Play & Learn – WonderHouse of Littles

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A collection of activities

...for little hands and developing brains...

DIY Bauble Decorations

DIY Bauble Decorations This has to be one of our favorite holiday activities! It's super easy to set up and...

Anatomy of a Cat

Anatomy of a Cat *** This post may contain affiliate links. That means we may make a small commission on...

DIY Bauble Decorations

DIY Bauble Decorations This has to be one of our favorite holiday activities! It's super easy to set up and...

Anatomy of a Cat

Anatomy of a Cat *** This post may contain affiliate links. That means we may make a small commission on...

Anatomy of a Squirrel

Anatomy of a Squirrel My daughter has been fascinated by squirrels lately so I decided to put together this...

Pine Cone Exploration

Pine Cone ExplorationOver the weekend my daughter and I collected pine cones so I thought it would be the perfect...

Apple Pie Autumn Sensory Play

Apple Pie - Autumn Sensory Play This sensory play set up is so easy to create and super fun for...

Insect Sweep and Find

Insect Sweep and FindMy daughter A has been super interested in insects since around 2 years old, and since she...

Ocean-Themed Transient Art on Kinetic Sand

Ocean-Themed Transient Art on Kinetic SandMy daughter loves kinetic sand and I find it is a great option for sensory...

Ocean-themed Sensory Play

Ocean-themed Sensory Play When we started learning about the oceans I set up this little sensory play using our IKEA...

Practical Life Tray Ideas

Practical Life Tray Ideas These preliminary practical life tray ideas are inspired by Montessori classics. They engage the child in...

Shelf Activities - 28 Months

Shelf Activities - 28 Months At the time of this shelf, my daughter was 28 months and her interests continued...

Bee Unit Study Around age 3.5, I noticed my daughter was in love with Usborne's book “Why Do We Need...

Tissue Paper Rainbow

Tissue Paper Rainbow This activity is perfect to work those little fingers! It helps to strengthen hand and finger muscles, refine fine...

Human Skeleton As part of our exploration of the human body we looked into the human skeleton with this activity,...

Internal Organs

Internal Organs Since turning three, my daughter has been fascinated by the human body. This, and animals in general, have...

Rainbow Sensory Play

Rainbow Sensory Play This was my daughter's first time playing with rainbow-colored rice so she was super excited when she...

Valentine's Day-inspired Sand Tray Practice

Valentine's Day-inspired Sand Tray Practice Here's a simple activity I set up for my three-year old on Valentine's Day: a...

Bear Family Sensory Play

Bear Family Sensory Play To discuss bears and hibernation patterns during winter I created this little setup using green lentils,...

Farm Small World

Farm Small World Small world play is a great opportunity for children to expand their vocabulary, organize ideas, develop sequencing...

Fossil This simple fossil kit was such a fun collaborative activity! My daughter and I took turns doing the excavating...

Frozen Acorns Hiding and collecting acorns is one of my daughter's favorite things! She loved to do it with playdough...

Winter-themed Playdough Tray

Winter-themed Play Dough TrayAs my daughter approached her 3rd birthday she began to join me in preparing our activities. What...

Bee-themed Playdough and Bookish Play

Bee-themed Playdough and Bookish PlayTo explore a little bit about bees, when my daughter was approaching her 3rd birthday I...

Spring Art Trays

Spring Art Trays When Spring arrives I love to refresh my daughter's art trays with a spring twist. Here are...

Smell the Flower, Blow the Candle Breathing Technique

Smell the Flower, Blow the Candle Breathing Technique Because mindful breathing techniques are such an important tool in a...

Fill in the Numbers

Fill in the numbers If you have any type of wooden board (numbers, letters or other shapes) you need to...

Ocean-themed Shelfie - 29 months

Ocean-themed Shelfie In the summertime I love to create an ocean-themed shelfie. There's always so many different aspects of the...

Whale Study Unit - pattern and letter matching

Whale Study Unit - pattern and letter matching For this activity I used a whale study unit from @mymegabundles. A...

Shelf Activities - 26 Months

Shelf Activities - 26 MonthsThis shelfie was a combination of brand new activities for my daughter following her interest in...

Counting with Seashells

Counting with SeashellsI love to use seasonal items for our home activities so when summer comes around I always have...

Sand TrayIn Montessori education sand trays are used to help a child learn how to trace letters and numbers. It...

