Botany Cards Box: Storage for Second Set Classification
Made by Nienhuis Montessori · shipped by Heutink International (Netherlands) About the maker
A wooden box divided into twenty two compartments, one for each set in the second series of botany cards. Twenty two card sets stored loose become one pile within a month, and a pile is the end of the material, because nobody starts work they first have to sort. The compartments make putting away as quick as taking out, which is the only way a child ever does it unprompted. The cards themselves are a separate product. Beech with plywood dividers, for ages 3 to 12.
“The hands are the instruments of man's intelligence.”
The Second Set of Botany Cards Box embodies Dr. Montessori's principles of order, beauty, and purposeful design.
- Development of visual discrimination through organizing botanical images
- Refinement of fine motor control through careful handling of cards and dividers
- Classification skills through grouping plant parts and types
- Sequential thinking by maintaining order in card placement
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This precisely crafted storage system honors the child's sensitive period for order while supporting their exploration of the natural world. The solid construction and vertical dividers create an aesthetically pleasing, durable environment that invites careful handling and respect for materials. By providing a specific place for each botanical classification, the box supports the child's need for external order, which directly influences their internal cognitive organization. This material bridges the sensorial and cultural areas, allowing children to refine their visual discrimination while building foundational knowledge of plant life through systematic classification.
How to present it
Follow the Montessori method of presentation for optimal child development.
Place the empty box on a low shelf at child's eye level. Ensure cards are sorted by category (leaf shapes, flower parts, tree types, etc.). Have a small cloth nearby for dusting.
- 1
Invite the child to help organize the botany cards, demonstrating how to hold cards with two hands at the corners
Model slow, deliberate movements to emphasize care - 2
Show how to identify the category label on each divider, reading left to right
Trace the label with your finger to reinforce left-to-right orientation - 3
Demonstrate placing cards behind the appropriate divider, ensuring they stand upright
Let the child feel the smooth wood and notice the divider spacing - 4
After using cards for lessons, show the child how to return them to their proper section
Make this a closing ritual that reinforces the cycle of activity
Every Child Is a Little Creator
Heritage
Since 1929
In classrooms
Around the world
European brands
Nienhuis, GAM, Educo
AMI approved
To the association standard
Botany Cards Box: Storage for Second Set Classification
