Bean and I continue on with our Montessori Mommy and Me class, and I have a newfound respect for the idea of the Montessori tray.

In a Montessori classroom, all the materials (toys? the stuff kids are there to play with?) are arranged on trays. The idea being that whatever the kid needs for that activity will all be contained on that tray. A drawing tray will have a few pieces of paper and a cup filled with crayons, etc.

The kid takes the tray to the floor, and does the activity, then puts the tray back for the next kid. (We’ve discussed before how Montessori teachers are wizards. I swear to you, the toddlers in class actually do this.)

I’ve been thinking a lot about why the trays work so well. Part of the genius is that pretty much any household object can be converted into a “toy” through a tray. That’s nice and cheap.

But, I think the “disassembled” state lures kids in, and entices them to do something with it — here’s everything you need, now GO.

I’ve started arranging Bean’s real toys in a Montessori way. Today, I put out a stacking toy with the stacking pole by itself, with the stacking rings in a separate basket. She immediately wanted to play with it, to put it back together. When it’s on the shelf in its assembled state, she tends to ignore it. Interesting, huh?

Bean also sometimes tries to tackle a tray before I’ve shown her what all the pieces are for. You can see her brain working. “I’ve got a pom pom, a wooden egg, a napkin holder, a fire truck, and a ramp. Now what?” The tray itself becomes a puzzle for her to figure out, and once she’s figured out how the pieces go together, she still has the activity to do.

And, there is a lot of cross pollination between trays at our home. (This would be frowned upon in a Montessori class. But, home isn’t a Montessori class.) This is how Bean figured out that she could use tongs to pick up a pom pom and then shoot it down a zigzag car ramp. Threading beads end up in a cheese shaker to become a musical instrument.

It’s imaginative and creative and fun. She’s crafting new toys for herself, all thanks to giving her random objects and a tray.