Dr. Montessori believed all educational activities should be hands-on and self-directed by the child. These activities should be self-correcting, allowing children to foster independence by recognizing mistakes on their own without adult intervention.
Montessori kindergarten in Agoura Hills is focused on providing sensorial learning activities that enhance each child’s self-direction. When linking their senses of touch, sight, and smell to learning, they better internalize their lessons than if they had only read from a textbook. When their activities are continued at home, their development picks up speed and becomes a core foundation.
Here are several activities you can use to support your child’s Montessori education at home:
Create a trail mix from scratch, starting with the recipe
Get your kindergartener’s brain cogs turning with an easy but involved recipe. Ask them what makes a good trail mix in their opinion, and why they think it’s called a trail mix. The interactive and thoughtful nature of this activity makes it a perfect supplement for the Montessori method. Your child will have fun brainstorming the answer, which is that trail mix was originally created for easy snacking on trails.
At a minimum, the tail mix should have a mixture of granola and dried fruit or nuts. For children with nut allergies, they might be interested in adding pretzel sticks, pumpkin seeds, raisins (plain or covered in yogurt), Cheez-Its, nut-free M&Ms, and more. Then have your kindergartener put the ingredients together from what’s available at home, or let them lead a grocery shopping trip to build confidence in their self-direction and independence.
Go through the house and determine which plants need watering
Plant watering could be a research-heavy activity if you have a variety of child-safe houseplants each with different needs. Your child can move throughout your home, plant to plant, and report how damp the soil appears to be and whether the plant looks like it’s getting enough sunlight. They can carry with them a water pitcher and, if you have plants that need misting instead of fluids, a spray bottle of water.
If you think the research will be too much for your kindergartener, you can walk them through the house and explain how to care for each plant. They can take notes for reference, and when the next watering day comes they can take charge. This activity builds skills in note taking, memory, and planning ahead. Plus, your child will develop deeper confidence as they help the plants stay alive.
Build a puzzle from a distant pile of pieces
This activity builds memory skills and teaches your kindergartener how to focus on a single task without distractions. Have your kindergarten assemble a puzzle in one room and retrieve pieces in another. They’ll have to remember which pieces they’re looking for and where they’ll be placed, all while staying on their feet. Be sure to use a large puzzle without too many pieces, as puzzles with more than 25 pieces would be overwhelming even to an older child.
Montessori School of Agoura — Montessori Kindergarten in Agoura Hills
When your kindergartener’s education is supported throughout their life, at home and in the classroom, they’ll build a strong foundation for lifelong learning and success.Montessori School of Agoura Hills was founded in 1979 to inspire lifelong learning in children ages 2 through 6 years old. Our child-led curriculum develops independence and confidence in children from their first class. Contact us to learn more about our Montessori kindergarten program in Agoura Hills.
