Thermic Tablets

Theric tablets (or thermal plates) are sensory materials used in Montessori pedagogy to help children refine their sense of temperature and understand the concept of thermal conductivity of materials.

They usually come in a wooden box containing pairs of blocks made of different materials, such as:

Metal (steel or aluminum) – feels coldest.

Stone (marble or granite).

Wood.
Glass.
Felt or cork – feels warmest.

How do they work and what does the child learn?

Although all the blocks are at room temperature, they feel different to the touch because some absorb the heat of the hand more quickly than others (conductivity).

Sensory exploration: The child touches the blocks with their fingertips or wrist to feel the differences in temperature.

Pair: The main objective is for the little one to find the pairs of tablets that have the same temperature/material, often being blindfolded to focus exclusively on the sense of touch.
Grading: The child can learn to place them in order, from the "coldest" to the "warmest".
Vocabulary: The activity helps to introduce comparative and superlative terms, such as: cold, colder, coldest or warm, warmer, hottest.
This material is usually intended for children between the ages of 3 and 6, and is part of the "Sensory" curriculum area in Montessori kindergartens.