Open-ended basket

When my daughter was around 2 years old I noticed she was showing increased interest in open-ended play, so I began to offer it more intentionally by including an open-ended basket, which complemented other more Montessori-aligned shelf work really well. 

You can also simply display the items on the shelf. My daughter loved taking the items out one by one from the basket, so offering it like this worked well for us at that age. At 4 years old, items are displayed directly on the shelf. Observe your child and discover together what peaks their interest.

Providing an open-ended basket such as the one pictured here – with limited items – is a great way to introduce open-ended play in a way that helps the child feel more confident and creative. There is a limited amount of items which the child can explore and begin to put together to create different scenarios without feeling overwhelmed by choices or not knowing how to play with it, which often leads to disinterest.

Inside the basket I provided:

⋒ Train tracks and a 3-piece train 

⋒ Stacking house (can be used to make a house and tunnels)

⋒ Set of trees

⋒ Peg family 

On top of her shelf there is also a stacking rainbow and mountains which she often asks for to complement her designs. ☺️

This activity works on a number of different motor skills as it requires her to assemble the different parts but also encourages imagination and creativity to assign purpose to the open-ended materials.

Cleaning up is part of the learning process, so make sure to encourage your child to tidy up after they finish playing. Model how to do it until your child feels confident enough to initiate the tidying up process independently.