In Montessori education, practical life activities are the most important activities for toddlers and young preschoolers. Activities for care of the environment are both fun and great for developing order, concentration, coordination, and independence. Today, I want to share some ideas and a YouTube video with Montessori cleaning activities that work well for both toddlers and preschoolers.
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Montessori Practical Life Cleaning Activities for Toddlers and Preschoolers
Here’s a YouTube video with my daughter, Christina, and my 16-month-old granddaughter (Christina’s niece), Zoey. I did the directing and filming, and we all had a lot of fun with it.
Adapt Cleaning Activities for Your Child
Mopping the Floor at 16 Months Old
Not every practical life activity needs to have exactly the same materials or series of steps. In Montessori schools, you’ll often find a long series of steps that children will go through for a cleaning activity. That’s wonderful for developing concentration, organization, and the ability to follow directions. At home, you can have a cleaning activity like that, or you can show cleaning activities as simpler real-life activities.
Toddler Window Washing (16 months old)
Your child’s age will also determine the level of attention to detail. For many cleaning activities, it’s preferable for the child to wear an apron. Zoey is just 16 months old, so I’m not worrying about whether she always wears an apron or follows a series of steps in her cleaning work. We keep all the activities very simple and will gradually add steps as she is ready for them.
We’ll also have fun preparing natural cleaning solutions together. For now, we’re using plain water.
Resources for Montessori Cleaning Activities
Toddler-Preschooler Cleaning Supplies
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- Melissa & Doug Cleaning Set with Stand
- Helping Hands Toolbox from Montessori By Mom
- Spray Bottle (great for activities like table washing, window washing, and mirror washing)
- Microfiber Cloths (great for activities like table washing, window washing, and mirror washing)
- For Small Hands Cleaning Products
- Montessori Services Aprons (a variety of options that work well for any cleaning activity) Check out the other great practical life materials there, too!
Mopping up a Spill at 16 Months
More Posts about Montessori Care of the Environment
Montessori-Inspired Sweeping Activities
Helping Hands Practical Life Activities +Free Printable from Montessori By Mom
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These are wonderful activities for toddlers and preschoolers! And a great resource to parents and teachers! Thanks for linking up at the Thoughtful Spot Weekly Blog Hop! We hope you join us again next week!