Are you actively looking for some valid options of open-ended toys that will last a while in your household? Or toys that can bring lots of entertainment and movement to your sweet babies during their childhood, preschool years, and even older age? If that’s so, you’re in luck!
There are a few specific types of toys that are highly recommended for use in a Montessori environment. You can be new to the concept of Montessori education for children or maybe you have been thinking about it for a while. Nevertheless, some toys are being advised again and again, because they tend to serve a baby’sdevelopment the best and any Montessori playground feels unfinished without them.
What are open-ended toys?
One of the most important things to keep in mind when choosing toys for a Montessori environment is that they should be open-ended. This means that they should not have a specific right or wrong way to be played with, allowing children to use their own creativity and imagination to explore them.
Open-ended toys are very special in Montessori classrooms because they are created for natural learning, allowing children to explore and discover the versatility of the world around them. They also foster a love for life and curiosity about everything. Open-ended toys are different from standard toys because they require the owner to get creative in order to figure out how to play with them. They can be anything from a ball, wooden blocks, kinetic sand, foldable climbing furniture, and other objects that are used for playing in various ways.
It is very important for parents to fully participate in their children’s lives, but it is also necessary that kids develop an ability to play on their own. There are lots of methods that help to facilitate our youngsters' capability to play by themselves and the easiest pathway to get this going is to create such an environment where the majority of toys are open-ended.
Open-ended toys can be used in many different ways which vary from child to child, depending on the daytime and kid’s imagination. These toys are not just fun to play with, they provide more possibilities for youths to improve problem-solving skills and start getting better at critical thinking. This type of playthings not only nurtures imagination, creativity, and exploration, but also in the meantime allows children to actively develop both fine and gross motor skills, which will undoubtedly come in handy later on in life.
The significance of open-ended play
Colleen D. Multari, LMSW, director of early learning at The Early Years Institute in Plainview, NY, said: “Open-ended toys result in open-ended play. This type of play can evolve over time while also encouraging children to create and problem-solve as they explore the world around them.”
Open-ended play is an important part of a child's development. It starts when kids are young and start to learn about the world around them by using different objects and toys, without any guidance from elder ones. Open-ended play is also important because it is a great way for children to learn how to think for themselves and figure out how things work. In addition, this kind of play helps them to develop their creativity, and problem-solving skills and allows them to explore and experiment, which is how they learn best.
What is that climbing (or Pikler’s) triangle anyway?
Babies who can’t even walk yet will try to use everything they can to crawl or climb! By giving them the best toys and tools to burn the energy, you will help their development a lot. And Pikler’s Triangle is exactly the best and the most adaptable and useful child’s developmental furniture that can help children to effectively work on and build their gross motor skills.
This wonderful piece of furniture has different positions that children can use to play, climb, and explore. The triangle is adaptable to any space, so it can be used in a home, daycare, or school setting. It fosters imagination and creativity with various ways to interact with it.
We talked about Pikler’s triangle in more detail in previous articles, so for now we stop after pointing out that it provides many benefits to our children and some of them are:
- Enhancing the development of fine and gross motor
- Awareness of body position, spatial awareness, and self-movement.
- Confidence in balance, coordination, grasping, and utilizing their own force.
- Enabling open-ended play.
- Benefiting imagination, creativity, emotional intelligence, and social skills.
Activities to get started
Everyone loves imaginary adventures, and it looks like kids these days are getting into them too! Pikler’s triangles are a great way to add excitement to any imaginary adventure and they're also a great way to help kids stay active and healthy.
We’ve discovered some really great options of entertaining games that can be played using the Montessori climbing triangle and we think this is a great way for kids to explore their creativity and have some fun.
Indoor play fort
For children, building a fort with furniture, chairs, sheets, clothes, and basically whatever comes to hand, can be the best and most favored activity. It can provide hours of creative fun, and it can also help children to develop their imagination, problem-solving skills, and dexterity.
Not only that, but a fort can be a great place for children to escape from the stresses of the world to just enjoy being themselves. In this cozy little castle they can play games, have some great time reading, or just relax in their own little world.
So if you're looking for a way to keep your children entertained, why not try building a fort? It's a fun, creative, and affordable activity that they're sure to love.