Counting with DIY Insect Cards

Counting with DIY Insect CardsThis activity is so easy to set up. I simply filled one of the Trofast bins...

Sock Matching This practical life activity takes about 15 seconds to set up and is perfect for laundry days (which,...

Toddler YogaYoga has so many benefits for young children! Beyond working on gross motor skills such as strength, flexibility and...

Herb Garden: Planting

Herb Garden: Planting We started (what will hopefully become) a little herb garden for our balcony! To celebrate Mother Earth I...

Butterfly Symmetry

Butterfly Symmetry This activity was so popular with my little one at two years old! The butterflies images are a free...

Flower Arranging using a Funnel

Flower Arranging using a Funnel This classic Montessori practical life activity is perfect for Spring and has so many benefits. It helps...

Shelf Update - 25 Months

Shelf Activities - 25 MonthsWith Spring arriving and A being fascinated by bugs at the time, I decided to cater...

Lock and Key At 2 years old, A was really into this classic Montessori activity. It can be a really fun,...

Animal WashingIf you're looking for a super simple, low prep but engaging activity, this is it. All you need is a...

Things That Go Shelfie - 24 Months

Things That Go Shelfie - 24 monthsWhen A was 24 months old I made this Things That Go Shelfie. We...

Building Site Sensory Play

Building Site Sensory PlayWhen my daughter was turning 2, I prepared a Things That Go-themed shelfie and created this simple...

Shelf Activities - 24 Months

Shelf Activities - 24 monthsA look back at what was on my daughter's shelf at 24 months.Many of these were...

Dinosaur Footprints

Dinosaur PrintsWhen my daughter was about to turn 2, we got her the National Geographic Kids Dinosaur book. She loved...

Emotional Awareness

Emotional AwarenessThis is a simple and fun activity to teach your little one emotional awareness. If you are just starting to...

Object-to-picture and picture-to-picture matching

Object-to-picture and picture-to-picture matchingObject-to-picture and picture-to-picture matching is a classic Montessori activity with so many benefits and opportunities for developing important...

Snow ColoringHave you ever tried to play with snow indoors? It's super fun!We don't get snow too often so when...

Shelf Activities - 23 Months

Shelf Activities A look back at what was on A's shelf at 23 months. At that time she was really interested...

Valentine's Day-inspired Glueing Activity

Valentine's Day-inspired Glueing ActivityFor this activity, I traced big and small hearts on coloured paper using cookie cutters and then cut...

Birthday-themed Sensory Play

Birthday-themed Sensory PlayFor the week that A was turning 2, I created this sensory bin using cloud dough, cupcake liners,...

Shelf Activities - 23 months

Shelf Activities - 23 monthsAt 23 months, my daughter was interested in typical toddler work, including puzzles, beading, hammering and...

Autumn-themed Shelf Activities

Autumn-themed Shelf ActivitiesMy daughter loves to collect and play with Autumn nature finds or related items she collects, so for...

Alphabet Puzzle Sensory Play

Alphabet Puzzle Sensory PlayWhen my daughter was around 2 years old, we got her this wooden alphabet puzzle. She was...

Shelf Activities - 20 Months

Shelf Activities - 20 monthsWhen my daughter was 20 months old she was very much working on the typical toddler...

Open-ended basket

Open-ended basketWhen my daughter was around 2 years old I noticed she was showing increased interest in open-ended play, so...

Magnetic Fishing Game

Magnetic Fishing Game This game has been one of my daughter's favorite activities ever since it made it onto her shelf...

Counting Peg Boards

Counting Peg Boards When my daughter turned 2, I introduced these counting peg boards (numbers 1, 2 and 3 only) to begin to establish...

Shelf Activities - 23 Months

Shelf Activities - 23 monthsA look back at what was on A’s shelf the month before she turned 2 years...

Holiday Art Activity Ideas

Holiday Art Activity IdeasA few ideas to keep you and your little one(s) busy and enjoying the holidays: *** This...

Toddler Holiday Art Ideas

Toddler Holiday Art Ideas When it comes to art trays for young toddlers, keeping it simple and open-ended is key. The most important...

Holiday Shelf Activities

Holiday Shelf ActivitiesWhen my daughter was 22 months old she was interested in sorting, counting, practical life activities and pretend...

