It's been a little while since I've shared the materials on Gus' play shelves here in our Montessori home. As a reminder, Gus is 5.5-years-old and attends a Montessori school. So, while you won't find many Montessori materials here on our shelves, you will things that support his interests, and build upon the skills he may be working on at school.
Montessori Play Shelves at 5.5-Years-Old
Generally, I have found that Gus is spending less time here at home using materials but is definitely seeking out social relationships with neighborhood children a lot more. He is in the early stages of transitioning to that second plane of development and individual work time seems less appealing. But, he does still come to his shelves and work a bit each day.
Here's a look at the materials found on Gus' shelves right now:
- Waseca Reading Program: Gus is starting to read so he is working through the red series of this awesome reading curriculum
- Etch-a-Sketch: Classic kid fun
- Squigz: These have been a surprising hit for building and just all sorts of play. I didnt know these would be as well loved as they have been
- Color Code Smart Games: This is a pattern building and logic game that is really quite fun for a wide range of ages. Nora really enjoys this too (at 8-years-old.)
- Qubix Builders: a smaller more 3D magnet builder. He definitely enjoys these but we don't have enough to build large things so they aren't super super captivating
- Puzzles: this is a vintage frame jigsaw puzzle but I just rotate puzzles semi-frequently for him. Gus can do up to around a 100 piece jigsaw independently depending on his mood.
In addition to these trays, Gus also has this treehouse toy for open ended play. I don't know where the people ran off to for these pictures but typically there are people! And, he has a large print alphabet puzzle. I find that the print puzzle is a helpful transition to help solidify letter sounds as my children learn to read. Since his school focuses on cursive, having a little practice with print has been helpful. The puzzle maker has gone out of business.
In addition to the things listed here, Gus LOVES handcrafts. He spends long parts of his day finger knitting and weaving. He also loves LEGO, playing games, and basically anything involving fine motor work.
What sorts of playthings is your 5-year-old into?!
