QUICK DIY: MATCHING WORK FOR TODDLERS

Matching work is one of the activities Montessori parents do that I easily loved (just by looking at their photos).

I was eager to see it in action, but I really want my son to own the discovery for many things, so I patiently waited, and sometime on his 18th or 19th month, I think – he just suddenly started matching and it was probably one of the most exciting days around here for me.

I need to stress this again and again – the child will work and do things when he’s ready.

Anyway, here’s a quick DIY matching work using things we already have at home, and less than 5 minutes of my time.

MATERIALS:

  • Blocks – I used the existing mini-Jenga blocks that I got from Miniso (the others were used for another project). You may also use those big plastic blocks (like Duplo), or any scrap wood you have lying at home (also could have used our good, old poker chips here), or even just thick paper cut into the same size.

  • Stickers – I got some stickers from the Dollar Store during our last trip in the US — one fruits and one vegetables — I got them because each set comes in at least 2 pieces per fruit/vegetable so I really had matching work in mind when I bought them. Of course, it’s best to use stickers with images that interest your child. You can also print images — you don’t really need stickers.

Choose identical stickers, paste them on the blocks, and leave them on a basket/tray (start with fewer pairs and build the number as you see fit). Let your child do the matching work.

When your child has already mastered these and is already into games (or for your older children/ family game nights), you can also turn these into a MEMORY GAME!

Hope this post was helpful!

 

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1 Comment

  1. Wow, very nice idea! I love wooden toys for the kids that is why Melissa and Doug is heaven sent to me. But I love this idea. My youngest child is turning 2 in a few weeks and I want to try this. Thanks for sharing!

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