Christmas Baking

Christmas BakingMy favorite holiday invitation to play in 2020 was this little Christmas baking setup.I set this up two days...

Playdough Gingerbread Man

Playdough Gingerbread ManWhen my daughter was two years old I made a gingerbread man garland for her kitchen during the Christmas...

Dry Pouring This simple Montessori Practical Life activity prepares the child to pour without spilling, but has many other...

DIY Color Matching Posting Activity

DIY Color Matching Posting Activity When my daughter was around 20 months old I made her this simple DIY color...

Cinnamon-scented Autumn Play Dough

Cinnamon-scented Autumn Playdough I love to make season-themed playdough invitations to play because they offer opportunities to learn about different...

10 - Counting Frame

Counting Frame When my daughter was around 18 months old I introduced this ten-frame activity. It was the very first...

Pine Cone Growth Stages

Pine Cone Growth Stages The best way for children to learn is through hands-on experiences. And that is exactly what...

Shapes-themed Shelf Activities - 18 months

Shapes-themed Shelf Activities - 18 months When A was around 18 months old I prepared this shape-themed shelf, which...

Shelf Activities - 18 Months

Shelf Activities - 18 months At around 18 months my daughter was really interested in stacking, doing the velcro...

DIY Car Race Track

DIY Car Race TrackTape is such a versatile material and many activities can be created with it and very little...

Transfer With Spoon

Transfer With Spoon This classic Montessori Practical Life activity is great for refining fine motor skills, developing the pincer grasp, hand-eye...

Art Tray Ideas When it comes to art trays for young toddlers, keeping it simple and open-ended is key....

Sensory Play With Shape Sorter

Sensory Play With Shape Sorter BaseWhen A was around 19 months old I prepared a shapes-themed shelfie for her and...

Animal Rescue - Wall Edition

Animal Rescue - Wall EditionFor this activity all you need is tape and some animal figurines. Children derive so much...

DIY Posting Activity - Craft Sticks

DIY Posting Activity - Craft Sticks Posting activities such as this one are great for strengthening fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination,...

Shape Hunt - Sensory Play

Shape Hunt Sensory Play When A was around 18 months old she had some wooden shapes she enjoyed playing with...

DIY Posting Activity - Wooden Chips

DIY Posting Activity - Wooden Chips Posting activities such as this one are great for strengthening fine motor skills,...

Scoop and Transfer - Pom Poms

Scoop and Transfer - Pom Poms This simple Montessori activity is a great way for children to practice scooping and...

Shelf activities - 17 Months

Shelf activities - 17 Months At 17 months my daughter was mostly working on color and shape recognition, fine...

Planting-Inspired Sensory Bin

Planting-Inspired Sensory Play When my daughter was 17 months old I prepared this sensory bin so she could start practicing...

DIY Wrapping Paper

DIY Wrapping Paper When A was 22 months old we made DIY wrapping paper for Christmas. This was the first Christmas...

Fall-inspired Sensory Play

Fall-inspired Sensory Play A season-themed sensory play setup is a great way to deepen a child's understanding of seasons, seasonal...

Exploration of Primary Colours

Exploration of Primary ColorsWhat better way to learn about color theory than a hands-on exploration of primary colors?For this activity...

DIY Mushroom Sensory Puzzle

DIY Mushroom Sensory Puzzle A was 21 months old when I made this DIY mushroom sensory puzzle. She had been...

''It Starts With a Seed”- Bookish Play

It Starts With a Seed - Bookish Play A is in love with this book by Laura Knowles. Beautifully written,...

Walking On The Line

Walking On The Line This activity is so fun and so easy to set up! All you need is...

DIY Fall-Themed Puzzles

DIY Fall-Themed Puzzles Instead of investing in new puzzles all the time, you can actually just make your own for...

Acorn Pushpin Like many other pre-writing activities in Montessori, pin pushing work prepares the child for writing later on, refining...

Polar Animals I used this super simple setup with sensory snow so we could explore and learn more about polar...

Shelf Activities - 2.5 Years Old

Shelf Activities - 2.5 years old At 2.5 years old my daughter was working on color matching, fine and gross...

Butterfly PushPins

Butterfly Pushpins This is a fun way to introduce push pinning to your toddler but with a fun twist. Instead...

Russian Doll Layered Puzzle

Russian Doll Layered Puzzle Layered puzzles such as the one pictured challenge and help toddlers develop important cognitive and fine...

