for a 3-year-old, outdoor activities of a child deserve a special mention. Some ideas are stated below –
- Gardening- To create a sense of green in my child, I encouraged him to participate in simple gardening works like planting, watering, cleaning, picking fruits, and the like.
- Nature Art- I saw my child’s interest in natural objects and hence I urged him to collect natural materials like stone, twigs, and leaves to create artistic things.
- Nature Walks – It was a simple but interesting activity for my child as he loved roaming. While taking my child for a walk, I drew his attention to plants, trees, animals, insects, etc.
- Scavenger Hunting- I offered my child a list of items to find in our yard or surroundings. It helped to improve his observation power.
Montessori Math Activities For A 3-Year-Old:-
One of 5 areas of practical life in Montessori is the introduction of basic mathematical concepts through hands-on sensory experiences. In respect of this, I have tried the following activities with my child and found that all have come out as effective.
- Arranging sticks one by one by the length.
- Sorting objects of various sizes, shapes, or colors and arranging them.
- Matching number cards with the corresponding counters.
- Counting small objects like buttons, balls, beads, etc., and store them in containers.
- Putting spindles into numbered boxes and counting them simultaneously.
Montessori Language Activities For A 3-Year-Old:-
There are some Montessori activities that assist children in setting up a solid foundation in language development which is one of 5 areas of practical life in Montessori. I have done the following with my child successfully.
- Playing games that stress the initial sounds of words. e.g. Betty bought a bit of butter.
- Reading aloud to my child some interesting stories and later urging him to recollect interesting parts.
- Using sets of letters and encouraging my child to form words with them.
- Giving my child some colorful pictures and asking him to speak about them.
- Utilizing songs and fingerplays to increase my child’s vocabulary.
- Matching common pictures with objects available in the surroundings.
Activities Suitable For A 3-Year-Old:-
There are some Montessori activities for a 3 year old and I do consider them really suitable for my child.
Here I am stating-
- Walks through nature
- Outdoor play or cycling
- Playing with wooden blocks
- Coloring pictures with crayons
- Reading storybooks with pictures
- Solving puzzles with large pieces.
- Singing songs and dancing to music
- Playing games that teach colors, shapes, or sizes
- Sorting things according to colors, sizes, and shapes.
FAQ :
How Often Should You Play With Your 3-Year-Old?
It depends on your leisure time and the time when your child loves to play with you and others. To say, two or three times is enough.
What To Do With A 3-Year-Old All Day?
Here I suggest some interesting activities like playing with balls or wooden blocks, reading story books, singing songs, dancing, etc.
How To Keep A 3-Year-Old Busy?
Making a child busy must not reach an irritating label. So you can make him busy with outdoor games, painting, sorting games, walking through nature and the like.
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