Sensorial extensions are very helpful as they encourage children to continue using Montessori resources in a creative and engaging way. Using extensions children can put into practice their ability to grade and discriminate materials by width, length, and size. From my experience, children master the Pink Tower, the Brown Stairs, the Red Rods, and the Knobless cylinders very shortly after the initial demonstration.
Examples of sensorial extensions might include matching colors to specific fruits or objects, sorting items by texture, identifying different scents using smelling bottles or creating patterns with geometric shapes. Sensorial extensions provide children with a rich and engaging sensory experience that fosters their curiosity and creativity, while also supporting their cognitive and physical development.

The Montessori sensorial approach emphasizes the use of the five senses to enhance children’s development and learning. This method utilizes specially designed sensorial materials to help children learn about the world around them.
The materials are designed to isolate one concept or skill, such as color or texture, and enhance the child’s ability to perceive and understand it. The sensory materials also promote order, concentration, and coordination as children work with them in a carefully prepared environment. Through sensorial activities, children develop keen observational skills and an appreciation for the diversity of the world around them.
Montessori sensorial activities aim to refine and sharpen the senses of young children. These activities include exploring different colors, sizes, shapes, textures, tastes, and smells. Montessori educators often provide children with sensory materials, such as sandpaper letters, geometric figures, and sound cylinders, to help them identify and classify different sensory stimuli.
Montessori sensorial materials are designed to help children develop their senses and perception skills. These materials include activities for visual discrimination, auditory discrimination, tactile discrimination, olfactory and gustatory discrimination, and more. Some of the most popular sensorial materials in Montessori include the Pink Tower, the Brown Stair, the Broad Stair, the Knobbed Cylinders, and the Color Tablets.
These materials help children explore size, shape, color, and texture in a hands-on, concrete way, which promotes greater understanding and retention of the concepts being taught. Sensorial activities are an important part of the Montessori curriculum and help to cultivate the skills necessary for academic success and lifelong learning.
By engaging in these activities, children develop their cognitive abilities and gain an understanding of the world around them. Montessori educators believe that sensory exploration plays a crucial role in a child’s overall development, as it helps them to build a strong foundation for future learning.
Sensorial extensions provide multiple opportunities to revisit these materials over and over again. Children create interesting patterns, stretch their imagination and usually work in a small group of peers which is a wonderful way to practice sharing and collaboration.
Montessori Services offers Sensorial Cards. These cards provide an extension to activities using the Brown Stair, Pink Tower, Knobbed, or Knobless Cylinders. By matching the parts of the apparatus to corresponding base cards, children refine visual discrimination of size. By comparing solids and planes, the child’s perceptions become more abstract. Montessori Services have a wonderful series of Sensorial materials that I decided to include here. I think they can be a useful addition to the Sensorial area in the classroom.
You will find a helpful introduction to early years sensory education through these videos.
