Practical life activities are probably the most important activities in Montessori education because they help children develop qualities that will help in almost every area of life. Those qualities are order, concentration, coordination, and independence. I have a post with lots of practical life resources: Montessori Practical Life Activities. Videos are also especially helpful because…
Grace and courtesy exercises are always helpful at the start of the school year in Montessori classrooms and even in Montessori homeschools. Montessori practical life preliminary exercises, such as how to roll a mat, are also important for the child’s concentration, control of movement, and the smooth functioning of a classroom. You’ll find it helpful…
Welcome to the April 2012 Carnival of Natural Parenting: Kids and Personal Care This post was written for inclusion in the monthly Carnival of Natural Parenting hosted by Code Name: Mama and Hobo Mama. This month our participants have shared stories, tips, and struggles relating to their children’s personal care choices. “Any child who is…
Activities for care of self are a very important part of the Montessori curriculum. They’re especially important for helping children develop both coordination and independence. At the same time, dressing frames are often among the least-popular materials in Montessori schools. While the dressing frames are still important for Montessori schools, there are DIY versions and…
Welcome to the November Carnival of Natural Parenting: Kids in the Kitchen This post was written for inclusion in the monthly Carnival of Natural Parenting hosted by Hobo Mama and Code Name: Mama. This month our participants have shared how kids get involved in cooking and feeding. Please read to the end to find a…
Preschoolers often enjoy building activities that help with eye-hand coordination along with the concepts right, left, and “right is tight, left is loose.” An activity can be as simple as having a few different sizes of nuts and bolts in a basket for children to put together. (Note: This post was updated on 3/31/2013 to…
Table setting is a practical life skill that can give your preschooler extra confidence and independence … and give you some extra help. Knowing how to set a table can also help your child feel comfortable in social situations, especially if you’ve given grace and courtesy lessons introducing the placement of dishes and silverware within…
This fun Montessori-inspired practical life activity is based on a post from Pink and Green Mama and an excerpt from the eBook Montessori at Home by John Bowman. The photos are from a post at Pink and Green Mama: Preschool At Home: Marbles and Golf Tee Game. (Note: This post was updated on 3/31/2013 to…
The beginning of the school year is a great time to start a tradition of open and close baskets for preschoolers. This is an activity you can vary throughout the year according to season, upcoming holiday, unit study, or developmental level. For my Montessori-Inspired Valentine’s Day Activities post, I used a photo from Counting Coconuts…
In Montessori education, care of self is an important part of practical life activities. Summer is often a good time to place extra emphasis on care of self, especially if your preschooler’s independence is extra important in the autumn (for example, when there’ll be a new baby in the family or a new school situation)….
I'm Deb Chitwood. My header photo models are my children, Christina, at 1 1/2, my son, Will, at 3, and Christina again at 16. Christina is now 22, and Will is 27. Please see the About Me page for more information about my family and me. Please see the About Montessori page for information about Montessori.
 |
 |
 |
