Our DIY Montessori Sound / Letter Boxes - using recycled materials & what we have on hand
I wanted to make a Montessori-style Alphabet Box for Otto (3yrs). The Alphabet Box is a useful way to store sound objects and children can use them directly to find or use the sound objects. I really didn't want to buy any new materials, especially anything that couldn't be repurposed. I love the look of these cardboard drawers (or these MDF drawers) but couldn't get them locally. So it was time to get creative!
I looked around to see what we already had at home and I noticed that we were using a lot of these jars with yellow lids that were going into the recycling. I started collecting them and decided to make them into Sound/Letter Containers, that together would make something that could be used in a similar way to the Alphabet Box.
I cleaned each container. We could cut out letters from cardboard to go on top but we already had these textured Alphabet Stickers that we could use. Otto likes to peel the letters off so I decided to glue them to the lid of the container with the hot glue gun.
So far we've collected 15 containers. I will add more letters and sound objects to the containers when we get them - until we have all the letters of the alphabet.
We add sound objects to each container. We use dollhouse objects, small household objects, and other small model animals. If you are looking to build your collection of sound objects I recommend Safari Minis and Toob objects (AU here).
I'm going to keep my eyes open and find more sound objects to fill the containers.
Otto loves to fill the containers and sort the objects. In 2015, I made this Alphabet Box for Otis, using compartment storage boxes.
If you are interested in examples of Alphabet Boxes, here are some I've saved.
This may be the Welsh and Polish alphabet, with lovely wooden drawers and printed letters. The Sound Objects are from Mimia Montessori (Spain).
This Alphabet Box is super neat. The labels are from Little Spark Company. The Sound Objects are from Montessori Methods/Playful Path to Reading (Canada).
This really simple and easy-on-the-eye Alphabet Box is from Playful Path to Reading. This is a new follow for me, if you have a preschooler at home I highly recommend following Lisa.
A simple DIY, to write the letters with marker directly onto the wooden drawers.
This wooden Alphabet Box has DIY Sandpaper Letter labels.
This Alphabet Box is from Ashley at Brighthouse Boxes.
I also like these Sound Bags at Mountain Montessori.
Have you used an Alphabet Box, Letter or Sound Boxes, or bags. Let me know if you want more ideas on how to use the sound objects or Alphabet Box.
This post contains images embedded from Instagram. If you are reading this via email or a blog reader you may not be able to view all of the images. To read the blog post in full please click here.
This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for your support!