Pink Tower

Pink Tower
Sensorial - Visual Discrimination of Size
Level	Pre-Primary Primary
Age	2.5 - 3.5
Prerequisites	Using a Mat Practical Life Activities
Materials	set of Pink Tower cubes

Use of this material teaches the child visual discrimination of dimension. This activity also prepares the child for algebra.

Presentation

1. Carry the cubes to a mat one at a time starting with the smallest cube. Arrange them randomly.

   

2. Select the largest cube and the smallest cube and set them next to each other. Say, "This is large. This is small."

   

3. Place the largest cube at the center of the mat.
4. Find the next largest cube and place it on top of the largest.
5. Continue placing cubes on the stack from largest to smallest until the whole tower is constructed.

   

6. Carefully disassemble the stack and give the child a turn.
7. When putting away the material, be sure to take the largest cube to the shelf first.

Variations and Extensions

• Put the blocks in order horizontally.

Language

• big and small

Material

The Pink Tower consists of ten cubes that differ in size by 1cm from one to the next. The largest cube is 10cm cubed and the smallest is 1cm cubed.
The cubes are usually painted pink, but are sometimes left as natural wood. The important thing is that they are all the same color so that the only difference between them is the size.

Where to Buy

Prices and links last checked: 27 June 2020

Pink Tower
Adena $49.97
Affordable Montessori $59.00
Alison's $39.90
Alison's $35.00 (unpainted wood)
Best Montessori Toys $44.90
Bruins $130.00
E & O $129.00
Hello Wood $145.00 (painted pink)
Hello Wood $145.00 (stained pink)
Hello Wood $138.00 (natural wood)
IFIT $53.00
Kid Advance $53.99
Leader Joy $54.95
Leader Joy $69.95
Materials Co. of Boston $105.00
Montessori Outlet $54.95
Nienhuis $139.60
Thinkamajigs $51.95

Miniature Pink Tower
IFIT $25.00

Stand for the Pink Tower
Adena $6.99
Affordable Montessori $9.00
Alison's $12.00
Alison's $15.30
Alison's $15.30 (white)
Bruins $23.00
E & O $16.00
Hello Wood $17.00
IFIT $9.00
Kid Advance $11.99
Leader Joy $16.95
Materials Co. of Boston $19.00
Montessori Outlet $9.95 (painted white)
Nienhuis $31.30
Thinkamajigs $7.95

Extra 1 cm Cubes
Affordable Montessori $4.00
Alison's $2.50
Bruins $3.00
Hello Wood $7.00
Kid Advance $4.99 for 5
Montessori Outlet $2.95 for 2 (+4 other pieces)
Nienhuis $4.90

Extra 2 cm Cubes
Affordable Montessori $4.00
Alison's $5.00
Bruins $5.50
Hello Wood $8.00
Kid Advance $4.99 for 2
Nienhuis $6.10

Extra 3 cm Cubes
Affordable Montessori $4.00
Alison's $5.00
Bruins $8.00
Hello Wood $9.00
Nienhuis $8.80

Extra 4 cm Cubes
Bruins $10.50

Extra 5 cm Cube
Bruins $13.00

Extra 6 cm Cubes
Bruins $16.50

Extra 7 cm Cubes
Bruins $19.00

Extra 8 cm Cubes
Bruins $21.00

Extra 9 cm Cubes
Bruins $23.00

Extra 10 cm Cubes
Bruins $25.00

Hollow Cubes
ATXinventor $17.50-$37.00 (can be bought assembled or not, in different finishes)

a pink tower assembled from parts, same finished, and nested
1montessori (ATXinventor @Etsy) $17.50
(pre-cut parts to assemble - includes extra 1 cm and 2 cm cubes)

Further Reading

• Basic Montessori: Learning Activities for Under-fives by David Gettman, pages 74-76
• Teaching Montessori in the Home: The Pre-School Years by Elizabeth G. Hainstock, page 49