On Our Shelves at 8 Months

1- Ring Stacker from Beginning Montessori. Beau hasn't mastered this material yet, which should be expected at around 10 months, however he still enjoys pulling off the rings and banging them together, as well as observing the differences in size and colour. 

2- A couple of our favourite books with two ikea 'B' bookends. I've choosen books that are based in reality rather than fantasy. I also limit the number of books on the shelf to make easier to keep it ordered and not too overwhelming of a chose for Beau. The books are rotated weekly.

3- Object Permanence Box from Nienhuis Montessori. This is Beau's favourite at the moment. He has mastered the skill of moving the ball to the hole and letting it fall. This material is designed to help the child's sense of object permanence; the idea that once something can't be seen it has not disappeared forever. In doing so he develops focus and concentration, eye-hand co-ordination and fine motor skills through grasping and releasing.

4- Toy Hammering Block from Ikea. On the website it recommends this toy for children over 18 months however it is safe for him at 8 months as long as he's supervised. After observing an adult use the hammer to bang the pegs he too makes the same motion. 

5- Ball and Bell cylinder from Beginning Montessori.  Beau has enjoyed manipulating the bell cylinder since around 5 months old. The bars are easily grasped by his small fingers and he enjoys banging the cylinder into his opposite hand to make the bells rattle.   Ball Cylinder has been a great toy for developing his muscle strength in his arms as its quite heavy but easy to hold due to the size and distance between the bars. 

6- Handmade Puzzle Ball which was made using this great tutorial from Little Red Farm Montessori. We also added some bells to the centre so that it makes a noise when shaken. The way it is formed makes it easy for the child to hold grasp and pick up.

Nikki xx