Stepping ladder
There's no need to be worried if your child wants to climb around the house. In fact, you should encourage it! Climbing on a triangle’s ladder is a great way for children to explore their surroundings and develop their motorskills.
One great way to let your child climb is to teach them using every single rung of a triangle, depending on where they need to get. This piece of furniture has a variety of climbing holds that can be used to navigate around the house and help kids to operate in previously inaccessible areas. Pikler’s triangle is a great way for children to improve their strength and dexterity.
So go ahead and let your child climb! It's a great way to promote healthy development and have some fun too.
Obstacle course
If you're looking for a fun way to keep your little one active, using modular climbing triangles is a great option. These versatile pieces can be used to create an obstacle course, simply add arches, ramps, and slides that you can buy together with your triangle as a part of a set. Also this construction can serve you an additional purpose as a gym.
This means you can get as creative as you want with your child's play area, and they'll never get bored. Climbing is a great way to keep kids active, and with a modular climbing triangle, they can have a blast while doing it.
Toy car track
If you have a slide attachment to your triangle, you can use its smooth surface to create the perfect road for all toys with wheels. This is a great way to keep your kids entertained for hours on end while exploring the physical phenomenon of gravity , and it's a lot of fun for adults too!
Creating a slide road is easy - just follow these simple steps:
- Clear an area of the floor that's at least six feet wide and six feet long.
- Place the triangle in the center of the cleared area and adjust its angle.
- Attach the slide to the triangle.
- Get ready to have some fun!
A shelf
If you want to teach your toddler how to store their soft toys, consider using a folded climbing triangle as a shelf. This is a great way to keep all of their toys in one place and it's also a fun way to help them learn about shapes and colors. Plus, it's a great way to keep their room tidy and organized.
If you're not sure how to fold a climbing triangle, there are plenty of online tutorials that can show you how. It's a really simple process and your child will be able to help you fold it. Once you have the triangle folded, you can help your toddler to place their soft toys in between its bars. This is a great way to teach them about colors and shapes, and it will also help them to learn about the organization.
Puppet show
Who doesn't love a good puppet show? And with your trusty climbing triangle, you can make an awesome puppet show theater in no time! Just find a spot in your room that's big enough, and use the triangle to mark off the stage area. You can even use tape or thumbtacks to hold the triangle in place.
Then, get creative with your puppet show staging! Hang curtains or use a blanket to create a backstage area, and use chairs or boxes to create a place to sit for the audience. Your show theater is ready to go! Have funhelping your toddler to make their own shows and invite friends over to share the fun.
Pretend play is important for kids as it allows them to experiment with different social and emotional roles in life. It is a cooperative play that also teaches children how to take turns, share, and problem-solve.
Drying stand
Montessori education helps children learn how to help themselves. In the early years, children can be interested in learning how to wash, dry, fold, and put clothes back into the closet, since their parents also do that. They can use a climbing triangle as a drying stand.
This teaches them how to be independent and take care of themselves. As they get older, they learn how to do other things around the house, such as cooking and cleaning. This prepares them for a time when they will have to take care of themselves.
Learning how to count
If you're looking for a fun way to introduce your child to counting, consider placing a hook-on abacus directly on your climbing triangle. This way, your child can learn while playing.
Abacuses are a great way to introduce your child to math and help them learn to count. The abacus is a funand easy way to learn: it can be used to teach addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. Your child will love playing with the colorful abacus. Every bead is easy to move, so your child can learn quickly. Plus, the abacus is small enough to take with you wherever you go. But, don’t worry if you don’t have one, because you can replace it using just a sticker with any color you like and where you can write or draw whatever you want.
Camping trip
This idea is almost the same as the first one, but imagine going on a camping trip around the climbing triangle. It is going to be a joyful experience – worth posting to Instagram! Obviously, you won’t be able to explore some of the most beautiful areas in your countryside, but you'll still be able to have some fun indoor activities.
Some great games to play while camping include I Spy and Treasure Hunt. These games are perfect for keeping everyone entertained. If you're looking for something a little more relaxing, why not have an indoor picnic and watch a movie? This is a great way to enjoy a meal without having to worry about bugs or other outdoor distractions.
Overall, a camping trip around the climbing triangle is sure to be a fun and memorable experience. So don't wait any longer – pick a room, call some friends and get ready for some indoor fun!