Since the birth of my children, I, as a father, have taken meticulous care of their healthy growth and hygiene. It seems as if, in the blink of an eye, they turned one year old.
Like a responsible father and a Montessori teacher, I considered the first year of life to be very crucial for the development of the body and mind perfectly.
As my little ones started gaining new skills by exploring their senses and becoming more curious about the world around them, they felt almost everything for the first time.
Here I have shared my experience when I used to get involved in Montessori activities with my one-year-olds which I designed to nurture their curiosity and provide opportunities to explore and self-learn in a safe environment at home, whether playing with toys or doing DIY activities.
But first of all, I would like to introduce the importance of these activities.
The Importance of Montessori Activities for One-Year-Olds:
The Montessori activities are unique and valuable concepts for nurturing a one-year-old. These activities not only help to develop them physically well but also help them to face challenges and develop their brain accordingly.
Following are some of the common reasons why I chose it and you should also consider these activities in your child’s routine:
- Curiosity and Natural Learning: Montessori activities are designed to engage and enhance a child’s natural curiosity as the world is new for him/her. By providing opportunities to explore things, these activities increase their love of learning which will benefit them throughout their lives.
- Supports Sense Organs Development: The first year of a kid is very important for sensory development. Hence, Montessori activities should incorporate a variety of puzzles, textures, shapes, sounds, and colors so that a child’s senses help him or her to understand the differences among all.
- To Develop Fine and Gross Motor Skills: Many Montessori activities involve manipulating objects, grasping, pouring, and transferring. These activities help to strengthen children’s fine motor skills by completing different tasks like transferring, matching, arranging, dressing, and so on. Additionally, activities incorporating movement and exploration contribute to their gross motor skill development.
- To Promote Self-Confidence and Independence: A foremost objective of Montessori activities is to make them independent. What is more, these are designed to be achievable by a toddler so that they can experience the satisfaction of completing the tasks on their own. As a result, this builds their self-confidence.
- Improves Problem-Solving Skills: Montessori activities often present gentle challenges that encourage a child to think and experiment to find solutions. This playing activity of problem-solving nurtures them and develops the foundation for future challenges and learning.
10 Best Montessori Activities at Home for my One-Year-Old at Home:
I found the key to successfully conducting Montessori activities for a one-year-old is to observe their interests and adapt the activities accordingly. Most important is to keep the environment safe follow the child’s activity and allow them to explore and learn at their own pace.
There is no need for a formal Montessori classroom to create a nurturing learning environment. Here are 10 best Montessori-inspired activities that I used to do at home, sharing with you to get you started with:
- Water Play:
This is one of my children’s favorite activities as they love to play with water. This Montessori activity helps my children to use their fingers, full hands, and concentration.
I often asked them to transfer water from one bowl to another with the help of a spoon without spilling. This activity, I believe, enhanced their fine motor skills.
- Sensory Bottles:
Sensory bottles are another way to explore color, objects, and their movement. I used to fill a clear plastic bottle with water, oil, or baby shampoo and add colorful objects like beads or sequins.
After that, I closed the lid tightly and let the child shake, tilt, and observe the mesmerizing beautiful movement inside.
- Textured Basket:
This activity enhances a child’s sense of touch. Therefore, I collected a variety of safe, textured objects like fabric scraps, wooden blocks, or plastic bottles. Next, I put them all in a basket and let my children touch, feel, and explore the different textures.
Furthermore, I encouraged them to name the textures they felt (soft, rough, and smooth). It certainly enhanced their ability to identify the diversity.
- Transferring Activities:
Transferring activities are a fantastic way to develop hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills. I used to provide them with two containers and fill both with spoons, pom-poms, buttons, ribbons, and other things.
Furthermore, I told them to select the same objects and transfer them into another container.
- Shape Puzzles:
Shape puzzle activities are another Montessori activity that is conducive to children’s hand-eye coordination and identifying skills.
I created this simple activity by using household items. For example, I cut different shapes from waste materials like boxes and put them in a container, and then asked them to find the same objects at a time.
- Gardening:
It is very important to keep a child close to nature. What I used to do and you can follow is- bring some plants and dig them in the soil and do the plantation in front of them. Let them feel and enjoy the freshness of nature.
- Sorting Activities:
I introduced sorting activities to my children to make them familiarized with the concept of categorization. I used to give them colorful bowls or containers and offer objects of different shapes or sizes and then encouraged them to sort the objects by putting similar items together.
