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Practical life activities lie at the very heart of Montessori philosophy. This practice empowers children to grasp the true essence of education as a preparation for life’s journey. These activities nurture essential qualities like order, concentration, independence, and coordination, forming a solid foundation for mastering the Montessori Curriculum across all areas.
Moreover, through practical life activities, children discover the significance of contributing to their family, classroom, and community right from an early age. By engaging in household chores and family tasks, kids learn valuable life skills and cultivate a sense of responsibility.
To help your child embrace practical life activities with confidence, consider these tips:
- Follow your child’s interests and encourage their desire to help.
- Demonstrate activities slowly and succinctly.
- Allow repetition when your child shows interest and curiosity.
- Equip them with child-sized tools to promote independence.
- Embrace progress over perfection and appreciate their efforts.
- Scaffold skills by offering opportunities for extension and repetition.
- Involve your child in various family tasks throughout the day to pique their interests.
Discover a plethora of practical life activities that foster independence and responsibility in your child’s everyday life:
Self Care
- Choose clothing
- Get dressed and put on shoes
- Wash hands
- Blow nose
- Put on shoes
- Wash face
- Toileting
- Hang up clothes
- Brush teeth and hair
- Fetch nappies/wipes
Environment
- Put clothes in the laundry hamper
- Make bed
- Pack away
- Sweep, mop and dust
- Wipe up spills
- Make bed
- Vacuum
- Recycle
- Help hang washing and fold laundry
- Compost
Caring for Others
- Feed pets
- Pour pets clean water
- Brush pets
- Water plants
- Help younger siblings
- Help parents
- Practice polite manners
In the Kitchen
- Load and unload the dishwasher
- Bake together
- Make a snack
- Assist with meal preparation
- Pour own drink
- Wash dishes
- Set the table
Outdoors
- Walk the dog together
- Water plants
- Rake leaves
- Put away outdoor toys
- Planting
- Weeding
General Activities
- Bring in mail
- Arrange flowers in a small vase
Building Independence
Infant Practical Life Skills (Ages 12-24 Months)
- Pouring water/milk using a small jug
- Washing hands with soap and water
- Feeding themselves with a spoon and fork
- Scooping cereal into a bowl
- Wiping up spills with a hand mitt
- Drinking from a cup
- Fetching nappies and wipes
- Taking off socks
- Brushing hair
- Brushing teeth with assistance
- Getting dressed with assistance
- Fetching shoes
- Putting a few small toys away in a box
- Brushing away mess from floor
Fostering Responsibility
Toddler Practical Life Skills (Ages 2-3 Years)
- Tidying toys in baskets and packing them away
- Preparing a snack/sandwich
- Peeling and slicing a banana
- Setting the table
- Pouring a drink
- Stacking books on a shelf
- Making orange juice
- Wiping the table
- Sweeping the floor
- Using a dustpan and brush
- Disposing of rubbish
- Putting dirty laundry in the hamper
- Helping to make the bed
- Choosing clothes to wear (with restricted choice)
- Getting dressed with assistance
- Putting shoes away
- Fetching nappies/wipes
- Brushing hair and teeth with supervision
- Washing the body and cleaning face with supervision
- Assisting with pet care
- Washing windows
- Wiping down mirrors
- Brushing and putting a lead on the dog
- Arranging flowers in a small vase
Creating Confident Young Humans
Preschool Practical Life Skills (Ages 3 – 6 Years)
- Getting dressed without assistance
- Setting and clearing the table
- Loading and unloading the dishwasher
- Folding laundry
- Packing away clothes
- Scrubbing and peeling vegetables
- Preparing simple meals and snacks
- Caring for pets
- Vacuuming
- Flushing the toilet
- Putting dirty clothes in the laundry hamper
- Washing hair and body
- Brushing teeth and hair
- Measuring and mixing ingredients for cooking
- Sweeping
- Dusting
- Washing windows
- Wiping down mirrors
- Making the bed
- Watering plants
- Tidying their room
- Polishing silver
- Cracking eggs into a bowl
- Unpacking groceries
- Collecting mail
Empower your child with age-appropriate practical life activities and watch them blossom into confident, capable, and responsible individuals.
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