Life Cycle Board: Ordering and Understanding Stages

The wooden life cycle board provides a base for arranging figures or cards in sequence. Its circular recesses and engraved arrows help show that a process has different stages.

How to use it

Choose a life cycle the child already knows, such as a plant, butterfly or frog, and present the stages in order. Then mix the cards or figures and invite the child to arrange them again by following the arrows.

Questions that encourage observation

• What happens first?
• What changes from one stage to the next?
• What do you think comes next?
• Which parts stay the same and which change?

The board does not replace observing nature, but it can be a useful visual support for talking, ordering information and revisiting what has been learned.

See the wooden life cycle board at Bimbi Montessori.