What you need to know is, “What materials give me the biggest bang for the buck? What materials do I absolutely need to run the most lessons I can from Montessori Physical Education (especially when cost is an issue)?” If you ever had these questions before, this is the blog post for you!
The recommended list of equipment is meant specifically for my Montessori Physical Education lessons. There is a lot of great PE equipment out there that I have not used yet, but will in the future.
This is what I would consider the Essential Equipment List. The total cost if you purchased all these materials would be around $600.
It consists of:
Rubber disc dots
Comes in sets of 6, depends on the number of children per class
71 / 120 lessons use this item
Cones
Small comes in sets of 20, large cones come in sets of 15
One set of each should work well
58 / 120 lessons use this item
Colored jersey / pinnies
Comes in packs of 12, depends on the number of children per class
I like the reversible ones so you don’t have to buy as many individual jerseys
48 / 120 lessons use this item
Soft throwing balls
Each set comes with 6, three sets in total should be more than enough
48 / 120 lessons use this item
No kink hula-hoops
Comes in sets of 12, depends how many students you have per class
26 / 120 lessons use this item
This is what I would consider the Necessary but Potentially Pricey Equipment List. This list has some interchangeable pieces depending on whether your play space is inside or outside. For example, the 55 gallon containers can be used instead of the adjustable basketball hoops (especially if you only have an outside space). While the basketball hoops can be expensive (about $400 a piece), the adjustable capability is integral for your younger students having success with some of the games. If you buy the Essential List and the Necessary but Potentially Pricey List, the total will vary between $2000 to $3000 (really depends on the adjustable hoops).
It consists of:
Basketballs
Set comes with 6, depends how many students you have
The Wilson Evolution is the best basketball on the market, and I would have a couple if you are running a basketball team. Otherwise, too pricey for PE class.
23 / 120 lessons use this item
Adjustable Basketball Hoops
If you have the budget for them, I would get at least two
22 / 120 lessons use this item
Tennis Balls
One bucket comes with 48 balls
21 / 120 lessons use this item
Soccer balls / Volleyballs / kickballs
Each set comes with six
17 / 120 lessons use this item
55 Gallon Container (if basketball hoops are not an option)
I would suggest at least two, but four is best
14 / 120 lessons use this item
This is what I would consider the Money is No Object Equipment List. if you have a substantial budget, then this is the rest of equipment that I use for my lessons. Truthfully, it took me years to accumulate all this equipment, so don’t feel like you need all of this immediately. As long as you make sure that the equipment lasts, you can add new pieces each year to build the collection. For example, the scooters I get are from Cosom, and they are amazing, but expensive. I bought a set of six each year, and after three years I finally had the amount that works for me. If you buy everything, the total will be somewhere around $6000.
It consists of:
Score Keeper
Electronic one is pricey, but pretty nice
Flip scorekeeper more gentle on the budget
14 / 120 lessons use this item
Portable collapsible goals
I would get at least 4
12 / 120 lessons use this item
Dry Erase Board
36 X 24 board
10 / 120 lessons use this item
Junior Set of Hockey Sticks
A set of 12, this depends on how many students you have
10 / 120 lessons use this item
Assorted color Pool Noodles
A set of 35 pool noodles should be more than enough
10 / 120 lessons use this item
Yoga Balls
I would get at least four
8 / 120 lessons use this item
Scooters
Don’t cheap out on the scooters. The best is Cosom 16 inch premium boards. They roll so much better than anything else on the market. Buy one set a year until you have enough for your students.
8 / 120 lessons use this item
Tape Measure / Walking Measurer
Just need one of each
7 / 120 lessons use this item
Jump ropes
Make sure to get some longer 16ft ropes and some individual 9ft ropes.
7 / 120 lessons use this item
Flag Belts
For younger ages ages, look for the ones that clip connect, but they break faster, but they are so much easier to put on. Better ones the flags can come off because they are attached by velcro. They are harder to put on, so they are better for the older students.
10 / 120 lessons use this item
Basic Lego or building block set
One set of 500+ is more than enough
4 / 120 lessons use this item
Cricket set and tee
A cricket set comes with a bat and wicket. You will need two. A baseball tee is a good investment for younger ages.
3 / 120 lessons use this item
Playing Cards
One deck is more than enough, but they usually come in two packs
2 / 120 lessons use this item
Large Jenga blocks
I would get two sets if possible
2 / 120 lessons use this item
Spike ball nets (recommend Jogenmax)
Jogenmax is pricey, but so much easier to setup and put away
1 / 120 lessons use this item
Footballs
I would purchase individual footballs as opposed to a set
1 / 120 lessons use this item
You may use footballs as a substitute for lots of different throwing and catching games, so depending on preference, these could be used much more.
Tennis Rackets
These can be very expensive, so I would suggest going to a used sports equipment store and buying what you need. Good used tennis rackets are about $20 a piece.
1 / 120 lessons use this item
Besides the cell membrane lesson, you may end up doing a unit on tennis as you explore the culture of Europe.
Height Adjustable Net
Depending on your play space and number of students, you may want several of these.
1 / 120 lessons use this item
While only one lesson may require the net, it can be used for all types of sports that might be studied when looking at the culture of those people. Very useful for tennis, volleyball, and badminton.
Hand scoops (and/or junior lacrosse sticks)
A set comes with twelve, so you may need several sets.
1 / 120 lessons use this item
These were integral for during the early days of Covid when we thought there was potential for surface transmission. I was using these for any throwing and catching dynamic instead of touching the ball with our hands. This is a versatile piece of equipment.
Long Tug-of-War Rope
Buy either the 50ft or 100ft spool
2/120 lessons use this item (soon to be three)
Hula-Hoop Holders
These are very useful, but a little pricey, and can be made if you have the time
5ish/120 lessons use this item
So there’s the list. Again, this is not meant to be an exhaustive list that covers all of your athletic school needs, especially if you run sports programs as well. What this list is meant to do is point you in the right direction for materials that you would need running Montessori Physical Education lessons.
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