- Stacking and Nesting Toys:
Stacking and nesting toys are very common and they provide endless opportunities for exploration and problem-solving.
Hence I chose safe objects of different sizes and materials, allowed my children to build towers, and fit objects inside one another using different pieces.
- Folding the Clothes:
A one-year-old child may not fold the clothes perfectly but it will encourage them to make the best use of their hands. Let them do it to enhance their fine and gross motor skills.
- Practical Life Activities:
Montessori emphasizes the importance of practical life activities. I used to involve my children to practice real-world skills and develop independence.
Therefore, I encouraged my one-year-olds to do simple tasks like wiping down a table with a damp cloth, putting away their toys, washing hands to maintain cleanliness, or sorting the laundry.
Montessori Activities for One-Year-Old DIY:
I used to engage them in some simple DIY activities. There are many Montessori activities for a one-year-old to observe and identify their interests and adapt the activities accordingly. Sharing a few here:
- Playdough
This is one of the most common and familiar activities. Take some colored dough, ask the kids to roll it, and make some beautiful designs with the help of a rolling pin. This will enhance their creativity and color recognition.
- Coloring
Draw some objects like fruits, flowers, or different shapes. Ask a toddler to fill the colors in it as per their own choice. This activity enhances concentration and motor skills.
- Stringing beads
Take a thread, ask toddlers to put beads in them, and make a long string. It combines hand-eye coordination.
- Tearing and pasting papers
Take colored paper, a disposable plate, and glue. Spread the glue over this disposable plate and ask the kids to tear the paper into small pieces and paste it on the glue. This will create teamwork ability in them.
- Water coloring with a paintbrush
Take an article book, watercolor, and brush. Ask a one-year-old child to fill the watercolor with the help of a brush. You can also ask them to paint their hands with color and put on a blank white paper to make a handprint.
One-Year-Old Montessori Toys:
Toddlers are constantly observing, grasping, and exploring the world around them. Montessori toys are designed to nurture their natural desire to discover and learn. Toys can be the perfect companions in this beautiful and exciting journey of childhood. Sharing some of my favorite toys here:
- Building blocks
These come in different colors and are arranged in a bag. There are other blocks in it based on socket and pin. Toddlers have to find the perfect combination of these and arrange to make a structure. This activity enhances eye-hand coordination, fine motor skills, and creativity.
- Climbing structure
It is very necessary to increase their physical strength along with mental strength. Provide a safe space for your child to perform physical abilities. Arrange a soft play structure with climbing areas or padding the area with pillows. Always supervise these sorts of climbing or physical activities carefully.
- Push and Pull Toys
These toys encourage them to walk with the coordination of toys. Always opt for wooden options with smooth wheels and easy-to-grip handles so that they grab it in their hands easily.
- Measuring or stacking cups
These toys can grab their attention for a long time. They can be used for pouring water, sorting by size, and to introduce the color concepts. Choose brightly colored cups as they look more attractive to toddlers.
- Matching game
A set of flashcards would be a great option. Ask toddlers to sort them based on colors, similarity in pictures, and shape design. This is a fun activity and enhances the concentration and object-observing capacity.
One-Year-Old Montessori Gifts
Montessori age and education emphasizes practical learning and exploration of things within the surrounding environment.
I never miss this opportunity to gift a kid as per the utility and interest. As this is the foundation for future learning. Following are some ideal Montessori gifts for a one-year-old:
- Child-sized table chair set
- Montessori baby balance bike
- Spinning drum
- Baby soft books
- Shapes blogs
- Vegetable set
- Rainbow arch stacker
- Rainbow stacker rings toy
- Fruit basket
- Animal kit
- Climbing Gym
Note: Whenever you are choosing a gift, consider the child’s current interests and developmental stage. If a toddler gets attracted to the gift item then only it will be worthy. Opt for a few well-chosen, bright-colored items that offer a variety of learning experiences and exploring opportunities.
A one-year-old is on an incredible journey of learning, exploration, and development. Never miss to enjoy it as this time never returns. I enjoyed every single moment throughout this age. Their senses keep on working all the time, and their developing minds grasp information like sponges.
Don’t underestimate the power of homemade Montessori activities, DIY, toys or gifts! You can create sensory bottles with waste materials at home or DIY using fabric scraps, waste papers, ice cream sticks, and beans.
Montessori education emphasizes self-practical learning and exploration through carefully chosen safe materials.
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