Montessori Mom

What is Your Toddler's Talent? 

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Sorting Smallest to Largest Hands On Activity

More Sorting and Matching Printouts

Memory Matching Game Download

Early Practical Life Activities for toddlers are a great stepping stone for further learning. A child learns to master his or her environment by learning skills for independence, and mastery of these skills paves the way to intellectual learning. Completion of practical life skills seems to put a longing for intellectual learning for young children.

Montessori said it best:

"But the children seemed to demand some conclusion of the exercises, which had already developed them intellectually in a most surprising way. They knew how to dress and undress, and to bathe themselves; they knew how to sweep the floors, dust the furniture, put the room in order, to open and close boxes, to manage the keys in the various locks; they could replace the objects in the cupboards in perfect order, could care for the plants; they knew how to observe things, and how to see objects with their hands. A number of them came to us and frankly demanded to be taught to read and write. Even in the face of our refusal several children came to school and [Page 268]  proudly showed us that they knew how to make an O on the blackboard."

From the Montessori Method by Maria Montessori

AMI Primary Guide has lessons for Practical Life Activities. Check out the site weekly for new & helpful information. 

Here are some Early Practical Life Skills. Click on the links for pictures or more information!

• Washing hands
• Picture of Hand Washing
  
• Toilet Training
  
• Brushing Teeth
• Washing Face
  
• Blowing nose -and throwing away tissue
• Using a napkin- place on lap and when needed,dab mouth with corner of napkin- place napkin beside plate when excused.
• How to use toilet, wipe, and flush
• Putting on clothes(underwear, socks, pants, top, and jacket)
• Feeding Self and using silverware-spoon-fork-knife
• Set Table Place Mat
  
• Serving self at snacks or meals.
• Manners
  
• Helping with cooking
• cutting bread
• Cutting
  
• Carrying objects correctly & carefully
• Carrying a chair properly and quietly
  
• Putting away materials on low shelves
  
• Hanging up clothes or putting them in drawers
• Putting on shoes
• Dressing Oneself
• Putting on a coat
  
• Choose Work
  
• Folding clothes-start with a small towel and fold in half
• Unfolding
• Rolling up a rug and putting it away.
  
• Buttoning (large ones first)  Here is a button bracelet you can make for teaching your toddler to button!
• Large Button Necklace
• Zipping(start with something easy, purse or back pack), then zip a jacket
• Velcro
• Snaps
• Untying
  
• Screwing and unscrewing lids on different size jars
• Using clothes pins or pegs
• Sand and Water Play Ideas
• Basket or Box of Goodies
  
• Pouring dry products such as beans, rice, salt, etc. from one pitcher to another-dry pouring
• How to set up and demonstrate pouring.
  
• Pouring liquids-pour clear water from one pitcher to another.
• Pouring water into a funnel.
  
• Sponge transfer liquids from bowl to bowl
• Transferring dry material from one bowl to another. Using hands first is fine!
  
• Scooping beans or pasta from one container to another. You can use a sand shovel to begin with and use smaller sizes as your child becomes better at the task.
• Spooning-Uses spoon to put beans, rice, salt, from one container to another.
• Using various shape tongs- Your child can transfer pom poms, small balls, cotton balls, from a full container to an empty one. Picture of tong and buttons activity.
• Transferring and sorting beans.
  
• Using a turkey baster. I bought inexpensive ones at a dollar or discount store. I cut about 1/3 off the tube. It makes it much easier to use.
• Using an eye dropper. With the baster or dropper, transfer water from one container to another.
• Eye dropper for putting one drop in an indentation (water cracker works great)
• Mixing 3 primary colors with eye dropper.
  
• An old fashioned egg beater. The gears are really interesting. You can find these at discount or dollar stores. Whip together water and a little dish washing soap to make bubbles.
• Stringing or stacking large wooden beads.
• Large nuts and bolt s. Threading and unthreading the bolt.
• Stickers
• Stamps
• Unwinding and winding yarn
  
• Tearing tissue paper. Clip a starting point for your child to tear. Also, you can crease the paper to make it easier to tear. Toddlers love to tear paper!
• Use scissors
  
• Fringing with safety scissors.
• Gluing shapes or forms on to paper.
• Help feed pets
• Watering plants
• Collecting shells, pebbles, nuts, leaves, pinecones, etc.
  
• Carrying Items on Tray
  
• Washing Dishes
  
• Peeling a Banana
• Cutting a Banana
• Cutting an Apple
  
• Peel a Carrot
• Picture of Child Peeling Carrot
• Picture of Child Cracking Nuts
  
• Cleaning up Spills
• Squeezing sponge from spill into bucket
  
• Sweeping
• Dusting
• Carpet Sweeping
• Crawling up and down stairs
  
• Walking up and down stairs
  
• Gardening
• Planting Seeds
• Working with clay
  
• Counting
• Drawing
• Using crayons pencils and  colored pencils
• Sponge Painting
• Rubbings-take off the paper on crayons and use crayon of its side and rub paper over a raised or imprinted surface, such as a plastic doily. Tape down each layer to make it secure.
  
• Playing Musical Instruments
• Clapping
• Matching animals to nomenclature cards.
• Puzzles
  
• Learn Colors
• Colored Tablets or Spools
  
• Matching and Sorting
• Toddler Handbag Fun
• Stacking Tower Rings
  
• Matching Fabric Textures
• Stacking Blocks-control of error, the blocks fall down.
• Playground Equipment for developing large muscle skills, and even concepts such as gravity, balance, equal and general physics.
• Climbing & Balancing
• Going on Daily Walks
• Montessori and Physical Activities for Toddlers
• Beginning Line Exercises
  
• Walking the Line
  
• Picture of Walking the Line
  
• Sand Play
• Water Play
• Cleaning up Water Play
  
• Celebrate cultural events.
• Celebrate - birthdays -birthday child holds globe and walks around sun the number of years old she is! Clap the number of times the age of birthday child. Here is a video of a Montessori birthday celebration.
  
• Signing
• Montessori home environment and bed
• Learn letter sounds of sandpaper alphabet
  
• Books
• Make Finger Puppets
  
• Make Touch and Feel Books
• Touch and Feel Bag
  
• Directions for Mystery or Touch and Feel Bag
  
• Make a Picture Dictionary
• Locks Frame
  

Here are some more helpful links!

• Pictures of Practical Life & Ideas
• Montessori Practical Life at Home
• Montessori World-Practical Life Album (Lessons)
• Early Toddler Ideas - Hands and Mouth
• Toddler Handwork & Brushing Hair Activity
  
• More Toddler Ideas
• Make Your Own Montessori Early Learning Materials