A lot of families have “boredom buster” jars in the summer. But a Montessori jar is great at any time of year. It ‘s a fun way to introduce or review Montessori-inspired activities for preschoolers. I prepared a Montessori jar for my 3½-year-old granddaughter, Zoey, after being inspired by the example in John Bowman’s Montessori at Home! eBook.
John Bowman’s Montessori at Home eBook (available exclusively as part of the Montessori at Home eBook and Materials Bundle in the Living Montessori Now shop) is filled with amazing ideas for families.
How to Prepare a Montessori Jar
The Montessori Jar from Montessori at Home
John shares an idea from The Home Teacher for a Montessori jar. He says:
“On pages 439-440 you will find two sheets of things for your child to do. Cut these out and put them in a jar. Add your own new activities regularly. When you need an idea for an activity, let your child reach in and grab one. A very handy item that is also a ‘stealth’ language activity.”
Pages 439-440 are part of the 76 pages of printables in the Montessori at Home eBook.
Our Montessori Jar
Montessori Jar with Activities for Preschoolers
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links (at no cost to you).
What we used for our Montessori Jar:
- wire-bail jar (almost any jar will work)
- 3/8″ ribbon (optional)
- label with “Montessori Jar” on it (I used this free editable printable label from Simone Made It)
- double-sided tape for label
- printable Montessori jar activities from the Montessori at Home eBook
This was very simple to prepare!
Shelf with Montessori Jar Containing Ideas for Preschool Activities
I just set our Montessori jar on a shelf with educational toys, sensorial activities, and music activities.
Doing an Activity from the Montessori Jar
Anticipating Her Montessori Jar Activity
I like that the activities in the Montessori jar aren’t just time fillers. Many of them are important practical life activities, such as “dust or polish furniture,” (the one Zoey picked from the jar), “carry a glass of water on a tray without dropping it,” or “be totally quiet for one minute.” Of course, you may add your own activities, too.
Zoey enjoyed the process of reaching into the jar for an activity and then thinking about what she would be doing for the activity.
Polishing a Table with Beeswax Furniture Polish
Zoey has been in love with our bee unit, so I had purchased a natural beeswax furniture polish. The polish is fabulous, and Zoey worked hard (and had lots of fun) polishing our end tables.
You can use a Montessori jar to review a variety of activities and introduce some new ones.
John Bowman’s Montessori at Home eBook (available exclusively as part of the Montessori at Home eBook and Materials Bundle in the Living Montessori Now shop) is filled with amazing ideas for families.
The Montessori at Home! eBook and Materials Bundle Available Exclusively on Living Montessori Now!
You can get a free download of 51 sample pages from Montessori at Home eBook by clicking here! (This includes information on John’s simplified Montessori reading sequence.)
Here’s the direct link to the purchase page for the Montessori at Home! Materials Bundle,which includes the Montessori at Home eBook AND over $60 worth of Montessori Print Shop materials to go with the book (now only $14.95)!
- Phases of the Moon (3-part cards & chart)
- Animals of the Continents
- Continents 3-Part Cards
- Land & Water Form Photo Book
- World – Control Maps, Masters and Labels
- Moveable Alphabet – Print – (includes full instructions)
- Sentence Cards – Step 1 – Set 1
- Word and Picture Cards – Step 1 – Read Pictures
- 1-100 Math Series
- Geometric Matching Cards
- Geometric Solids 3-Part Cards – Blue
- Skeleton Nomenclature Cards
- Tree Nomenclature Cards
- Phonics Sound and Picture Sorting
- Association of Objects
- What Does Not Belong
- The Five Senses
- Plant or Animal?
- Animals and Their Names
- Color Grading Cards
- Metal Insets – Shape Outlines
Excerpts and Activities from the Montessori at Home eBook
you can read all the excerpts from the book that I’ve shared here at Living Montessori Now:
Activities with Marbles and Golf Tees from Montessori at Home!
Building a Flashlight and Pipe Building from Montessori at Home!
1000-10,000 Activity from Montessori at Home!
Make Fossils from Montessori at Home! 
Cutting with a Knife from Montessori at Home!
Free Play Tubs (Sensory Bins) from Montessori at Home!
Create an Attractive Home Environment from Montessori at Home!
Concentration and Normalization from Montessori at Home
How to Prepare a Montessori Jar for Meaningful Preschool Activities at Home (an activity prepared using one of the book’s printables)
Allow Time for Repetition and Concentration from Montessori at Home!
Activities Using Some of the Montessori Print Shop Materials from the Montessori at Home eBook and Materials Bundle
Here are activities I published using just 4 of the 21 Montessori Print Shop materials from the Montessori at Home eBook and Materials Bundle:
Montessori-Inspired Phases of the Moon Playdough Tray
Easy-to-Prepare Montessori Animals of the Continents Activity
Extending Montessori Animals of the Continents Work
Hands-on Fun with Montessori-Inspired Human Skeleton Activities
Seashell Color Matching {Easy-to-Prepare Variation of Montessori Color Box 3}
Again, John Bowman’s Montessori at Home eBook is available exclusively as part of the Montessori at Home eBook and Materials Bundle in the Living Montessori Now shop!
Learn more about my eBook Montessori at Home or School: How to. Teach Grace and Courtesy!
The Montessori at Home! eBook and Montessori at Home! eBook and Materials Bundle are AMAZING resources! You can learn more about them here. Buy them in the Living Montessori Now shop.
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