As my bigger kids have gotten older, we have done less and less "art trays" in our Montessori home. Older children, especially those in the second plane of development, just don't need small directed trays. They are able to gather supplies and create more openly than younger children. But, my toddler Teddy still needs these trays in order to most effectively be able to create. He isn't able to gather supplies on his own and focus on learning new skills.
So, recently I've been back to organizing more art work trays for him to explore. The older kids still have some materials they love, so I'll include those below too!
Montessori Toddler Art Trays at 2.5
At 2.5, here is a look at what I've included on Teddy's art trays this spring. I've included sensory items here too since I consider those expressive. While some of these are spring/Easter themed, they could easily be swapped out for other themes:
- Stickers - I've cut down the sheets and removed the backing to make them easier for Teddy to use
- Pre-Inked Stampers (Similar) - ours are just from the dollar section of Target
- Construction Truck Stamps - I paired with this ink pad and limited the number available to him at once
- Right/Left Crayons - Teddy appears to be more left hand dominant (which is new for me) and I love that these encourage proper grip for either hand
- Play dough (purchased here) - paired with some easter themed bits and peg people
- Kinetic Sand - I paired this with a few of these shapes and some random tools
This is it for Teddy right now. I've also recently tried scissors with him but he wasn't quite ready. He also occasionally can access some of the older kids' options include stabilos, squeeze paint, and stockmar crayons but these are not specifically prepared for him. Gus (at 5) also has access to a couple of trays including:
What kinds of art materials is your toddler into right now?
