I was lucky. I taught both of my now-adult kids to help take care of our home environment from the time they were toddlers. And it stuck. We didn’t have chores because they simply helped care for our home.
It certainly helped that my kids liked to have clean rooms and live in a clean house. But I know that the Montessori lessons they received as toddlers and preschoolers had a big influence on their appreciation of order, cleanliness, and work in general. It also helped that my children had access to real, child-sized cleaning tools as toddlers and preschoolers.
Montessori-Inspired Sweeping Activities
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Today, I want to share some Montessori-inspired sweeping activities from around the blogosphere. Sweeping activities are wonderful to use as some of the first practical life activities children will work on to develop skills in taking care of the environment.
Sweeping the Floor Presentation from Montessori Commons
Sweeping Stars (Photo from Counting Coconuts)
Sweeping Stars from Counting Coconuts
The Sweeping Square from The Montessori Motherload
Sweeping with a Brush and Dustpan from Family FECS
Montessori Activity: Sweeping with Brush and Dustpan from Family FECS
Sweeping Activity (Photo from Rockabye Butterfly)
Sweeping Tray from Rockabye Butterfly (The blog is no longer available.)
Sweeping Snow Crinkle Paper into a Dustpan from Discovery Kidzone Discovery Adventures
Sweeping with a Broom and Dustpan (Photo from The Work Plan)
Sweeping with a Broom While Using a Dustpan from The Work Plan
Montessori Cleaning Station (Photo from How We Montessori)
Creating a Cleaning Station from How We Montessori (blog is no longer available)
Practical Life: Sweeping the Floor from Montessori at Home
Sweeping Activity (Photo from Trillium Montessori)
Montessori at Home from Trillium Montessori
Sweep Away, My Son from Our Montessori Home
New Practical Life Activity from Our Montessori Story
Traditional Sweeping Set from Montessori Services
Melissa & Doug Sweep and Mop Set
Melissa & Doug Sweep and Mop Set
More Cleaning and Tidying Resources
The Best Cleaning and Tidying Books for Kids
- How Montessori and Fly Lady Help Me Keep My House Clean
- Montessori Practical Life Activities
- Age Appropriate Chores for Children {Free Printables}
- Helping Hands Practical Life Activities + Free Printable from Montessori By Mom
- Montessori Practical Life Cleaning Activities for Toddlers and Preschoolers
- Fun with Cleaning, Movement, and Music Appreciation
- My Family’s Favorite Clean Up Song
- Free Clean Up Songs (Tidy Up Songs) and Rhymes
- Free Cleaning and Tidying Printables and Montessori-Inspired Cleaning and Tidying Activities
- Trash Multiplication and Clean-up Game {with Easy DIY Montessori Multiplication Board}
- Free Duster Do-a-Dot Phonics Printable (Montessori-Inspired Instant Download)
- The Best Cleaning and Tidying Books for Kids
- Free Kids Cleaning Cutting Strips (Montessori-Inspired Instant Download)
Montessori Practical Life Activities for Toddlers and Preschoolers
Free Cleaning and Tidying Printables and Montessori-Inspired Cleaning and Tidying Activities
Helping Hands Practical Life Activities +Free Printable from Montessori By Mom
Have you used any Montessori-inspired sweeping activities with your child/ren?
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What a resource page, thank you!!! Penelope went to a Montessori school last year and I totally fell in love. I actually decided to become a preschool teacher because it was such an inspiring experience. I’m about to dive into your blog!!!
We have 2 “lobby” brooms and a little brush and a dust pan between 4 children. They are always in high demand! Sometimes they are sweeping, sometimes they are being horses. I think my most and least favorite were when my oldest son, at about 2 years old, learned to stick them sideways across doorways and make gates that he would then not allow anyone to remove.
LOL! It sounds like your brooms are getting lots of good use. 🙂
My kids love to sweep, so much so that we did buy a child-size broom, which is a great investment. I love the idea of having it be a sort of game with the tape square!
Since we have a lot of carpet, we also invested in a carpet sweeper. The vacuum’s too loud and heavy, but a mechanical carpet sweeper is both fun for kids and useful.
I always had a carpet sweeper for toddlers and preschoolers, too. I’m thinking that one of the new rechargeable ones could be nice for my granddaughter. 🙂
That’s a lot of great ideas collected in one place! Will definitely have to try some of these out with my son.
Thanks, Holly! I hope some of them work well for your son. 🙂
We have a little broom that the kids love to use, but I’ve never invested in a little dust pan – I totally need to do that. I love the idea of having them sweep into a tape square!
I love that you can vary what’s swept into the tape square according to the season or holiday, too. 🙂