Spoon Transfers

Step by step

1. 1Place two identical bowls on a tray, the left one filled with chickpeas (so the movement follows the direction of reading), with a spoon resting between them.
2. 2Carry the tray to the table with both hands, slowly: carrying it is already part of the activity.
3. 3Show the movement just once, quietly and in slow motion: fill the spoon, carry it over the empty bowl, tip it in.
4. 4Let your child repeat as many times as they want, without narrating every move. Stay right next to them: at this age, a raw chickpea can quickly end up in a mouth.
5. 5When beans spill, calmly show how to pick them up and put them back into the bowl: it is not a mistake, just the next step of the game.
6. 6When finished, your child carries the tray back to its shelf. Over the coming days, level it up: smaller seeds, then tongs, a little pitcher, or a dropper.

What it builds

A classic Montessori staple: repeating this slow sequence (scoop, carry, pour) builds focus and hand precision—the very hand that will hold a pencil in two years. If they repeat it over and over, that is a great sign: their brain is working hard.