Montessori Color Spools

With the holidays behind us I am refocused on working through the list of Montessori materials I would like to make. My most recent project was Montessori Colored Spools.

I have been gathering a lot of information about Montessori homeschooling lately. So much that I have gotten a bit overwhelmed and needed to pare back, organize, and really assess our needs. A huge part of the Montessori method is in fact observing and taking cues from the child. In doing this I saw a definite opening for color theory and art principles to be taught. I found some great resources at Beautiful Sun Montessori that I am excited to use.

Basically we’ll work with the color spools and differentiate hue and strength. Then we’ll introduce the color wheel with the spools, then work with eye droppers, food coloring and water to mix and create colors, (all the while doing lots of painting to let her mix her own colors and create with them), and finally (I’m super excited about this) she will make vanilla pudding (from scratch over the stove…!) and die small bowls of it with food coloring to create a pudding “color wheel”. Yummy…and such a sensory bombardment!!

So here is our color spool project:

We had a blast gathering paint chips that represented true hues in six shades. (I am thinking of leaving off the lightest shade as they are a bit tricky to differentiate…so we may just end up with five shades.) I bought lattice strips and cut them into 3” segments. (Final dimensions: 1 1/2” x 3”).

I cut the paint chips into strips, all the while thinking of so many fun cards and projects that you could make with these lovely striped bits of colored goodness! Yes…I have an unnatural love of paint chips!!! I think some crafting experimenting is in order. But back to the color spools…! The colors were glued to the wooden pieces and modpodged and varnished.

Oh, is it good to see her little hands so involved with momma made wooden bits of beauty. She is delighted and absorbed by them and we are very excited to explore color together. I have to say, while we were taking these pictures her little brother reached up and somehow got a handful of the spools. Absolute glee would be the only words to describe his reaction to his conquest! So I think it is safe to say that we are all excited about these bits of color!!

If you plan on making these please feel free to contact me with any questions! I am always happy to help in any way I can. Why make your own mistakes if you can learn from mine, right?!?!