Activities for 16-18 Month Old : Montessori at Home

We can offer many engaging activities and experiences at home for young toddlers. Materials and experiences that foster curiosity and develop problem-solving skills. Here are some materials, and practical life activities you can do with your 16 to 18-month-old toddler. So many of these activities will be enjoyed even beyond those months! Having toys and materials that encourage the development of a new skill or build concentration is great to have out in your prepared environment.

Toys and Materials

Here are some of my sons’ favorite things to do and some simple activities for 16 – 18 month old toddlers.  I don’t have all of these out at one time. We rotate toys as needed, but usually every week or two there is something new on the shelf, or something they haven’t seen in a while.

Latch Board

A latch board is an excellent way to support problem-solving skills and a child’s cognitive development. I have seen a huge interest in opening and closing things in these months, and this is a great material to work on that skill. Take time to model how to open and close each of the latches. Go slowly and focus on one at a time allowing your child many opportunities to repeat as much as necessary. An alternative would be a latch box with different latches on different parts of the box. They may not be interested in figuring out how the latches work right away and want to open and close the doors, but this is a wonderful exploration!

Open and Close Basket

Let your toddler explore opening and closing different types of containers with different fasteners and of various sizes. Sitting with a basket of different containers to open and close is a great way to spend quality time with your toddler or enjoy watching them concentrate on something.

Fill the bags or containers with little objects like animal figurines or household items you think your child would find interesting.  Your child will likely repeat opening and closing the same container many times. Opening the container, taking the object out, replacing the object, and closing the container. Periodically you could switch out the objects or add in different containers to offer a new challenge. You want to find fasteners and containers that offer a bit of a challenge but not too much frustration causing them to avoid the activity altogether. 

Sliding Lid with Objects

This is a specific variation of an open and closing activity. I used one empty Melissa and Doug jigsaw puzzle box. In each compartment, I put a small animal. This was a set of animals and matching cards, so I used double-sided sticky tape to stick the image into the compartment. Certainly, that is optional! They can work on taking the lid on and off of the box and replacing objects. Periodically swap out the objects inside of the box to keep more interest. 

Stacking Blocks

During these months, my twins have shown a greater interest in stacking blocks and building towers, or destroying them. Blocks are one of the best activities for the living room because they are often loved and played with by many ages of family members. They have particularly loved playing with Duplos.

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Shape Puzzle

Puzzles make great activities for 16 to 18 month olds. Simple puzzles with a chunky knob on top will be best. You can encourage your child to complete the puzzle by removing the pieces from the frame and placing them in a small basket, on a tray, or in front of the puzzle. It may become frustrating to them when they can’t fit a puzzle piece into its spot. When they are trying for the wrong spot, first observe. If it is causing them a lot of frustration, you could offer support by pointing to the location that the puzzle piece will fit into. Additionally, you could help by changing the orientation of the puzzle pieces so they can more easily slide the piece into place. Remember, only offer support when truly necessary. Giving only the help needed for them to take the next step on their own.

Balls on Pegs

Posting activities are simple activitiy for toddlers which they will enjoy repeating over and over again. They usually offer a good level of difficulty and require concentration. This Montessori material is a set of four wooden balls that can be posted on wooden pegs. This material focuses on isolating a single skill, which is a key element in Montessori activities.

Here is a beautiful set of these balls on peg material.

Threading

Fine motor skills can be strengthened and refined with activities that require hand-eye coordination. Threading chunky beads of different colors is a great way to build concentration and give opportunities to develop fine motor skills. Threading chunky beads or using a small threading board with large holes are great toddler activities for 15-18 month olds.

The first time, and likely after that, these activities will require some of your support. Use the time to model slowly how to thread a bead or ring onto the string. No words, you can just show them. Ensure that nothing you are offering them is a choking hazard. You can tie one bead to the string or tie it off to part of the basket like I did so the beads don’t fall off when they are strung.

Another option is to attach a small wooden dowel at the end of the string which can act as a needle to help them thread it through. To do this, get a small part of a dowel, maybe 2 to 3 inches long, and drill a small hole in it. Then you can secure the string to this DIY needle to help aid in the success.

I used these beads from Melissa and Doug. However, you don’t need to give your child every bead. Just set out a few, at this age, I only set out three. Pipe cleaners make another great material for threading beads onto. Another free way to do threading is by cutting up a paper towel roll for your child to thread on some string. 

Shape Sorter

Sorting different shapes with a shape sorter is another type of puzzle and one of the best toys for this age. Their little hands will explore how to get the shapes to fit into the sorter. As an adult, we like to keep the shapes inside the shape sorter, but consider what the child wants. They want to do something. We can prepare this activity in a Montessori way by leaving the shapes in a small basket next to the shape sorter. By leaving the activity undone, it gives the child something to work on. From across the room, they may see this undone task on their shelf and feel compelled to complete it!

Threading on a Horizontal Dowel

Activities for 16-18 month olds that encourage repetition and isolate a specific skill are essential! This threading of small green beads onto a horizontal dowel seems a bit boring at first glance, but quite honestly it was one of the most engaging materials on my son’s shelf for a while. He took those wooden beads on and off, on and off.

Peg Board

Another element of Montessori toys and materials is that they are open-ended, which is why I love this pegboard activity that will double as a threading activity later on. I got the plastic board, as opposed to the foam one. These pegs fit great in the holes and can be stacked up. This is another favorite material on the shelf these days and is great for hand-eye coordination!

Dot Paints

Up to this point, the only art activity I have done is coloring with crayons. Hence, I figured dot paints would be a good place to start. I’m keeping it super simple with just one dot painter and a piece of paper on a small tray. I will adjust this slightly for my twins and include two dot paints on the tray, but only because there are two children. I will switch out the colors periodically.

