Fun DIY Montessori Toys for Your 2-Year-Old
Being a parent is incredible, but finding good toys for our little ones can be tricky. I like the way kids learn in Montessori schools. It's all about letting them learn by doing things themselves, being curious, and feeling independent. That's how I like to parent, especially when playing.
This post will show you some simple ideas for making Montessori-style toys for your 2-year-old. These projects are not only fun to do, but they also help your child learn and grow while they play!
What is Montessori?
Before we start making toys, let's talk briefly about what Montessori is. Montessori learning is all about letting kids be involved in how they learn. It encourages them to be naturally curious. Here are some critical ideas in Montessori:
- It's all about the child: Learning focuses on what your child likes and what they can do.
- Learning by doing: Kids learn by touching and playing with things.
- Being able to do things independently: Activities help kids feel confident and able to do things for themselves.
When I make toys using these ideas, my child really enjoys learning! Let's look at some easy projects you can start making today!
Squishy Bags for Feeling
What You Need:
- 1 plastic bag that closes with a zipper
- Hair gel or clear soap (like for washing hands)
- Small toys or colorful beads
- You can also add glitter or food coloring to make it extra fun!
How to Make It:
Making a squishy bag is super easy. Here's what to do:
- Take the plastic bag and put in a few spoons of hair gel.
- Put the small toys or beads inside the bag.
- If you want, add some glitter or food coloring to make it colorful.
- Close the bag, make sure there's no air inside, and then tape the zipper shut so it doesn't open.
This squishy bag makes kids curious and helps them improve their use of small hand muscles as they squeeze and play with it!
Building Blocks with a Fun Twist
What You Need:
- Sticks made of wood or cardboard tubes (like from paper towels)
- Cardboard cut into different shapes (squares, circles, triangles)
- Paint or markers that are safe for kids
How to Make It:
Making these building blocks is fun and easy:
- Cut cardboard into different shapes and sizes. Make sure they are easy for little hands to hold.
- Let your child paint or color the shapes. This helps them be creative!
- Once the paint is dry, you can use the wooden sticks or cardboard tubes as bases to stack the shapes on.
These building blocks help kids be creative and make their hands and eyes work together better.
A Kit for Exploring Nature
What You Need:
- A small basket or bag
- A magnifying glass
- A small box or container to put things in
- A notebook and crayons for drawing
How to Make the Kit:
Putting this kit together is very simple:
- Put all the things in the basket or bag.
- Encourage your child to look around in your yard or at a park.
- Have them collect leaves, rocks, or flowers and use the magnifying glass to examine them closely.
- Let them draw what they find in the notebook.
This kit helps kids learn about the outdoors, makes them curious, and helps them love nature!
Making Your Musical Instruments
What You Need:
- Empty plastic bottles or tins
- Beans, rice, or small stones to put inside
- Things to decorate with (stickers, paint, markers)
How to Make Instruments:
This project is fun and helps kids learn about sounds:
- Put the beans, rice, or stones inside the bottles or tins. This will make noise when you shake them.
- Close the bottles or tins tightly. You can use tape if you need to.
- Let your child decorate them with stickers or paint.
- Now your child has their musical instrument to play with when they listen to music!
A Place to Sort Colors
What You Need:
- Paper or pieces of cloth in different colors
- Small things in different colors (buttons, soft balls, or blocks)
- A muffin tin or small containers
How to Set Up the Station:
Here's how to make a fun activity for learning colors:
- Put the colored paper or cloth in front of your child.
- Put the small colored things in a pile nearby.
- Ask your child to put the stuff with the matching colors together.
This activity helps kids learn colors, get better at using their hands, and helps their brains grow. It's a win-win!
Threading Beads to Help Little Hands
What You Need:
- Big beads (you can even use pasta shapes, which are easy to hold)
- Yarn or shoelaces
- You can put tape on the end of the yarn or shoelace to make it easier to thread
How to Make the Threading Activity:
Let's start threading! Follow these easy steps:
- Cut a piece of yarn or shoelace and tie a knot at one end.
- Give your child the big beads or pasta to put onto the yarn.
- Encourage them to make patterns or put as many as they want on the string!
This activity is excellent for helping kids improve their hand-eye coordination and pattern recognition, and it's also lots of fun!
The Fun of Making Your Toys
Making your own Montessori toys suits your child's learning and creativity and creates memorable moments between you and your little one. It feels terrific to make something together. Plus, these toys you made with love give your child many opportunities to explore and grow. Whether through music, nature, or playing with their hands, these DIY projects will make playtime fun and helpful!
So get your supplies ready, and start making these Montessori-inspired toys. They will definitely stimulate your child's imagination. Happy making!