Sensory Activities - Children's Books and Learning Resources
Extensiones para la Torre Rosa y Escalera Marr�n Montessori – Tarjetas para imprimir – Creciendo Con Montessori
Montessori Constructive Blue Triangles Activity Set
Knobless Cylinders Extensions: A Montessori Print Shop Review
Montessori Sensorial Variations & Extensions for Knobbed Cylinders & Color Tablets
Imprimible: 12 extensiones para la Torre Rosa - Printable: 12 Pink Tower extensions • Montessori en Casa
Making Montessori Ours
sensorial extension cards – what I made this week
Five Senses Spring Photographic Cards for Sorting Montessori Nature
Colors of Spring Sorting Cards Printable
I Have, Who Has Math - 2D Shapes and Colors
I Have, Who Has Math Game - 3D Shapes and Real World Objects
Educational Materials For Children With Vision Impairment
Our Amazing Human Body Parts Of The Body Cards
Christmas Themed Knobless Cylinder Extensions
Montessori Printable for Preschool Children Colours in Nature
2D Shapes in Nature Printable - Nature Curriculum in Cards - Montessori
Five Senses Photographic Cards for Sorting Montessori Nature
Color Cards for Sorting with Insects Montessori Nature
Music Preschool Pack - "I am a Musician"
Types of Butterflies - Color Identification Clip Cards Montessori Printable

Free Printables Designed by Montessori Nature
- Free Resource Library
- Singular And Plural Nouns: Montessori Free Sorting Printable For Teaching Kids The Difference
- Boost Your Students Literacy Skills With Fun And Creative Cards Featuring Compound Words
- Animals and Their Homes Free Printable
- Geoboard Task Cards Free Math Summer Printable
- Signs Of Summer In Nature Free Printables Posters Student Booklets
- Get Sorting With These Free Fall-Themed Printable Activities For Kids – Made By Humans And Made By Nature Sort
- All About Me Printable Freebie
- Signs of Spring in Nature
- Parts of a Plant Sorting
- Birthday Timeline Printable
- Animals of Continents Sort Editable Labels
- Fall Into Learning Fun With Autumn-Themed Geoboard Cards Free Printable For Kids
- Letter A Student Activity Page Phonics Free Language Printable
- Letter D Student Activity Page Phonics Free Language Printable
- Letter E Student Activity Page Phonics Free Language Printable
- Letter F Student Activity Page Phonics Free Language Printable
- Letter G Student Activity Page Phonics Free Language Printable
- Letter B Student Activity Page Phonics Free Language Printable
- Letter C Student Activity Page Phonics Free Language Printable
- Letter H Student Activity Page Phonics Free Language Printable
- Letter i Student Activity Page Phonics Free Language Printable
- Letter J Student Activity Page Phonics Free Language Printable
- Letter K Student Activity Page Phonics Free Language Printable
- Letter L Student Activity Page Phonics Free Language Printable
- Letter M Student Activity Page Phonics Free Language Printable
- Letter N Student Activity Page Phonics Free Language Printable
- Letter O Student Activity Page Phonics Free Language Printable
- Letter P Student Activity Page Phonics Free Language Printable
- Letter Q Student Activity Page Phonics Free Language Printable
- Letter R Student Activity Page Phonics Free Language Printable
- Letter S Student Activity Page Phonics Free Language Printable
- Letter U Student Activity Page Phonics Free Language Printable
- Letter T Student Activity Page Phonics Free Language Printable
- Letter W Student Activity Page Phonics Free Language Printable
- Letter V Student Activity Page Phonics Free Language Printable
- Letter Y Student Activity Page Phonics Free Language Printable
- Letter X Student Activity Page Phonics Free Language Printable
- Letter Z Student Activity Page Phonics Free Language Printable
- Double Letters CH Digraph Student Activity Page Phonics Free Language Printable
- Double Letters SH Digraph Student Activity Page Phonics Free Language Printable
- Double Letters Th Digraph Student Activity Page Phonics Language Printable
- Double Letters ‘OO’ Vowel Digraph
- ‘ER’ Digraph Student Activity Page Phonics Language Printable
- ‘OR’ Digraph Student Activity Page Phonics Language Printable
- Double Letters ‘EE’ Vowel Digraph Student Activity Page Phonics Language Printable
