By Cameron Eittreim 

Just because it is summertime that doesn’t mean that you won’t be stuck in the house a majority of the time. With temperatures reaching record highs and wildfires burning out of control there has never been a more important time to be indoors than this summer. Montessori activities are those that are fairly easy to do and repetitive on the brain. Young children enjoy doing these activities as they increase their fine motor skills and cognitive function. We are going to be exploring some simple Montessori activities that are geared toward 2-year-olds.

Doing Puzzles Together

Wooden puzzles are some of my favorites when it comes to doing Montessori activities with my two-year-old. The type of puzzles that match animals, shapes, and pegs are some of the most appealing. Puzzles teach children how to match shapes as well as figure out intense problems that might otherwise be impossible. The right puzzle can also teach things like spelling and math as well as hand and eye coordination.

One of the things that a play rug can help with is providing a space where your children can do their puzzles. Play rugs come in many different styles and fashions which makes choosing the right puzzle to do on top of it an easy choice. If you want to improve your young child's cognitive function a puzzle of any kind is a great way to do it. Finding a puzzle that you can do together with your children is also a great way to make sure that they are learning.

Scooping Beans Into Jars

Perhaps one of the most unique Montessori ideas is scooping beans into a jar. This simplistic mind exercise is the perfect thing to keep your toddler occupied and learning at the same time. You can use the practice to teach measuring as well as organization. Introducing your child to these kinds of activities is a simple way to expand their learning horizon.

You can use any kind of common dry beans for this project. Pinto and white beans work the best and you don't even have to clean them off. Jar wise you can use a glass mason jar or if you want to play it safe you can use an empty mayonnaise container. Either way, you'll have a safe and relatively inexpensive activity that builds focus and measuring.

Finger Painting

Perhaps one of the most treasured parts of childhood, finger painting allows your toddler to express themselves without restraints. Yes, finger painting can be a lot messier and the stains can be frightening. But at the end of the day, your children will thoroughly enjoy themselves. One of the best things that you can do is to get a giant paperboard and let your kids have it at it. These paperboards provide a huge canvas where they can express themselves and at the same time create beautiful artwork for mom and dad.

Although most children will gravitate toward any kind of painting, finger painting provides the most fun with minimal effort. There are so many new types of finger paint that you can get your hands on, many of which are easy to clean up. Kids want to have fun and make a mess when they are doing it. Finger Paint provides that type of medium where they can make a mess and have a blast at the same time.

Modeling Clay

Modeling clay not to be confused with Play-Doh is another type of clay that kids go crazy for. The majority of modeling clay is sold at hobby stores where this type of stuff is common. The consistency of modeling clay is a lot different than you'd expect from traditional clay. Likewise, toddlers enjoy modeling clay because it is a lot firmer and there are a lot more shapes that they can make with it.

You don't have to worry about making a mess with modeling clay because it comes in strips. You can give your kiddos a strip at a time and see what kind of great stuff they do with it. Modeling clay is fun and something that you will remember for a long time, as will they because the experience is memorable. Modeling clay is more than just a fancier piece of Play-Doh.

Wooden Blocks

Wooden blocks are sort of that childhood thing that we have all forgotten by now. With all the technology around our kids, it can be hard to get them to focus on one thing. Wooden blocks are a great tool for doing just that at an important time in their lives. The most classic version of wooden blocks that children love to play with are Lincoln Logs, but there are also more mainstream options to choose from as well. Wooden blocks give that sense of originality with a natural feeling that children can relate to.

There was a time when almost every type of toy was made out of wood, so it's no surprise that wooden blocks are a popular option to choose from. Taking the time to set up a quiet table for your children to play with their wooden blocks is an easy and rewarding thing to do. The kiddos will spend hours upon hours playing with their wooden blocks, and it can be a great way to teach sharing as well as other insightful skills. 

Peanut Button Pinecone Bird Feeders

This is by far one of my most favorite things to do because it's so cool. Taking old pinecones that you’ll find out in the yard and turning them into bird feeders is a fun and rewarding thing to do. There is so much that you can do with the pinecone such as adding seeds and decorations to it, and what child doesn’t enjoy playing with peanut butter? This is a fun and rewarding thing that you can do with the kiddos that will teach them about animals as well as creating unique garden items that attract wildlife.

Pinecone bird feeders don’t take much more than a peanut button and some yarn to create, but the memories are almost endless. If you have ever done this before as a kid then you’ll remember how fun it was to create those unique bird feeders for yourself. This is by far one of the most unique Montessori projects that you can do together.