This article presents and analyses a didactic proposal based on manipulative material (Knobless Cylinders) used in a Montessori classroom of 3-6-year-old pre-schoolers. Choosing this material is justified in relation to the competencies/strategies/skills used during the development of mathematical patterning. Numerous studies emphasise the importance of patterns in mathematics and experimental sciences instruction from early childhood onward. However, there are several educational factors that have not yet been clarified, such as meaningful learning, the overuse of abstract visual patterns that are distant from the student's previous life experience, etc. This article discusses the sequence of proposed activities and certain critical issues.