Montessori Shelf Work Activities for 18-24 month olds
By 18 months, children can begin matching and sorting. Therefore, Montessori shelf work activities for this age should include practicing fine motor skills, working on their hand-eye coordination, and simple matching and sorting. These activities help lay the foundation for writing, reading and arithmetic as well as help children develop focus and concentration.
Activities on a Montessori shelf should be challenging for the child, but not so difficult that it causes frustration. I’ll include tips on how to simplify (whenever possible) each activity in descriptions below. If your child is getting bored or frustrated, you will need to adjust the difficulty of the activity or change the color or theme, or completely remove the activity from the shelf. Keeping the activities free of distractions will allow your child to give his full attention to each activity.
All the activities below along with the trays and baskets as well as several alternatives can be found on my Amazon Storefront. Click HERE to check it out.
Here are some ideas for Montessori shelf work for Children 18-24 months.
Threading Wooden Beads
Bead threading helps children with hand-eye coordination as well as strengthening the small muscles in their hands thereby improving fine motor skills.
As a Montessori shelf work, you will want to place some beads in a basket or tray along with a shoe lace long enough to string all the available beads. Start with large beads that have large threading holes which are easy for small hands to hold and thread, such as these. Then gradually decrease the size of the bread as well as the size of the hole through which the thread is passed. To keep this activity simple, take out only a few beads of one color.
Lacing Cards
Weaving in and out of the small holes punched along the edges of the sturdy cut out develops hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills.
There are many inexpensive options for lacing cards, such as these. They can also be made at home using foam, card stock or even construction paper. Cut out different shapes and punch holes around the perimeter of the shape. Use either a shoelace or yarn for weaving. For beginners, the tip of the yarn can be wrapped in a piece of clear tape to make it easier to weave. Keep the activity simple and prevent children from getting distracted by placing only one card and one shoelace or yarn in a basket or tray to be placed on the Montessori shelf.
Shape Sorter
In addition to refining fine motor skills and improving hand-eye coordination, this activity can be used to teach names of color and shapes.
There are several different companies that make similar products. When choosing right shape sorter for your child, be sure to choose one which comfortably fits in their hands such as this one. For beginners, choose sorters with just a few shapes. Here is the one that I’ve always loved. Beginner shape sorter.
Latch Board
The latch board is another great activity for improving hand dexterity and problem solving skills.
A simple DIY latch board can be made by attaching different latches to a piece wood board. This particular latch board (click HERE to purchase) activity is nice because the latches open doors behind which there are different animals of different color and quantity. So, later on, this activity can also be used as a Montessori shelf work to teach color, counting and the names of animals.
Animal Matching Cards
This DIY activity includes a set of laminated cards with pictures of real animals and a set of animal figurines. The child matches the card with the animal. An alternative activity would be to match fruits and vegetables. In addition to matching, this activity can also be used later on the Montessori shelf work for teaching the names of the animals. You can simplify this activity by presenting only 2-3 cards and figurines to match.
To download the printable for this activity, click here.
To purchase the animal figurines, click here.
Button Sorting
Buttons are both versatile and inexpensive and therefore it is great for sorting activities. Start simple, use large buttons (such as THESE) in just a couple colors. I always like to start with primary colors. You can increase the difficulty by adding in more colors, adding in different sizes of buttons, or even different types and weights. Present the activity in a sorting tray such as this, or use separate containers for the child to sort in like several bowls or mini baskets.
Wooden Puzzles
Whether it’s knobbed or not, wooden puzzles provide a good opportunity for children to master hand dexterity, hand-eye coordination, shape recognition and problem-solving skills.
Beginners should start with a 3 – 4 piece knobbed puzzles. As the child’s fine motor skills develop and he is able to comfortably handle puzzles without knobs, introduce puzzles with pieces large enough to hold and easy to manipulate, such as this one. I have found that circles are the easiest for children work with first. This puzzle set has several different boards to choose from so you can switch out the boards based on the child’s level and interest.
Jigsaw Puzzles
Jigsaw puzzles are another great inexpensive tool with many benefits. It’s an activity that will grow with the child. Having a jigsaw puzzle that is level-appropriate for your child’s Montessori shelf work will help them develop fine motor skills, concentration, hand-eye coordination and problem-solving skills. The puzzle should be difficult enough to challenge the child, but not so hard that they become frustrated.
Start with a two-piece puzzle such as THIS or THIS. I have found that the puzzle pictured above easier for toddlers to grasp and manipulate. Once the child is comfortably able to complete these puzzles, you can switch them out for the 3-piece puzzle and later the 4-piece found in this set, HERE. To simplify the activity, take out only 2-3 sets and gradually increase this number based on the child’s ability.
