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Homeschool Montessori

Montessori activities for age 3

By Owen WrenLast updated

Three is the classic start of the Montessori primary years. Sensorial materials, sandpaper letters and first geography sit alongside ongoing Practical Life.

Start with Hand Washing, the work on this list with the youngest starting age.

Illustration: a low Montessori shelf of pale wood in a quiet room, with six practical life and sensorial works each set out on its own tray.
IllustrationA low shelf set for the morning, one work to a tray.

On the shelf at this age

40 lessons whose typical age overlaps age 3

Lessons for Age 3, grouped by area
Lesson and materialsTypical age
Practical Life
Hand WashingHand-Washing Station
15 months to 3.5 years
Dry Pouring Between Two PitchersSmall Pouring Pitchers, Work Tray
Illustration: a Montessori dry pouring tray on a low shelf, with small pouring vessels and a bowl of dried beans.
Illustration
18 months to 3.5 years
Spooning: Transferring with a SpoonSpooning Set
18 months to 3.5 years
Wet Pouring Between Two PitchersSmall Pouring Pitchers, Work Tray
2 to 4 years
Grace and Courtesy Lessons
2 to 6 years
Button Dressing FrameButton Dressing Frame
2.5 to 4.5 years
Sweeping with a Brush and DustpanChild-Sized Sweeping Set
2.5 to 5 years
Folding ClothsFolding Cloths
2.5 to 5 years
Banana Slicing (First Food Preparation)Child's Food Preparation Tools
2.5 to 5 years
Table ScrubbingTable Scrubbing Set
3 to 5.5 years
Flower ArrangingFlower Arranging Set
3 to 5.5 years
Metal PolishingMetal Polishing Set
3.5 to 6 years
Sensorial
Knobbed CylindersKnobbed Cylinders
Illustration: the Montessori knobbed cylinders, four wooden blocks of ten knobbed cylinders each, set side by side on a low shelf.
Illustration
2 to 4 years
Pink TowerPink Tower, Work Rug
Illustration: the Montessori pink tower, ten pink wooden cubes built into a tower with the largest at the bottom, on a linen mat on a low wooden shelf.
Illustration
2.5 to 4 years
Brown Stair (Broad Stair)Brown Stair, Work Rug
Illustration: the Montessori brown stair, ten brown wooden prisms laid side by side from thickest to thinnest on a linen mat.
Illustration
2.5 to 4.5 years
Touch Boards (Rough and Smooth Boards)Touch Boards
2.5 to 4.5 years
Red Rods (Long Rods)Red Rods, Work Rug
Illustration: the Montessori red rods, ten red wooden rods laid out from shortest to longest on a linen mat.
Illustration
3 to 5 years
Color Tablets: Boxes 1, 2 and 3Color Tablets
Illustration: the Montessori color tablets, rows of small wooden tablets with colored centers in a wooden box.
Illustration
3 to 5 years
Sound Cylinders (Sound Boxes)Sound Cylinders
3 to 5 years
Geometric Cabinet (Plane Geometric Insets)Geometric Cabinet
3 to 5 years
Mystery Bag (Stereognostic Bag)Mystery Bag (Stereognostic Bag)
3 to 5.5 years
Binomial CubeBinomial Cube
3.5 to 6 years
Geometric SolidsGeometric Solids
3.5 to 6 years
Math
Number RodsNumber Rods, Work Rug
Illustration: the Montessori number rods, ten wooden rods in alternating red and blue segments, laid out from shortest to longest on a linen mat.
Illustration
3.5 to 5 years
Sandpaper NumeralsSandpaper Numerals
3.5 to 5 years
Language
Sandpaper LettersSandpaper Letters
Illustration: the Montessori sandpaper letters, rough letters on wooden boards standing in a box, consonants on pink boards and vowels on blue boards.
Illustration
2.5 to 5 years
Sound Games (I Spy)
2.5 to 4.5 years
Moveable Alphabet: Building First WordsMoveable Alphabet, Pink Series Object Box
Illustration: the Montessori movable alphabet (moveable alphabet), wooden letter tiles sorted into a divided wooden box, consonants in one color and vowels in another.
Illustration
3.5 to 6 years
Metal InsetsMetal Insets
Illustration: the Montessori metal insets, pink frames holding blue insets, standing in a wooden rack.
Illustration
3.5 to 6 years
Cultural
Sandpaper Globe: Land and WaterSandpaper Globe
2.5 to 4.5 years
Caring for PlantsPlant Care Set
2.5 to 5.5 years
World Puzzle Map: ContinentsWorld Puzzle Map
3 to 5.5 years
Land and Water FormsLand and Water Form Trays, Small Pouring Pitchers
3 to 5.5 years
Continent Globe (Painted Globe)Continent Globe (Painted Globe)
3 to 5 years
Sink and Float
3 to 5.5 years
Living and Nonliving: A First SortLiving and Nonliving Sorting Cards
3.5 to 6 years
Botany Cabinet: Leaf ShapesBotany Cabinet
3.5 to 6 years
Flags of the WorldFlag Stands (Flags of the World)
3.5 to 6 years
Parts of a Plant (Botany Puzzles)Botany Puzzles
3.5 to 6 years
Zoology Puzzles (Parts of an Animal)Zoology Puzzles
3.5 to 6 years

When most of this shelf feels easy for your child, look one step ahead: age 4 lists what usually comes next.