Montessori-Inspired Sensorial Activities for Toddlers and Preschoolers — Sorting by Rough and Smooth

We’ve had this Rough and Smooth Board out since N was a baby, so I decided to freshen it up by turning it into a sorting work.  I gave L a basket and asked her to help me collect objects to sort into rough and smooth — she had a blast helping to set up this work!

Once we had all the objects, we brought everything to the table.  We rubbed our hands on the sandpaper side of the board and said, “Rough.”  We rubbed our hands on the wood side of the board and said, “Smooth.”  Then we picked up an object from the basket, decided if it felt rough or smooth, and put it under the matching side of the rough and smooth board — we put it under instead of on top so there is still space to feel the board when we are trying to determine if something feels rough or smooth.

This is a great way to extend the rough/smooth lesson and make it more hands-on with everyday objects.  L has this mastered, but N is still working on putting each object in the correct category.

SaveSave