The Second Colour Tablets Box — Eleven Pairs of Vibrant Colours is a Sensorial Montessori material designed for children aged 3-6, crafted by Nienhuis Montessori to AMI standards.
The Second Box of Color Tablets introduces eleven pairs of vibrant colors, building upon the primary colors from the first box. This essential Sensorial material develops refined color discrimination and vocabulary through precise matching activities. The handcrafted wooden box with dovetail joints houses color tablets in a white organizing tray, supporting the child's growing ability to perceive subtle color differences.
“The greatest sign of success for a teacher is to be able to say, 'The children are now working as if I did not exist.'”— Maria MontessoriThe Absorbent Mind
“Free the child's potential, and you will transform him into the world.”
— Maria Montessori, To Educate the Human Potential
The Second Box of Color Tablets embodies Montessori's principle of isolation of difficulty, presenting color as the sole variable while maintaining identical size, shape, and texture across all tablets. This material bridges the gap between the basic discrimination of primary colors and the refined gradations of Color Box 3. Through precise pairing activities, children develop visual discrimination skills essential for later academic work, particularly in art and reading. The material's self-correcting nature allows children to independently verify their work, fostering the inner discipline and concentration that Montessori identified as crucial for normalized development. The systematic progression from primary to secondary colors, then to tertiary colors and shades, follows the child's natural developmental trajectory in visual perception.
Each order includes everything needed for proper presentation and long-term use.
Follow the Montessori method of presentation for optimal child development.
Remove one tablet at a time, placing them randomly on the left side of the mat
Select one tablet and place it in the center-top of the mat
Scan the remaining tablets visually, then select its pair
Place the matching tablet directly below the first, creating a vertical pair
Continue pairing all tablets, arranging pairs from left to right
When complete, gather tablets by pairs and return to the box
Every material is carefully selected for durability, safety, and authentic Montessori experience.
Each tablet presents a pure, isolated color experience, allowing children to focus solely on chromatic differences without distraction from form or texture.
Each material supports multiple areas of child development simultaneously.
Refines the ability to perceive and match increasingly subtle color variations, preparing for artistic and scientific observation.
Introduces precise color vocabulary including orange, purple, pink, brown, and gray, enriching descriptive language skills.
Develops systematic thinking through pairing, sorting, and organizing colors in the structured tray format.
Designed for child-sized hands
Professional tips from AMI-trained guides to maximize the educational value of this material.
“Present this material only after the child has mastered Color Box 1 and shows readiness for increased complexity”
Use precise color vocabulary (vermillion, turquoise) rather than simplified terms, trusting the child's ability to absorb correct language
If a child struggles with certain pairs (often brown/black or purple/blue), isolate these for focused work rather than avoiding them
Connect color work to practical life and art activities, reinforcing the colors found in the prepared environment
Everything you need to know about this material.
The Second Box contains eleven pairs of colors: red, blue, yellow, orange, green, purple, pink, brown, gray, black, and white. Each color has two matching tablets for pairing activities.
While the First Box introduces only the three primary colors (red, blue, yellow), the Second Box expands to eleven colors, including secondary colors, neutral tones, and additional hues for more advanced color discrimination work.
Children match pairs, create color gradations, play distance matching games, learn color names in multiple languages, and explore color relationships. They can also combine with other materials for color sorting activities.
The white frames isolate each color, helping children focus solely on the color itself without distraction. They also provide a consistent way to handle the tablets without touching the colored center, maintaining the material's pristine condition.
Children typically move to the Second Box after mastering the primary colors, usually around age 3-4. They should confidently match and name the primary colors before introducing the expanded color palette.
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