Unlock Your Child’s Motor Skills with a Fun Montessori Activity: Eye-dropper Transfer

As parents, we all want our children to grow up to be healthy and strong. One of the most important aspects of a child’s development is their motor skills. Motor skills are the abilities to move and control the body, and they’re essential for everything from handwriting to playing sports. That’s why it’s so important to find fun and engaging activities that can help your child build these skills. In this blog post, we’ll explore a Montessori-inspired activity that can help your child develop their fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination in a fun and interactive way.

Eye-dropper transfer

Suitable Age: 3+

Materials: 

• A tray
• An eyedropper (with bottle)
• A sponge
• A small glass
• A placemat
• Paper towel for water activities

Direct Aim:

• To transfer water into a glass, using an eyedropper independently

Indirect Aim:

• Refining of the muscles in the hand
• Concentration
• Hand-eye coordination
• Independence
• Sequence from left to right

Presentation/ Child instruction: 

1. Once seated, invite the child to pick up the eyedropper, to unscrew it, and place it in front of the tray on the paper towel to the left of the glass.
2. Visually show the child the three fingers, which she will be using. Then slowly use the three fingers to squeeze the tip of the eyedropper to pick up the water and then release. You will use the eyedropper to transfer the water into the small glass provided on the tray.
3. You must use inhaling and blowing actions as you use the eyedropper so the child has a good understanding of what is taking place.
4. After a few transfers, invite the child to try.
5. Once all the water has been transferred into the glass, slowly lift the glass slightly above the bottle and pour the water back in – using the sponge to prevent any dripping along the side of the glass. The paper towel can be used to dry the glass and any other drips which may have fallen.
6. Once the tray has been assembled back to its original condition, the child may be given the opportunity to try the activity once again

Point of interest:

• The colored water and the opportunity to use an eyedropper

Control of Error: 

• Spilling water
• Difficulty squeezing the tip of the eyedropper properly in order to get the water
• Squeezing too soon and dropping the water
• Forgetting to tidy up
• Difficulty finishing the activity
• Difficulty understanding the movements to make with the eyedropper

>> Read more: Unlock Your Child’s Motor Skills with a Fun Montessori Activity: Transfer Water to a Soap Saver with an Eye-dropper