- Double Letters ‘NG’ Digraph Student Activity Page Phonics Free Language Printable
- Made By Nature Made By Humans Sorting
- My Word Of The Year New Year Free Printable
- Physical And Chemical Changes Pairing Fine Motor With Pegs
- Christmas Playdough Mats
- Christmas 3 Part Cards
- Christmas Matching Fine Motor With Pegs
- 10 Deciduous Trees And 10 Coniferous Trees Sorting Cards
- Fall Playdough Mats
- Christmas in Australia
- Free DIY Art Puzzles Coloring Pages Printables – Silent Night by Viggo Johansen
- Signs of Winter
- Matching Fine Motor With Pegs The Nutcracker Free Christmas printable
- Free DIY Puzzles And Coloring Pages – Raphael The Sistine Madonna
- Fall Leaf Shapes Match Up With Pegs
- Animal Hibernation & Torpor Cards
- 10 Farm Cards And 10 Forest Sorting Cards
- Pairing Fine Motor With Pegs – Thankful Animals
- Types Of Apples
- Fall Prewriting Practice – Free Fine Motor Printable
- Free DIY Puzzles And Coloring Pages – Paul Cezanne Still Life Painting Curtain, Jug And Fruit Bowl
- Fall Pin Punching And Tracing Cards
- Fall Match Up Initial Sounds With Pegs
- Fall Match Up Rhyming Words With Pegs
- Fall Leaves And Fall Flowers
- Fall Match Up Opposites With Pegs
- 10 Types Of Vertebrates And 10 Types Of Invertebrates Fall Printable
- 10 Types of Insects and 10 Types of Flowers Sort
- Fall Match Up With Pegs
- Types Of Exotic Apples 3-Part Cards, Posters, Student Booklet
- 10 Types Of Edible And 10 Types Of Poisonous Mushrooms
- Signs Of Fall – Free Printables, Posters, Cards, Student Booklets
- Woodland Animals Poster Match Up Cards
- 10 Types Of Mammals And 10 Types Of Birds In Autumn
- Color, Cut Out, Build, And Label The Ant
- Color, Cut Out, Build, And Label The Fish
- Gemstones 3 Part Cards
- Wild Animal Families Puzzles And Cards
- Forest Matching Cards – Free Nature Printable
- Beach Poster, Match Up Cards – Free Printables
- Whale Size Comparison Poster, Match Up Cards
- DIY Puzzles And Coloring Pages – Vincent Van Gogh Vase With Twelve Sunflowers
- 10 Types Of Vertebrates And 10 Types Of Invertebrates
- Coral Reef Animals Poster, Match Up Cards
- 10 Types Of Terrestrial Mammals And 10 Types Of Marine Mammals – Free Summer Printable
- 10 Types Of Butterflies And 10 Types Of Ladybugs – Free Sorting Printable
- Skip Counting Student Helper Posters And Worksheets s
- Number Tracing And Formation Activity
- Sums With Bead Bars – Clip Cards And Worksheets With Teen Numbers
- Addition Clip Cards
- Number Bonds – Addition With Bead Bars Sums Of 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, And 10
- Place Value Mats, Task Cards, And Tracing Worksheets
- Gemstones – Posters And Matching Cards
- Nature Journal
- Valentine’s Day Coloring
- Geoboard Task Cards
- Free One Week Planner For Preschool Children With Low Prep Hands-On Activities
- Free Montessori Baby And Toddler Printable Materials
- DIY Winter Puzzles And Art Activities – Painting “The Starry Night” By Vincent Van Gogh
- Winter Animals
- Arctic Animals
- DIY Winter Puzzles And Art Activities – Painting “Maslenitsa” By Boris Kustodiev
- Butterflies And Moths Sort
- Types Of Flowers Match Up
- Silent E Learning To Read Cards
- Addition And Subtraction Cards – Single Digits
- Animals In Spring – Activities, Resources, And Free Printables
- Multiplication Charts
- Lined Writing Paper Handwriting Practice
- Nocturnal And Diurnal Animals Sort
- Viviparous And Oviparous Animals Sort
- Mothers And Their Young Animals Sort
- Constellations And Planets Sort
- Farm Animal Families Puzzles
- The Earth Goes Around The Sun – Free Geography Printable
- Tulip Life Cycle And Parts Of A Tulip
- Doing Montessori At Home With Your Baby ( 7 – 9 Mo ) Free Printable Checklist
I love all the resources here, Anastasia! Thanks so much for linking to my post. I featured your post as Free Printables of the Day at the Living Montessori Now Facebook page and on Pinterest. 🙂
Thank you so very much, Deb!!
I am always struck by how amazing and simply beautiful Montessori and inspired materials are. Thank you for including us!!
This is a wonderful list of resources. Thank you for putting it together.
Thank you, Tanya! There are great inspirational ideas out there! I loved yours too!
You are very welcome, Cherine!