There is so much joy in watching your baby find themselves into toddlerhood. These first few months with a 1-year-old are really some of the best with your baby, in my opinion. They are still very much babies, but they are more consistent and easier to understand. They interact and have preferences. It's just a lot of fun. Penelope has been such fun that I wanted to share some of her favorite Montessori baby toys and activities at 13 and 14 months.
This is definitely not a complete list of everything she has done over the last couple months, but a good idea of the skills she has been working on and how we have supported her. Remember, observe your own baby when making decisions about what kinds of materials are best suited for them!
Montessori Baby and Young Toddler Favorites
Here's a closer look at what she has been up to separated into some larger general categories:
Gross Motor
More than anything else these last couple of months, Penelope has been interested in gross motor development. She spends most of her day moving, and I bet she will be fully walking by the next time I do one of these recaps. At 13 and 14-months, she has been working on:
- Standing Without Pulling Up
- Starting to take Steps: never walked around, always her own choice and timeline
- Lots of Pushing: supported by walker wagon, shopping cart
- Climbing Everything: supported by Pikler Triangle, kitchen counters, her brothers' work table
- Sliding: supported by tiny slide, Pikler Triangle
- Squatting
Fine Motor
Overall Penelope has sharply become less interested in using shelf materials and toys these months. This is exactly what I expect from a busy young toddler or older baby. I know that she will eventually become more interested in them again, but for now, they make up a pretty small amount of her day. But, here favorites have been:
- Balls on Pegs (similar): posting with smaller holes
- Velcro Block: pulling things apart
- Spin Again: Eye tracking, squatting, posting
- 3 piece Shape Puzzle (similar): language, visual discrimination, wrist rotation
Language and Social/Emotional
Penelope continues to be one of my more chatty babies. I don't really keep close track at how many words she is saying or anything, but observe for language over time. We are also getting a lot more feelings from Penelope and it's so fun to see her personality shine through. These months she's working on:
- Talking: 2 word phrases: all done, here mom
- Language: supported by us labeling lots for her in the environment, especially as she points to it
- Expressing Love: initiating hugs and kisses
- Expressing Frustration: hitting and scratching, lots of redirection and gentle hands happening
- Expressive Sounds: supported by basket of animals, model cars/trucks
Sensory
Like I said in my last big update on Penelope, there's really no way to separate sensory learning from everything that Penelope is doing. Young children learn through the senses and that is evident in everything that they do. But, there have been some specific activities that activate the senses more than others, including:
Vestibular: supported by swinging
Proprioceptive: supported by climbing up slides, pushing heavy objects
Tactile: supported by more outdoor play as the weather warms, washing hands more independently
Taste: supported by our fruit bowl and her desire to pick her own snacks
And that's it! Penelope is in such a fun age and stage. She is learning something new every day and it's hard to capture it even in one longer blog post. I hope you have enjoyed some of her favorite Montessori activities from 13 through 14 months old.
What is your young toddler interested in?