Playdough

Playdough is a great sensory activity for toddlers. I like to make homemade playdough which uses salt, making it undesirable for them to try to eat. Playdough makes a great activity for your toddler at a learning tower up at the counter while you are working to get dinner made. You can offer tools like a rolling pin, cookie cutters, and plastic knives. 18-month-old toddlers and younger enjoy mimicing the things you show them. Model how to roll out the playdough cut it into small pieces, or press a cookie cutter into it. They will try to repeat what you show them. 

Magnetic Tiles

I picked up some magnetic tiles recently and they have been a huge hit! They are differnet than your traditional building block. They have a light magnetic hold when you set pieces next to one another or stack them. You can build all sorts of three-dimensional figures which my children love to break down. They have also been exploring stacking them and separating the tiles. This is one of my twins’ new favorite toys. 

Water table

I have an entire blog post about outdoor activities for toddlers, and one of the simplest water play activities is using a water table. It will engage your child for a long time and is so much fun. 

Practical Life Activities

As wonderful as toys and activities are, maybe more important and beneficial are practical life activities that involve your toddler in everyday activities and tasks. I’ll dive into examples of practical life activities that support gross motor skills as well as those that are more simple and require concentration and refinement of fine motor skills. 

Gross Motor

A Child’s Walk

A young child sees the world differently than you and me. They will notice different things and want to pause to examine them more closely. A simple activity is to take them on a walk and allow them to lead the way. Think through safety ahead of time, and ideally find an open nature path you can have them walk on that is away from any roads. I long for the day that I can take just one of my twins out for a walk that is completely child-led. We have had moments of this when I took them to a local park and there was a large baseball field that they were able to move about in freely and explore as they wanted.

Dusting

A fun way to involve your toddler in the housework is to offer them a duster and show them how to dust. 

Mopping and Sweeping

Make your home more accessible to your child by offering a child-sized broom and mop. Once they are walking, they will enjoy doing this right alongside you. Hang them in an accessible place and give your toddler opportunities to use them regularly, like cleaning up after a meal, or just whenever they feel like it.

Watering a Plant

Watering plants is a fun activity for a toddler to help with. Usually, anything with water gets their attention. During this timeframe, you will need to offer support and be prepared to clean up a spill, unless it is outside of course.

Hanging a Coat

Coming home or getting ready to go somewhere offers so many opportunities for practical life. Even a young toddler can begin to learn where their coat goes. You can create a Montessori entryway and include a low hook for your child to hang their coat up on. It is by preparing the environment for them to be independent that you are respecting them and offering greater autonomy for them in your home. 

Fine Motor

Here are some easy activities that support fine motor skills. Keep in mind that as these are being introduced, your child is practicing skills that are new to them. Offer many opportunities for repetition and only put out as much as you are willing to clean up. Just remember that exploration is part of the child’s job, they are just doing what they are wired to do, not being naughty. Take the time to model to them what these activities look like and introduce them slowly. Many of these sensory activities will give your child opportunities to explore different textures and practice new movements.

Dry Transfering Beans with a Spoon

On a tray, set out two bowls. Fill one bowl with dried beans. Add a measuring scoop, a tablespoon works well, for them to scoop beans from one bowl to the other. Model how to do the activity and encourage them to keep the beans on the tray. If they start to throw beans or explore in ways that are not appropriate, it is okay to take it away and say that you will try it at another time. Additionally, you could use dried pasta, like elbow macaroni.

Sponging

Sponging is an activity where your toddler will get to squeeze water from a sponge. Prepare two bowls on a tray and fill one bowl with water. Only fill it with as much water as you are willing to help clean up. Again, model how to soak up the water with the sponge and squeeze the water into the other bowl. If water is spilled outside of the bowl, you can model how to wipe up the water from the tray using the sponge and squeeze it back into the bowl. Having a towel on the tray isn’t a bad idea either. A variation to this could be offering some cotton balls for them to squeeze water out of. This is a great example of sensory play and will be very enjoyable for a toddler. 

Wet and Dry Pouring

We can offer opportunities for our toddlers to pour with both wet and dry pouring. Wet pouring consists of transferring water from one small pitcher to another, or from a pitcher to a small cup. This is a very practical activity that can translate to opportunities at the kitchen table during mealtime.

Dry pouring would be pouring beans from pitcher to pitcher on a small tray. You could also pour dried pasta noodles. I like these small stainless steel pitchers for these practical life activities becuase it will offer feedback if it is dropped but it won’t break. Additionally, when pouring with water, you can explore with warm or cold water and they may be able to feel the difference when they are holding the pitcher. 

Wiping the Table with Sponge

After a meal, your toddler can wipe the table with a sponge. A weaning table makes it possible for young children, even a 17-month-old baby to be able to help wipe down their table. This is because the table is adjustable and can be used starting as young as 6 months of age. 

Pom Pom Transfer with Tongs

Transferring can be done with other tools such as tongs. This may be a little bit more of an advanced activity for this age range, but my boys have loved exploring with the tongs, even if they can’t quite do it yet. When setting up this activity, set up two small dishes, a mini tongs and model how to transfer the pom poms from one dish to the other. 

Taking off Socks and Shoes

If we have a specific area in our home prepared for our child to sit to put on and take off their socks and shoes, we can give them lots of opportunities to help in this process. A toddler will be able to remove their socks and shoes independently before they can put them on by themselves.  

Putting Away Shoes

Show your child how to put their shoes away on their tray or basket. By creating a Montessori entryway where everything they have has a place, you are supporting them in their independence and their strong sense of order at this age.