The Family Faces Album
Real photos of the people they love, in an album they can open themselves.
The Family Faces Album is a Montessori activity for a child aged 12 to 18 months. Area: Language. Time: 5-10 min.
What the activity builds
Name the people close to them, and connect an image to a real, absent person.
The materials
- A small album with rigid sleeves
- Six to eight printed photos: parents, siblings, grandparents, themselves
- Sharp, clear photos, one person per photo, on a simple background
How to do it, step by step
- Prepare the album ahead of time, one photo per sleeve.
- Open the first page with them, and wait.
- Name the person just once: "Daddy."
- Let them turn the pages, go back, linger as long as they want.
- Put the album back on their low shelf: they'll go get it on their own.
The parent's role
Show once, then step back. It's the real photos of their real family that make this interesting, not magazine pictures. Don't quiz them ("where's Daddy?") before they name someone spontaneously: at this age, you offer words, you don't demand them.
Safety
An album with sturdy sleeves, with no loose photo they could tear and put in their mouth. Check that no metal spiral sticks out. This is a private, family activity: these photos are never published.
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 three photos, the people seen every day.
- Harder: add a photo of a familiar place, their room, the kitchen.
- Extension: look at the album before a video call with that person.
Up next
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