Montessori-Aligned Activities for a Three Year Old!

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Looking for new shelfwork ideas? You’ve come to the right place! In this post, I’m sharing a peek into our home and the activities that my 3.5-year-old is enjoying right now. If you’re searching for shelfwork inspiration that blends learning with fun, these favorites might be just what you need. Let’s dive into his current top picks and why they work so well for this stage of development!

1. Pin Punching

Some variation of this work is always on the shelf at age 3. I switch the theme up depending on the season/unit we are studying. Some benefits of this work include:

• Fine Motor Development: Strengthens hand muscles and improves coordination, preparing the hands for writing.

• Focus and Concentration: Encourages sustained attention on a task, boosting patience and perseverance.

• Hand-Eye Coordination: Enhances precision as the child aligns the pin with the outline.

You may choose to use a jumbo push pin, a sharpened (but blunt) dowel or a sharpened pencil.

2. Montessori Beads & Number Matching

   I quickly whipped up these adorable penguin number cards on Canva. We are currently working on the ability to recognize the written numbers 1-9. This pairs really well with the Montessori beads and you could simply use sandpaper numbers, but I've found if I create something simple, fun, themed to pair with a classic Montessori material, my son is generally more interested.

   
   

   I present the number penguin card to him and he tells me which number it is then he finds the matching bead bar and places it with the card. I've found adding silliness can sometimes help to keep my son engaged. I say things like, "The penguin needs YOUR help to find his beads!"

   
   

   When first presenting this activity, if your child is not yet confident with their number symbols, you will want to tell them what the card's number is. Incorporate the sandpaper numbers if you have them and have the child trace each number while naming it aloud. As your child grows in confidence with the number symbols, your involvement in this activity should lessen.

3. Paper Clip Practice

   For this activity, I was inspired by my friend Valentine of How2Montessori, a certified Montessori educator and consultant, with over 20 years experience working with early years! She recently launched a new online platform that includes an extensive resource of information pertaining to Montessori, while still being accessible in terms of cost. She has included Montessori activity ideas for ages newborn-6 years old as well as photos, video explanations, etc. This paper clip idea was in her 3 year old section and I thought it would be a great fit for my son - he loved it! It's the perfect amount of challenge for him.

   

   
   

4. Pom-Pom Tweezing &Counting

   How fun and engaging is this activity? It incorporates several things - fine motor (tweezing), number symbol learning, and counting. I printed the Santa head from Hands On Kids Activities. I fastened it onto an empty tissue box with packing tape and voila! This could easily adapted with another character, like an animal head.

   
   

   For this activity, my son selects a sandpaper number, traces it, names it, then uses the tweezers to move the appropriate amount of pom-poms into the "mouth."

   

   
   

5. Magnetic Pattern Blocks

Also referred to as "Tangrams," these shape pattern blocks are awesome for a three year old! These ones are by Melissa and Doug and my son likes them because they are magnetic, which makes it less frustrating for him to place the shapes. Since they're magnets, you could easily use them on a magnetic easel if you have one, or even your refrigerator for a vertical activity!

3. Cutting Practice

This is one of my son's favorite go-to activities. He loves cutting on the line and has started more intricate works as well. I either make cutting strips on Canva or I download them from Hands on Kids Activities. He will finish all of the strips in the tray and immediately ask for more.

7. 2D Shape Building

This activity was originally brought to our shelf by our Guide from our Guidepost Virtual School classes. It has been a lot of fun but it also requires fine motor skills, precision, concentration, and it builds frustration tolerance. My son is working on shapes right now so this is a great hands-on way to do that! We use toothpicks and play dough to create the shapes.

The creator of the printable is RikiTikiArt and you can purchase the digital download on their Etsy account here.

8. Lock & Key

This activity has made appearances in previous blog posts, but I’ve added a new twist! Along with more keys, I’ve introduced a key box with a dowel. This addition adds an extra layer of challenge, requiring my son to lock and unlock around the dowel rather than freely manipulating the lock in his hand. He has been workin toward mastering this work since he was a little over age 2.

9. Sandpaper Letter/Object Sort

This activity has been a total hit over the past few weeks. My son has officially entered the sensitive period for learning letters and he is having a lot of fun with our collection of small objects.

There are a few variations for this activity we love:

1. Simple Match: I provide 2–3 objects for each sandpaper letter (focusing on letters he is confident with). He names each object aloud, identifies its beginning letter sound, and matches it to the appropriate letter.

2. I Spy: I say, "I spy an object that begins with /s/," and he selects an object that starts with the /s/ sound and hands it to me.

3. Scavenger Hunt: I place the sandpaper letters around the room (you can make it more of a gross motor activity by spreading the letters across multiple rooms) and give him an object. He names the object aloud, identifies its beginning letter sound, and finds the corresponding letter.

   
   

Our sandpaper letters are linked here, and our small objects are a collection from an Etsy trinket shop, some are from Toobs, and some from Montessori Services.

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These activities provide just a snapshot of his work, as we also keep art supplies, a few classic Montessori sensorial materials, a monthly calendar, sandpaper letters, cleaning supplies (practical life), and a letter sound object box available.

I’d love to hear if you try any of these activities—let me know how your child enjoys them! For more daily inspiration, follow me on Instagram, where I share snippets of our day-to-day life and additional activity ideas for my 3-year-old and 1-year-old.