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Why Montessori?
August 16, 2021
SOCIAL DISTANCING
January 6, 2022

What are Practical Life Activities?

When Maria Montessori found her first School she observed that the children were more interested in performing tasks normally reserved for adults than playing with toys. She also observed that these tasks seemed to be more stimulating and satisfying to the children.

Practical Life activities are the first activities young children are introduced to when they enter the Montessori primary environment and it is important to introduce it into the homeschooling environment or simply into your child’s everyday activities.

What are the Benefits of Practical Life Activities?

The aim is on the word Life – it teaches our children Life Skills.

It seems that not everyone is clear on the aims of Montessori Practical Life activities.  There is such a solid reasoning in presenting the Practical Life activities to our children as it forms an integral part of their foundation and of Montessori and other preschool programs and within the homeschool environment.

Practical Life Activities are easy activities and are the activities which adults apply in their daily lives without even thinking about them, such as pouring, spooning, dressing, sweeping, dusting and so much more.

Let’s explore the Montessori Practical Life Activities!

Practical Life activities are the first activities young children are introduced to when they enter the Montessori primary environment and it is important to introduce it into the homeschooling environment or generally make the activities available for children at home. These activities are real life activities and are freely available in the home and help children feel comfortable and interact appropriately and productively in their environment.

These activities are real life activities that help children feel comfortable and interact appropriately and productively with their environment. Practical life activities are enjoyable and beneficial from an early preschool-age.

These activities are real life activities that help children feel comfortable and interact appropriately and productively with their environment. Practical life activities are enjoyable and beneficial from an early preschool-age.

These activities are real life activities that help children feel comfortable and interact appropriately and productively with their environment. Practical life activities are enjoyable and beneficial from an early preschool-age.

These activities are real life activities that help children feel comfortable and interact appropriately and productively with their environment. Practical life activities are enjoyable and beneficial from an early preschool-age.

Practical Life activities promote:

  • sense of order
  • independence
  • concentration
  • coordination of movement and control over body

Types of Practical Life activities:

  • Preliminary Activities
  • Elementary
  • Self-Care
  • Care of the Environment
  • Grace and Courtesy
  • Control of movement

There are many Practical Life activities that are universal and presented in every Montessori classroom and can be set up in the homeschool and home environment from an early age.

However, Montessori teachers and parents take liberties with their Practical Life areas.

This is because the real-life lessons children need can vary from classroom to classroom and home to home. This flexibility is vital for following a child and their needs.

When you are implementing Montessori in your home, this could mean teaching your child how to set a tray or wash dishes or dust and even make a sandwich activity.

Below is a list of Practical Life activities. This is by no means exhaustive, but by the end of the list, you should understand the purpose and benefits of these activities, as well as when to introduce them.

You might also come up with some of your own creative Practical Life ideas.

 Preliminary Practical Life Activities

Preliminary Practical Life activities are the very first Practical Life activities a child is introduced to when they enter a Montessori classroom or you may even introduce this in the Homeschool environment or if you are not Montessori minded these activities are brilliant for your child’s development, and most of the activities can be taken within your home.

Example

  • Work Mats
  • Moving a Chair
  • Pulling a Chair away from the table
  • Moving the Chair back to the table
  • Sitting on a Chair at the Table
  • Getting up from the Table
  • Carrying a Tray 

Elementary Practical Life Activities

  • Carrying a Scissors
  • Spooning Activities
  • Pouring Activities with dry ingredients
  • Pouring with Water
  • Spooning and Pouring (Combined)
  • Sponging
  • Wiping a Spill
  • Opening and Closing Containers
  • Whole-Hand Grasp Transferring
  • Tonging
  • Pegging
  • Tweezing
  • Dropper Exercise
  • Sorting buttons -by size color
  • Sorting buttons -by same color

Self-Care

Children enjoy the sense of confidence and independence of being able to perform self-care tasks. These self-care activities are broken down into manageable steps toward mastering success.

  • Hand Washing
  • Cleaning Under Fingernails
  • Dressing Frames
  • Folding Clothes
  • Putting on a hoodie or shirt (T)
  • Matching Keys to Locks
  • Nuts & Bolts
  • Hammering Nails

 

Applied Exercises

Care of the Environment

Care of environment activities teach children to care for and respect their home environment, classroom, and the outdoors.

  • Dusting
  • Cleaning a Spill
  • Brush and Dustpan
  • Washing a Table
  • Washing Dishes
  • Setting a Table
  • Brass Polishing
  • Grating Soap
  • Cleaning a mirror
  • Plant Care
  • Animal Care
  • Table Setting
  • Flower Arranging
  • Squeezing the juice of an orange
  • Washing Fruits and Vegetables
  • Peeling and Chopping Fruits and Vegetables
  • Using a Rolling Pin

Care of the Environment

  • Using Manual Egg Beater
  • Sifting Flour
  • Spreading Toppings
  • Recycling Sorting
  • Prepare Nesting Materials Box
  • Composting
  • Wrapping a Gift
  • Weaving
  • Sewing a Button

Grace and Courtesy

Grace and courtesy activities help acclimate young children to social customs and manners. Grace and courtesy lessons may be different across cultures.

  • Greeting People
  • Getting Someone’s Attention
  • Phone Etiquette
  • Blowing Nose
  • Coughing and Sneezing
  • Offering Help to Others
  • Waiting to be served at the Table
  • Serving Food to Others
  • Please, Thank You, and You’re Welcome
  • Walking a Line

As stated, this is by no means a comprehensive Practical Life Activities List. The limit truly is a caregiver / Teacher / Mom’s imagination.

The question is – Which Practical Life Activities would your child enjoy?

If you would like the full e-book guiding, you through practical life skills and activities with the Age-Appropriate Allocations – illustrations and a guideline on the presentations and materials used – Direct Aims – Indirect Aims – Control of Error – Join Our Subscription or Membership for monthly resources on the Montessori Method and much more

 

BUSY HANDS – BUSY MINDS

           

       PRACTICAL LIFE ACTIVITIES

           E-BOOK

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