Banging on Pots and Pans
A wooden spoon, three pots, and the very first kitchen orchestra.
Banging on Pots and Pans is a Montessori activity for a child aged 12 to 18 months. Area: Sensorial. Time: 5-10 min.
What the activity builds
Discover that a motion makes a sound, and that the sound changes with what gets hit.
The materials
- Three containers of different sizes: a pot, a stainless steel bowl, a plastic container
- A wooden spoon with a short handle
- A rug to set everything on, which softens the sound a little
How to do it, step by step
- Turn the three containers upside down on the rug, lined up.
- Tap the first one once, gently, then wait.
- Tap the second one, then the third.
- Hand over the spoon and let them try all three.
- Stop before they get tired of it, and put everything away together.
The parent's role
Show once, then step back. Tap gently: you're the one setting the reference volume, and a child copies the intensity they've seen. This isn't a noise activity, it's a listening one, and your example makes all the difference.
Safety
Skip cast iron and any heavy container that could fall on a foot or hand. No pot with a handle sticking out, no glass. Limit the length of the session: extended exposure to loud sound tires a toddler's ears.
You remain the sole judge of what is right for your child. These activities are offered for educational and recreational purposes: they do not replace medical advice or the guidance of an early childhood professional.
Ways to adapt the activity
- Easier: just one container, a few taps.
- Harder: compare the wooden spoon and a metal spoon on the same object.
- Extension: fill a pot halfway with water and listen to how the sound changes.
Up next
More activities for a 12 to 18 months child.
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