The Joy of Transfer Play

"Free the child's potential 
and you will transform him 
into the world." 
Maria Montessori

The quiet stillness of the winter months brings with it an aesthetic painted in monochromatic colour tones. The bare trees silhouetted against the pale winter sky always have inspired me. Their linear branches etched so delicately and filling the space between land and sky. This chilly January day was the perfect opportunity to create this black and white transfer play opportunity for the children. The early morning was spent preparing the table with the materials for the children to explore. It was important to vary the size of the vessels and spoons that the children would use, to encourage some mathematical thinking around capacity and size. This play also focused on fine motor development, practical life skills and was in response to the children's love of cooking during their imaginary play. 

There is a meditative quality about transfer play. The pouring and scooping of the water into the selected vessel requires care and concentration. As the children investigated the quality of the water and learned about its properties through their own individual experimentation we observed how they interacted with each other. The children delighted in sharing their observations and findings. The addition of the monochromatic coloured beads added greatly to this transfer play through the element of sound. As the children poured and scooped the sound of the beads flowing through the water danced in the air. 

There are many ways to offer transfer play to young children. Here are some of our favourite materials and many can be found right in your own kitchen or purchased from second-hand stores. 

~ measuring cups & spoons

~ ladles

~ teaspoons

~ those collectible mini teaspoons from souvenir shops

~ silver or glass creamers for pouring 
   (really anything with a spout will work)

~ muffin tins

~ wooden bowls various sizes 

~ I repurpose my glass yogurt containers for this type of play 
   (check your recycling bin)

~ a tray or baking sheet

~ tongs & tweezers

~ pipettes 

~ silicon muffin liners

~ motor and pestle (especially when offering herbs) 

Now select your material for transfer. You can choose to use wet or dry materials for this type of play and changing the transfer material will renew your child’s interest in this type of playtime and time again. For water play, you can add items to the water or colour the water if you like. Consider adding ice cubes to liquid water and engage the children in a discussion about the different states of water. Science and play all in one! I have used lavender, mint leaves, rosemary, buttons, beads, beans, rice, oatmeal, rocks, wool felt balls and marbles all for this type of activity. 

I hope that you are inspired to try some creative transfer play. I would love to hear about your transfer play explorations. Share in the comments below and let our creative community read all about it. 

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To read more about our other transfer play experiences on the blog click here: 

Engaging the senses with transfer play! Exploring Herbs in Play!

❤️

𝑀𝒾𝒸𝒽𝑒𝓁𝓁𝑒