Spooning Set
A spooning set is two small bowls and a spoon on a tray, for a toddler of about 18 months to 3.5 to move beans from bowl to bowl. The one US set we found on October 5, 2026 cost $30.00, at Alison's Montessori. Two kitchen bowls and a teaspoon on a baking tray do exactly the same job.
The first lesson with it is Spooning: Transferring with a Spoon. Not sure your child is ready for it? Two minutes of questions place your child on the sequence.
| Area | Practical Life |
|---|---|
| Used in | |
| From age | 18 months to 3.5 years |
| Make it | Easy to make at home |
| Buy it | About $30 to $30 (noted ) |
What the spooning set is for
The child lifts beans from the left bowl to the right one, a spoonful at a time, and back again. The tray catches spills, and the bowls hold still, so the only thing to get right is the spoon.
Spooning as a tray work comes from later Montessori practice. Montessori's 1912 book gives the little ones only the spoon at table, before the fork and knife.
| Part | What it looks like |
|---|---|
| Bowls | Two, small and heavy enough not to slide; Alison's uses 8 oz melamine cups |
| Spoon | A teaspoon or a small scoop; The Montessori Room's is a 15 cm metal spoon |
| Tray | Rimmed; The Montessori Room's is wooden, 32.5 by 25 cm |
| Filling | Large dried beans or chickpeas, not included in the sets we checked |
The lessons that use the spooning set
Spooning: Transferring with a Spoon
18 months to 3.5 yearsMoving dried beans from one small bowl to another with a spoon, one spoonful at a time, the toddler's first transfer work.
Buying one: 2 listings checked October 5, 2026
| Seller and set | Made of | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Alison's MontessoriSpooning Exercise (P187)Two 8 oz melamine cups, a scoop and a small plastic tray. Beans not included. | Melamine cups, plastic tray | $30.00 |
| The Montessori RoomMontessori Spooning ActivityCanadian store. Two Duralex glass bowls 10.5 cm across, a 15 cm spoon and a 32.5 by 25 cm wooden tray. | Glass bowls, metal spoon, wooden tray | $53.99 CAD |
- Only one US seller had a spooning set when we looked. Montessori Services' set is no longer sold, and Montessori Outlet and Nienhuis's US store had none.
- This is a kitchen-cupboard material. Heavy bowls and a deep spoon matter more than a matched set.
- Glass bowls, like The Montessori Room's, stay put and teach care. Melamine suits a child who still drops things.
- Beans aren't included in either set. A jar of large dried beans or chickpeas from the pantry is all you need.
Making the spooning set at home
What to gather
- Two small heavy bowls, about 10 cm across
- A teaspoon or a small measuring scoop
- A rimmed tray about 30 by 20 cm
- A jar of large dried beans or chickpeas
| Piece | Size and marking | How many |
|---|---|---|
| Bowls | About 10 cm across, heavy enough not to slide | 2 |
| Beans | About a third of one bowl | 1 jar |
- 1Set the bowls side by side on the tray, the left one a third full of beans.
- 2Lay the spoon on the tray in front of the bowls, handle toward the child's dominant hand.
- 3Keep the bean jar beside the tray on the shelf for refills.
Keeping a full set on the shelf
- Count the beans back into the jar if a toddler is around. They're choking-size.
- Swap the beans for something new now and then: pasta shapes, shells, cotton balls.
Questions parents ask about the spooning set
What do I need for Montessori spooning?
Two small bowls, a spoon, a tray and some large dried beans. Every piece can come from the kitchen.
Which spoon is best for spooning?
A deep one. A teaspoon works; a small measuring scoop is easier for a child under 2. Move to a shallower spoon as the child gets steadier.
Is a spooning set worth buying?
Only if you want a matched set on the shelf. The one US set we found cost $30.00; kitchen bowls and a teaspoon cost nothing extra.
The Practical Life lessons page shows where the spooning set sits in the order.