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We then found that individual activity is the one factor that stimulates and produces development”
-Maria Montessori (The Absorbent Mind, p. 7)

Usually, I introduce new jobs/ activities to my 2-year-old toddler one at a time, so she has enough time to get familiar with them and practice new skills. I also try to replace activities she has not touched for a while with the new ones. However, honestly speaking at this age she does not spend much time doing her shelf activities during the day.
She is much more interested in following me around the house and participating in what we call Practical Life activities – basically doing chores. In my coming up post I will share the list of chores that she shows great interest in. I follow her interests the best I can to provide her with the necessary equipment and teach her skills to perform them. For now, I introduce you to our new activities from this week:
Sorting from the largest to the smallest. First, I lay cards out, show her how to match pictures correctly, and then encourage her to do it on her own.


Opening and shutting activity develops eye-hand coordination. Haven’t you noticed how much young children LOVE to open and shut everything that can possibly be opened or shut?

Pouring activity. This was very helpful to practice pouring before doing it with water.

Matching activity with insect stickers.

Fine motor hand control activity with a coin elephant box and 5 coins. We also practice counting coins when placing them inside, which works very well.


Practicing threading.

Another color matching fine motor exercise. This time with feathers.


Picture/letter cards. When we work with these I tend to present only three cards at a time and use a 3-part lesson to teach new words.

Here we go! I would love to hear what you have been up to!
Recommended resources:
Peaceful Children. Peaceful World: The Challenge of Maria Montessori
Montessori from the Start: The Child at Home, from Birth to Age Three
You might also enjoy The Following Toddler Resources
- Feelings and Emotions: 30 Card Sorting Activity and My Book of Feelings (TpT)
- What Makes Us All Alike – Social Emotional Learning (TpT)
- 20 Silent & Noisy Cards to Help The Process of Normalization in a Montessori Classroom. (TpT)
- How To Help Toddlers Regulate Their Emotions Using Flash Cards
- Montessori-Style Bedrooms For Infants & Toddlers – Setup, Inspiration, Ideas
- The Importance And Benefits Of Teaching Gardening To Children Toddlers To Preschoolers
- Toddlers In The Kitchen – How To Set Them Up For Success
- Kids In The Kitchen – Scrumptious Toddler Friendly Chocolate Bliss Balls
- Our Favourite Books For Montessori Toddlers
- Doing Montessori At Home With Your Toddler 12- 18 Months.
- A Guide To Montessori Toddler Resources
- Creating Montessori Environment For Your Toddler At Home
- Montessori Inspired Ideas For Infant/Toddler Playgroup.
- Gift Guide For 1-Year-Olds – Eco Friendly And Captivating Toys And Materials Your Kid Will Love
- Gift Guide For 2-Year-Olds – Eco Friendly And Captivating Toys And Materials Your Kid Will Love
- Montessori Inspired Ideas For Infant/Toddler Playgroup.
Hi, thank you for sharing these great ideas! Can you share where you buy materials from?
Dear Tanya, thank you for visiting and your kind comment! I personally buy it from second hand baby and child market and thrift stores, amazon and Etsy. I put my recommendations together is this post: Montessori tools and materials I use and recommend