Gross Motor Color Sorting

Gross Motor Color Sorting This was probably the easiest activity to set up we’ve ever done. It's so fun for...

Looping Hair Ties

Looping Hair Ties This is another super easy low prep activity - very popular on social media - using things...

Tumi- Ishi Blocks

Tumi Ishi Blocks These Tumi Ishi balancing blocks have been a hit with A AND mom and dad! This activity...

Sorting by Size - Big and Small

Sorting by Size - Big and SmallWhen my daughter was around 20 months old we started working more intentionally on...

Far Far Away Game

Far Far Away GameIf your child is all about movement at the moment, this activity may be ideal for them.We...

Birthday-themed Shelf Activities

Birthday-Themed Shelf Activities For the week of my daughter's second birthday we had this very festive shelf! It was a...

Arctic-themed Playdough with DIY Stampers

Arctic-themed Playdough with DIY StampersI’ve had these wooden shapes for a while - they were actually Christmas tree ornaments -...

Nut and Bolt Have you ever tried to get your tool box out to fix something around the house and...

Shelf Activities - 16 Months

Shelf Activities - 16 Months At 16 months A’s shelf was a combination of Montessori-inspired and open-ended materials. Open-ended...

Animal Rescue - Bin Edition

Animal Rescue - Bin Edition This activity is so fun for children and so easy to set up! To recreate this...

Nature-themed Homemade Playdough

Nature-themed homemade playdoughManipulating playdough has lots of benefits for toddlers, as rolling, poking and pounding the dough helps develop essential...

Plant Watering Practical life activities are a central part of daily life in a Montessori-inspired household and plant watering falls...

Story Basket - Amelia Earhart

Story Basket - Amelia Earhart We are big fans of the Little People, Big Dreams book series and this book...

Upper and Lowercase Letter Matching Sensory Bin

Upper and Lowercase Letter Matching Sensory Play This activity has been in and out of our sensory table for the past...

Salt Dough Ornaments

Salt Dough OrnamentsSalt dough ornaments are not only fun to make with little ones, they also make a perfect holiday...

Tracing with Stones

Tracing with Stones This mindful activity is super easy to recreate. You will need: - a sheet of paper- a marker- a...

DIY Matching Game

DIY Matching Game I made this simple DIY matching game using a Melissa & Doug animal stamp set and some...

Story Basket - Frida Khalo, Little People, Big Dreams

Story Basket - Frida Khalo, Little People, Big Dreams I had so much fun putting this activity together. I had the...

DIY Object Puzzle: Food Edition

DIY Object Puzzle: Food Edition This activity is so easy to prepare and can be done with just about any...

Autumn Leaf Negative Space Painting

Autumn Leaf Negative Space Painting This activity is perfect to creatively use up the fall leaves you inevitably will collect...

Treasure Basket

Treasure Basket When my daughter was a young toddler I loved presenting invitations to explore in the form of treasure...

Sink or Float This classic Montessori activity is a fun way for toddlers to begin to grasp the concepts of...

Marine Life Playdough Puzzle

Marine Life Playdough Puzzle Playdough is always a good idea in our home, and you just can't go wrong combining...

Seashell Cloud Dough Sensory Tray

Seashell Cloud Dough Sensory Tray Cloud dough is such a fun texture to manipulate and it's super easy to make....

Eggshell Smash This activity is so much fun and so easy to set up! All you need to do is save...

Butterfly - Themed Playdough With Flower Petals

Butterfly-Themed Playdough With Flower PetalsThis butterfly-themed playdough with flower petals activity is fun, calming and sensory-rich. Perfect for Spring!I kept it...

Flower Soup Soon after my daughter turned 2, we welcomed Spring with this simple activity. Setting up a flower soup...

Vegetable Patch

Vegetable Patch Around 21 months old my daughter used to love playing with her vegetable and fruit set by Djeco...

Acorn Sorting If your child is in the enveloping schema (loves to hide/cover objects) or simply enjoys color matching, this...

Bookish Play with Forever... by Emma Dodd

Bookish Play with Forever... by Emma Dodd This book has been one of my daughter's favorite books for a long time. It’s...

Rock Water Painting

Rock Water Painting This easy, mess-free and taste-safe activity is perfect for young toddlers. They can paint, watch the stone...

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