Geoboard

'Geo-boards' are a popular material in early childhood and junior primary environments as they provide a great way to introduce geometry and patterns while strengthening motor dexterity. It took me a long time to find a geo-board that I was willing to share on Montessori Child because the majority of them tend to be made of quite flimsy plastic (not very long-lasting or Montessori-friendly!) Imagine my delight when I discovered this treasure - a sturdy, great-quality and attractive Geoboard that primarily features wood! 

Working with the geoboard encourages fine motor control and dexterity, strengthening the fingers as they stretch the elastic bands while also requiring precision in their placement. 

The board introduces concepts associated with geometry, as children have a tactile experience with the formation of shapes and the relationships between sides, corners and classifications!

The bands can be arranged in an endless array of formations, encouraging pattern recognition and creative expression.

The Geoboard also comes with activity cards that display suggested shapes, patterns and pictures for a child to recreate (or emulate). These cards offer three different difficulty levels so that there is an increasing degree of challenge for a child as they become more familiar with the Geoboard. This helps to make it a long-lasting resources with potential to grow with the child over time. (As a side note - a great 'extension' exercise I've used in the classroom is for one child to create a pattern on the board, then draw it on paper using dots and lines before passing it to a friend for them to recreate - then they swap positions in the process!)

Includes 48 rubber bands (various colours and sizes) and 20 double-sided challenge cards to provide 40 different patterns to recreate. The board measures 18cm x 18cm. 

The Geolaboard links with a range of concepts and subject areas. Starting by creating simple shapes introduces ideas associated with geometry, but the only limit is the imagination as the elastic bands can be placed around the pegs to represent numerals, letters and more!

The manufacturer recommends that this product is for children age 3 and up.