Montessori Toys for 4 year olds
By the time children are four years old, they are bundles of energy brimming with imagination and creativity. They undergo intense physical and mental changes that generate their diverse interests. They enjoy doing activities independently. Their curious and active minds are ready to explore the world around them.
It calls for the addition of new toys into their toy collection that can engage the children and sharpen their skills. They will be so involved with the toys that they will be unaware that they are learning in this process.
Montessori toys have always been the choice of parents and teachers for their children.
Are you looking for Montessori toys for your 4-year-old?
We shall discuss the Montessori toys appropriate for your four-year-old toddlers here.
Contents
How to choose Montessori toys for 4 year old
Dr. Maria Montessori, the founder of the Montessori method, described special periods when children acquire skills better and absorb more information. The children retain more information when they learn during this period. These spans of learning time are called the sensitive periods.
According to research, four-year-olds can use language in complicated ways, recognize mathematical patterns, and need to develop their interpersonal skills.
You can regularly observe your child at play to follow their interests. It can help the parents find the appropriate toys and activities with great appeal for a particular age range.
Montessori toys come with a purpose. They focus on one skill at a time till the child has mastered that skill. All Montessori toys give immense benefits to children.
When selecting Montessori toys for four years old, safety is always the most important thing to consider. By four years old, children become more stable and have fewer chances of putting toys in their mouths. Still, they should play with toys appropriate for their age and development.
Here’s a list of Montessori toys that can help them develop physical and cognitive skills, and they will have fun while learning.
Math Toys
Math is an essential element of daily life, and many activities like blocks, shapes and board games help children in geometry and spatial awareness. By participating in the kitchen activities like cooking, baking, and cleaning, children can learn about measurements.
They are 3D magnetic blocks and are loved by all. These tiles support solo or group play and are easy to use. It is a beautiful addition to your child’s toy collection.
Magnatiles encourage open-ended play in children.
Benefits – Children use their imaginative minds to build abstract creations with Magnatiles. They encourage shape recognition, patterns and visualization, and STEM exploration. They also help develop fine motor and spatial skills.
Geometric Shape Cork and Tack Board
This set includes 50 painted wooden tiles cut into fun shapes, a wooden hammer, and a corkboard. Children can explore and create beautiful patterns and masterpieces.
Benefits – As the child fits and arranges shapes together with Tap & Tack, they understand the basic principles of geometry.
It helps develop hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills.
Hundred Board Consecutive Numbers
Kids can fill in the numbers on this wooden hundred board that features numbers 1-100. It is a good choice for hands-on learning.
It is portable, ideal for classroom and home use, and is convenient to carry.
Benefits – It helps children learn to count in the sequence of 1 to 100.
Reading and Writing Toys
It is the perfect Montessori toy for 4-year-old toddlers to develop their reading and writing skills with this natural solid wooden tracing board. It grows with your child as one of its sides features lower case letters for the initial introduction to alphabets. The other side includes capital letters.
Benefits – It helps children develop visual memory while training the muscles until they master proper shape formation.
Capital and small letters help in the continuous development of writing and reading in children.
Tracing the letters with their fingers or wooden stylus develops the hand and finger strength.
It is a fast-paced game with sight words that is easy to play. Kids can play this game independently while practicing reading and having fun. It is equally popular with teachers and parents.
Benefits – It helps develop critical thinking skills and is perfect for pre-readers and early readers. It teaches recognition of essential words.
It consists of a wooden box containing 5 of each consonant in red and 10 of each vowel in blue. It is sturdy and sorted and can be used in many games and activities to help children improve their reading and spelling.
Benefits – Children can write words and get familiar with the letters and their sounds or can compose new words. It has wooden letters that are non-toxic and also ensure safety for children.
Science Toys
Learning Resources Primary Science Deluxe Lab Set
It supports early hands-on scientific exploration through fun-filled activities. The toddlers can follow the easy instructions on the activity cards to jot down their findings in the write & wipe journal.
Benefits – This science set helps to develop problem-solving skills. Following multi-step directions, the children learn sequential thought, making predictions, and observation.
Sensorial or Hands-On Learning Toys
This kit offers playtime with child-sized digging tools to excavate dinosaur fossils out of pressed dirt.
Benefits – It stimulates sensory organs as children play with dirt and use their hands for digging.
Movement Toys
It has three large stones and three small stones with a rubber rim to prevent slipping. Each side of the stone is different in steepness and difficulty.
Benefits – They are great for improving coordination and balance. They can be put together for easy storage.
Music Toys
Rhythm Band 8-Note Handbell Set
Kids love music, and this set is a wonderful addition to making music of all different sounds and tones.
Benefit – It is ideal for teaching different rhythms, notes, and beats. It also helps to develop hand-eye coordination.
Art and Craft Toys
This set includes 11 wooden tools with bright colored handles and a sturdy wooden tray. The toddlers use them to cut, shape, sculpt and roll patterns in dough and clay.
Benefits – It is the perfect kit for creating a wide range of designs and developing fine motor skills. With hands-on play, toddlers get creative with art and craft skills.
These washable dot markers are easy to set up and clean up. It has non-toxic colors in no spill, no splash bottles. Toddlers will enjoy coloring with them. These colors are perfect for their little hands, and they will love mixing and layering colors to create masterpieces. They dry quickly and are mess-free.
Benefits – This kit helps in early childhood development. The children get the opportunity to enjoy expressive art, developing hand-eye coordination and color recognition.
Final Thoughts
Ensuring that the toys help develop healthy social skills like waiting for their turns, and accommodating the needs of others can be great for four year old’s. They can also participate in practical life skills around the home and learn to clean up. At this age, kids can usually communicate about their liking for specific toys or activities, so it’s helpful to keep these interests in mind when shopping for their Montessori toys.