Augustus is only a few short days away from being 18 months old! I can't believe that we are solidly in toddler territory now! Over the last few months, shelf materials have been less important to Gus in favor of movement, being in nature, and practical experiences. But, he has had work on his shelves which he has enjoyed from time to time. The work is something that attracts him and he will spend a few minutes working with before moving on to something else. This certainly isn't everything he has used during this time, but these are his favorites.
You'll notice that many of these have stayed on our shelves for MONTHS. Toy rotation isn't something we do very often here, but from time to time new things were introduced and others were removed. I expect many of these will continue to be popular for awhile after this. Also, many of the toys that Gus loved from 12 to 14 months were still well loved during this time period.
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Here's a look at the materials, from left to right:
Classification Cards {similar} - This is a vintage set. These are just to look at and talk about. We don't use them as flashcards but as a way to talk about vocabulary. I expect that soon we will also use them for matching work.
Peg Work - Gus loves pegging work of all kinds, and this was a huge hit. You'll notice that I didn't include the rings that go with this toy as that was a bit overwhelming for him. I'll add those as he gets older and eventually this will be great color matching work.
Short to Tall Puzzle {similar} - This was given to me by a friend and it is lovely! It's still really really difficult for Gus but he enjoys taking the pieces out and randomly placing them back in. This will be in his rotation for a long time.
Baby Doll - This little baby is so sweet, Gus loved removing and placing his hat which I think is great practice for learning to place on his own socks! He would also just snuggle this baby.
Ball Pegging {similar} - This was by far Gus' favorite work over this period and has not left his shelf at all, unfortunately I cannot find a source that still sells this toys. The toy includes a whole set of balls to place on the pegs. Eventually he may start to sort by color or count but for now it's just about placing the balls.
Matryoshka Dolls {similar} - These have been a big hit too. At this point, Gus mainly just takes the dolls apart and then makes the individual dolls, he hasn't quite mastered nesting them back together.
Sticks - An easy DIY with small wooden craft sticks, more pegging work for Gus!
Size Stacking Tower - This is one of my new favorite Montessori friendly toys! I love it's self-correction. Gus loves this toy! I bet this will also be on our shelves for a long time.
Button Pegging - Another pegging work! This one uses a whole hand motion. This is probably the least liked of all the toys here.
Now, these could be very different than what your child is interested in or they may be the same! That's the beauty of Montessori. We are giving each child the space to explore his/her own interests and follow his/her own developmental path.
What does your 15 to 18 month old enjoy?
