Montessori is known far and wide for its efficient, yet somewhat unusual, methods and materials that are used to teach children. Each of these materials is hands-on and engaging, and the Montessori egg cup is no exception. The question that remains now is what exactly is the egg cup, and how is it meant to be used?
The Montessori egg cup is a wooden egg and cup learning material. It is intended for babies who can comfortably move around and use both hands. The wooden egg and cup are meant to help children practice their hand-eye coordination by allowing them to remove and replace the egg from the cup.
Perhaps you would like to know a little more about the Montessori egg cup before you invest. Read on to learn how best to use it, the benefits of using it, and where you can buy one.
How To Use the Montessori Egg Cup
Most Montessori parents and teachers know that simplicity is a huge theme in the Montessori method and curriculum. Many modern toys are loud, flashy, and brightly colored, making them extremely visually appealing to children. The only problem with having toys be so full of features and colors is the fact that there is simply too much to try to concentrate on at once. Children will be quite attracted to toys like this, but their brains will quickly become overstimulated. In the long run, this could reduce your child’s ability to concentrate and remain focused.
For that reason, Montessori toys are simple, soft, and designed to only focus on helping children refine one skill at a time. This will instill the ability to concentrate and remain concentrated in your child. The egg cup is one of these toys that will help your child learn just how to do that.
Using the egg and cup is quite simple and can be introduced to infants who are just learning how to sit up and begin shaping/refining their motor skills. You can introduce it a bit earlier if you’re noticing that your little one particularly enjoys taking things in and out of other things. This will be an excellent activity for them to engage in.
Set the egg cup down on the floor in your child’s play area. Try demonstrating taking the egg out of the cup and putting it back in so your little one can see how it’s supposed to be done. At first, your baby will probably just bang the egg and cup together, which is perfectly fine. This is just them learning and practicing using both hands (and both sides of their body) to do things.
After a little bit of time, your baby may learn how to turn the cup upside down and dump the egg out of it. With more practice, your baby will start to figure out how to put the egg back into the cup without assistance. During this time, you can continue to show your baby how to take the egg out of the cup and how to put it back in. You can also demonstrate how to hold the egg in one hand and the cup in the other and then bring the two together.
You can even take it a step further by sitting beside or behind them and guiding their hands. The simplicity of this toy almost seems to be too simple, doesn’t it? Don’t worry. Because it is so easy to focus on, your baby will soon be able to refine his or her skills and grasp the concept. Don’t forget to let them go at their own pace!
The Montessori Egg Cup: The Benefits
As mentioned before, the Montessori egg cup was designed to help little ones develop and refine their motor skills as well as their hand-eye coordination. The constant practice of trying to put the egg in the cup will strengthen their hand-eye coordination much better than any of the flashy, noisy toys you will find at most stores nowadays.
The egg and cup will also help children to become more familiar with a smooth texture that they could find to be very comforting and fascinating. Believe it or not, the Montessori egg cup can also teach your little one to get more and more adventurous and imaginative. It encourages them to explore and become more creative in the way they play with their egg cup.
There’s no telling exactly how things will go with your child and their egg cup. Let them explore the surface and texture and use their imagination with it. Remember that it’s okay for them to move and progress at their own pace. Help and guide them along the way of course, but don’t take over. It’s all just a part of the learning process.
Buying a Montessori Egg Cup and Other Montessori Toys
It seems hard to believe, but it’s true—the use of the Montessori egg cup will prove to be vastly beneficial to your child’s development. Now that you know, you’re probably wondering where you can find one.
Montessori egg cups can literally be purchased almost anywhere. You can buy them on Amazon.com in a variety of sizes and at a variety of prices. Etsy also has a good selection of egg cups and other Montessori toys.
Most Montessori school sites have plenty of resources and outlets where materials of all kinds are readily available. Doing something as simple as typing “Montessori egg cup” into google will bring up loads of options for you.
Here are some examples: