An Introduction to Sorting

Sorting is an activity toddlers begin to enjoy as they enter the sensitive period for order. In a world so big, order gives them a sense of control and comfort. One way toddlers create order is through categorizing, or sorting. We see this naturally through play as toddlers group or line up vehicles or animals together. We can also set up specific activities to help toddlers learn about new kinds of categories. Color is an obvious category to start with. Though toddlers may be able to discriminate colors and categorize earlier, we don’t typically see them sorting in their play until 18-21 months.

Sorting Bowls or Tray: When I first introduce sorting, I use these colored bowls and chips. I find beginning sorting activities are more successful when it involves matching too. To keep this as clear and simple as possible, I start with only two colors and two or three chips of each color. I like this set of bowls/chips because the color variable is isolated, meaning the only characteristic that’s different between the two chips is the color.

You can also replicate this at home with what you already have, for example, a blue and red cup and blue or red objects you have around. You just want to make sure that the objects are all identical except for the color. Otherwise, young toddlers will be confused whether they are sorting by type of toy, shape, or any other number of characteristics.

To set this up, I put the blue and red bowls on a tray with the chips in a neutral, separate bowl, or simply on the tray. I place the two bowls in front of me, with space in between, and pick up one chip. I label it with one word e.g. “red” then pause and say “red” again. I slowly place the red chip in the red bowl. I repeat this with the rest of the chips, labeling and sorting accordingly. Toddlers may not let us get through them all, and that’s okay. We can simply let them have a turn with it.

We do not want to correct in the moment. It’s okay if they put the chips in bowls, not paying attention to color. That tells us that they aren’t ready for this or that we need to model again. We can wait until another more appropriate time to model and then give them a few more chances to explore. If they are enjoying it but not sorting by color, let them play with it as they wish. Children all develop this interest and skill at different times. If it’s frustrating to them, consider removing and waiting a few weeks to rotate back in.

Once our toddler masters this simple sorting task, we can introduce more colors and more chips. We can also move on to a sorting tray, in which we set out three pairs of objects and let them sort into the divided spaces of the tray. As with before, we ideally want only one variable to be different, e.g. if they are sorting by shape, make sure all other features of the objects are the same except for the shape. Examples include sorting by size, texture, or shape. Objects found in nature can be great for these activities!

Older toddlers can do more complex sorting, such as sorting vehicles into land/water/air or sorting living vs. non-living things. Primary-age children can sort animals by continent or sort objects by their beginning sound. There are also plenty of practical life applications for sorting. We can let our toddlers sort items of clothing, sort socks by pairs, or sort silverware from the dishwasher into the silverware holder. The sorting possibilities are endless!

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Color Bowls and Chips

Small sorting tray (larger one was from a sensory box)

Toob vehicles (DIY sorting scene)

Sandpaper letters

Miniature objects

Children’s utensil sorter

A Functional Montessori Toddler Kitchen

There are mixed opinions on whether or not a play kitchen belongs in a Montessori environment, though most lean towards no. In most traditional Montessori classrooms, play kitchens are replaced with purposeful work, e.g. preparing and cooking real food, and cleaning up real dishes. Children not only get more out of this experience, but they typically prefer it. I know that D, at 18 months, prefers practical life work more than anything else. Her favorite activities are the ones she sees us doing every day: putting dishes away, washing hands (D could do this all day), pouring water, helping prepare food, and cleaning up (sometimes making a mess just to do so). I can clearly see D’s focus, satisfaction, and pride as she does these tasks.

To best serve D’s toddler needs, I been making the IKEA play kitchen more and more functional for her. I started by removing the parts that weren’t serving any purpose: the microwave, the faucet that didn’t produce water, and the light-up stovetop. This past weekend, I replaced the faucet with this glass water dispenser that is easy to turn on and off, and can produce a very slow flow of water. She can fill the sink with water, pump a little soap from this soap dispenser, and wash her hands or dishes. It took a few tries to find a water dispenser that fit this kitchen and didn’t arrive broken(!), but we are so happy with the final result. Though she still needs some assistance turning the water on and pumping out soap, she’s not far from doing all this on her own.

I also replaced the stovetop with a cutting board where she can practice chopping real fruit or vegetables. After snacks or meals, I lay out a towel over it for her to place her dishes. For now, this cutting board is most often used to set out snack for her to serve herself. I place a pre-portioned amount for her to scoop or transfer to her plate. Though she likes to fill her water glass from the water dispenser now, she also still pours water and milk from a small pitcher into her glass. She can then carry her plate and glass to her small table to eat. D loves this simple act of independence!

The other big difference between this functional kitchen and a play kitchen is the cupboard. Instead of pretend food and pots/pans, I filled the cupboards with utensils, dishes, and cleaning supplies she uses on a daily basis. On the left she has her spoons and forks, glasses, pitchers, plates, and bowls. I only put a couple of each item out, so that if she wants to “reorganize”, it’s not so overwhelming and doesn’t create a big mess. She likes to help unload the dishwasher each morning and put her dishes back in their place, or at least in the vicinity. ;)

On the right she has larger utensils for helping to bake or prepare snack, towels for wiping up spills, and a small dustpan for cleaning up crumbs and small pieces of food. Each one of these items doesn’t get used every day, but they all serve a function and have been used with purpose. To the left of the kitchen she has a dustpan and brush, a laundry bin for dirty/wet towels, and a compost bin to put her scraps after eating. (The compost we only put out at mealtimes thanks to our always-hungry vizsla!) Lastly, above the kitchen I keep a little wall art for her to look at, and now practice labeling.

About the water: Though not strictly “practical”, I do let D play at the kitchen sink, even when it’s not to wash or drink water. She is clearly getting a positive sensory experience by running her hands through water, and concentration from pouring water back and forth from her pitchers. Although I can’t let her stand at the sink with running water for too long due to wastefulness, I do give her time for this each day! One day very soon, it will lose it's magic, and she will simply use water for its intended purpose, so I’m embracing her love of water for now. :)

Note: This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase a product through one of these links, you won’t pay anything extra, but I will get a small commission, which helps keep this blog going. Thanks for supporting Montessori in Real Life!