Montessori-Inspired Crafts
Modelling Beeswax. Working with modeling beeswax is a great way to develop strength in the hands and fingers while allowing children to work on their 3D spatial awareness. For the wax to be pliable, it must be warmed up with the hands, which encourages the child to be patient.
Knitting Fork. Knitting can be a little too complicated for a preschooler, but the knitting fork makes it much easier for them, as does using chunky yarn. Knitting helps your child work on their coordination and fine motor skills while giving them the satisfaction of making a physical product. Using wool or cotton material also gives you a chance to explain where wool and cotton come from and how they are used to make clothing.
Crayons. Markers are fairly easy for children to use as they don’t need much pressure. Once your child has figured out how to grip and use markers, move them along to crayons to develop their hand and finger strength. Crayons often come in the classic cylindrical shape, but if you want to try a fun variety, you can look for crayons that come in other fun shapes or you can make your own multicoloured crayons by breaking different colours of crayons into the bottom of a muffin tin (with muffin liners, for easy removal) and baking them just until they melt. When they cool, you’ll have circular multi-coloured crayons that encourage your child to let their creativity go wild.
Paint Trays. Painting is a fun and expressive way for your child to develop motor skills and grip, but they can paint with more than just brushes. Stamping tools, bingo dabbers, rollers, and alphabet stampers all offer lessons about colour, shape, texture, letters, and size in an engaging manner.
Observational Drawing. Giving your child a subject to try to draw, such as a flower, not only hones their fine motor skills as they draw, but it helps their memory and observational skills. It can also help the child to understand concepts such as depth and perspective. This is a great activity to do outdoors as the season begins to turn to spring. Even if you don’t want to take the painting or colouring supplies to the park, you can go for a walk and then have your child try to remember things you saw and draw them when you return home.
Enroll Your Child In A Calgary Montessori Program
Crafts are a great way to encourage children to learn, focus, and become engaged in a task from start to finish. The development of skills through hands-on learning is an important part of child education. One of the key elements of the Montessori method is the development and refinement of the senses and the use of hands-on tasks that encourage both motor function and thought. Grey Matter Montessori Preschool in Calgary seeks to educate the whole child through the use of engaging and personalized learning for every child. To learn more about the Montessori method of child education or to enroll your child in our program, contact our Calgary Montessori preschool by filling out the contact form or calling 1-587-707-4739.
FAQ
Q: My child doesn’t seem engaged with the activities I present to them. How can I get them interested?
A: Talk with your child and observe how they spend their time. Ask them the kind of crafts they want to do and what they are interested in. Try to create a craft based on their response or see if you can make it more personal for them. For example, use your child’s favourite colours for drawing activities. If your child is too unsettled to sit at one activity for 10 minutes, try to gradually build up to longer projects or do activities that let them move around more. The Montessori method emphasizes catering education and play to the individual child, so remember that you can adapt the crafts however you need.
Q: Is Montessori preschool right for my child?
A: A common saying is ‘Montessori is right for every child, but not every family is right for Montessori’. Montessori education is a flexible, adaptable style of teaching and learning that is beneficial for all children. The caveat is that certain foundations and principles guide a Montessori approach to learning that must be incorporated into other aspects of the child’s life by their caregivers. Principles such as:
- Child-lead independent learning
- Calm over chaos
- Cleanliness and tidiness
- Experiential learning
- Promoting individuality
- The freedom to explore
We believe that a Montessori Preschool Program is one of the best ways to raise your child into a socially and academically well-rounded individual.
Q: When does your preschool accept registration?
A: Grey Matter Montessori has ongoing registration and even offers advanced registrations (up to 2 years in advance). Contact our office for more information on the upcoming school year and register as early as possible to ensure availability for your desired days and times.
