Spoon Transfer
Two bowls, a spoon, and dried chickpeas: the first big independence project.
Spoon Transfer is a Montessori activity for a child aged 18 to 24 months. Area: Practical Life. Time: 5-10 min.
What the activity builds
Coordinate hand and eye, control the amount on the spoon, and discover that one bowl empties while the other fills up.
The materials
- A rimmed tray (a breakfast tray works well)
- Two identical bowls, on the heavier and lower side
- A tablespoon
- A handful of dried chickpeas or large dried pasta
How to do it, step by step
- Set the tray in front of your child, bowls side by side, the full bowl on the left if they are right-handed.
- Without saying a word, pick up the spoon, fill it, carry it over the second bowl, and pour. Do it once more, slowly.
- Set the spoon down and gently push the tray toward your child.
- Let them work, even if some spills onto the tray. That is exactly what the tray is for.
- When the bowl is empty, show them it can be poured back the other way.
The parent's role
Show once, then step back. Talking while you demonstrate pulls your child's eyes to your mouth instead of your hands. Once they start, your only job is to not step in.
Safety
Dried chickpeas can end up in the mouth or nose. Stay close for the whole activity, and put the material away up high afterward. For a child who still mouths objects, swap the chickpeas for large corks.
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: water and a big spoon, at the kitchen sink.
- Harder: dried lentils, or a smaller spoon.
- After a few weeks: two small pitchers and water, no spoon.
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