The Need to Touch

Infants and toddlers explore and discover the world around them using all their senses, but the sense of touch is much more important than one might think.

In the Montessori classroom, we create Mystery Bags full of objects that can be identified by touch. Taking this concept and adapting it for infants and toddlers allows us to help our children satisfy their need to touch (and taste) everything around them.

Put together three simple and distinctly different objects such as an apple, a baby-safe soft toy, and a block. Find a cloth or brown paper bag and place the objects inside. Now let your toddler sit on the floor and explore the objects in the bag. You can add or change the contents as needed.

If your child is still an infant, you do not need to use the bag now. Just sit with your child and let him or her explore the object. You can also let your child sit or lie on a mat on the floor and independently handle the object.