Montessori Games and Activities

Learning through play doesn’t have to cost a thing: try these 5 Montessori games using everyday items at home.

Even in Italy, for some time now, the has been coming back into the spotlight Montessori Method .
The educational method born at the end of the 1800s by the Italian Maria Montessori is still widely used abroad today. It had somewhat fallen into the background in our country, but it is now experiencing a revival, and more and more parents are using it as an educational foundation for their children.

What is the method and playful education according to Montessori

The Montessori Method is based on the principle "teach me to do it myself" , which means giving the child the tools to make their own decisions and the freedom to express their spontaneity. To do this, the child must experiment, touch, smell, and try : that’s why Montessori games and activities are all based on hands-on experience and practical activity.

For Montessori, play has a very powerful educational value; it is essential for cognitive, social, emotional, creative, and even motor development, which is why playful education is the foundation of the method. With her method, Maria Montessori did not keep children away from play in an attempt to teach them something (at school, most of us have been taught that there is a time to study and a time to play), but instead used play as a way to teach. The right kind of play, however, involves using real tools. A cardboard tube, a wooden stick, a small colander: everything can be useful for playing and learning something . Which, if you think about it, is a wonderful thing: with this method, children can play even without toys! So if they find themselves at grandma's and don't know what to do, just a little is enough to turn the house into an educational "amusement park".

What are Montessori games?


As we have said, according to the principles of Maria Montessori , children can really play with all the objects found in the house, provided they are safe (freedom of choice is important, but parents play a crucial role here: monitoring the actual safety of the objects within the range of choices). That said, there are also many toys on the market specifically designed to follow the Montessori Method : they are usually made with natural materials such as wood, designed to stimulate the senses, able to adapt to different ages of the child, and often created to be shared, because another principle of the Montessori method is collaboration .

5 DIY Montessori games

Do you prefer not to buy games because your house is already full?

Here are some ideas for playing according to the Montessori method, simply by using what you have at home.

An amazing DIY of the Montessori method

Finally, here is the Montessori shape box! What will you need?

  • Any box

  • Tempera paint

  • Thick cardboard for templates

  • Scissors

  • Small knife

In the video below, you can find out how to make it!

Playing with your little explorer using this Montessori box is very simple: just ask them to insert the shapes they have into the corresponding holes in the box. Watch how they focus and try to fit the shapes into the matching openings, and admire their expression when a shape disappears and reappears inside the box. With this activity, they will learn new colors and shapes, and it will help them concentrate on the present moment.

Häufig gestellte Fragen

What does Montessori school mean?

The Montessori method is based on the principle of "teach me to do it myself" , which means giving the child the tools to make their own decisions or allowing them the freedom to express their spontaneity. To do this, the child must experiment, touch, smell, try: that’s why all Montessori toys and activities are based on hands-on learning and experience.

Play-based education according to Montessori

For Montessori, play has a very powerful educational value , it is essential for cognitive, social, emotional, creative, and even motor development, and that is why play-based education is at the core of the method. With her method, Maria Montessori did not keep children away from play to try to teach them something, but used play as a means to teach. The right games, however, are those that involve the use of real tools. A cardboard tube, a wooden stick, a small colander: everything is useful for playing and learning something.

What are the Montessori games?

According to the principles of Maria Montessori, children can truly play with all the objects found in the house , provided they are safe, of course. That said, there are also many toys on the market specifically designed to follow the Montessori method: they are usually made with natural materials like wood, are intended to stimulate the senses, can adapt to different ages of the child, and are typically made to be shared, because another principle of the Montessori method is collaboration .