Cylinder Blocks are Montessori Sensorial materials. The set has four wooden blocks, each holding ten knobbed cylinders that vary by height, diameter, or both.
The child carries one block to a table, removes each cylinder by its knob, and studies the differences among the pieces. The child then returns every cylinder to its matching opening. A cylinder placed in the wrong opening may sit too high, sink too low, or leave another cylinder without a place, giving the child a reason to check the work.
The material gives the child repeated practice comparing dimensions and making careful hand movements.
When one block is familiar, a Montessori guide may offer a harder variation. The child might work with more than one block at a time, mix the cylinders, and sort all of them back into place.
The guide chooses the block and variation based on the child’s experience and readiness.
