Practical Life Lesson: Nesting Box Surprise
One box in another…in an another, and so on. This sounds almost ridiculously simple but when children are using nesting boxes or materials in a Montessori classroom that are doing so much more than exploring – they are problem-solving and thus developing critical thinking skills that will be used in all spheres of life.
Have a look at this quick video by My Montessori Works that introduces the Nesting Box activity:
What’s so great about a Nesting Box is the element of surprise, which encourages a child’s natural propensity for curiosity and imagination. Playing with a Nesting Box (figuring out how it comes apart and is put back together) also encourages:
- dexterity and fine motor skills
- counting skills
- gross motor skills
- awareness of shapes and size
- grasp and release movements
- visual and spatial perception/visual discrimination
- hand-eye coordination
- concentration
- sequencing skills
Extensions of this activity could be to place different objects in the different sized nesting boxes (also encouraging special awareness) or perhaps playing a ‘hide and seek’ game by hiding different objects under the boxes.
If you’d like further information about this tutorial, feel free to contact us at info@saintandrewsmontessori.com. We’re happy to answer any questions.
