Montessori Mom

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.

As Montessori wrote in The Montessori Method:

"The children 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. A number of them came to us and frankly demanded to be taught to read and write."

Materials

• Child-sized tools: broom, dustpan, mop, sponge
• Dressing frames (button, zipper, snap, buckle)
• Pouring pitchers and containers
• Transfer tools: tongs, spoons, eye droppers, turkey basters

Recommended:

• Montessori Dressing Frames Set (4-Pack) — Button, zipper, buckle, and snap frames for practicing essential dressing skills.
• Montessori Large Button Dressing Frame — Perfect for toddlers learning their first buttoning skills.

Care of Self

• Washing hands — at a low sink or basin
• Brushing teeth and washing face
• Blowing nose and throwing away the tissue properly
• Using a napkin — place on lap, dab mouth with corner, place beside plate when done
• Toilet training — using the toilet, wiping, and flushing
• Putting on clothes — underwear, socks, pants, top, and jacket
• Putting on shoes
• Putting on a coat — the Montessori "flip" method!
• Feeding self — using spoon, then fork, then knife
• Serving self at snacks or meals
• Table manners

Care of Environment

• Hanging up clothes or putting them in drawers
• Putting away materials on low shelves
• Folding clothes — start with a small towel, fold in half
• Rolling up a rug and putting it away
• Choosing work from the shelf independently
• Helping with cooking and cutting bread
• Helping feed pets
• Watering plants
• Sweeping with a small broom
• Wiping tables — scrubbing tables with soapy water is a favorite!
• Polishing — shoes, mirrors, wood furniture

Dressing Skills

• Buttoning — start with large buttons, try making a button bracelet for practice!
• Zipping — start with something easy like a purse, then progress to jackets
• Velcro
• Snaps
• Untying

Fine Motor Transfer Activities

These activities build the hand strength and coordination needed for writing:

• Screwing and unscrewing lids on different-sized jars
• Using clothespins to clip items
• Dry pouring — beans, rice, or salt from one pitcher to another
• Wet pouring — clear water from one pitcher to another
• Pouring water into a funnel
• Sponge transfer — squeezing water from bowl to bowl
• Scooping — beans or pasta with shovels (start large, go smaller)
• Spooning — transfer beans from one container to another
• Using tongs — transfer pom poms, cotton balls, small objects
• Turkey baster — cut 1/3 off the tube to make it easier! Transfer water between containers
• Eye dropper — put one drop in each indentation (a water cracker works great!)
• Color mixing — use an eye dropper to mix 3 primary colors
• Egg beater — whip water and dish soap to make bubbles (the gears are fascinating!)
• Stringing large wooden beads
• Large nuts and bolts — threading and unthreading

Art and Craft Skills

• Stickers and stamps
• Tearing tissue paper — clip a starting point for easier tearing
• Using scissors — start with fringing (short cuts along paper edge)
• Gluing — shapes or forms onto paper
• Unwinding and winding yarn

Sensory Exploration

• Sand and water play
• Basket of goodies — different textures, shapes, and materials to explore

What This Develops

• Independence — "I can do it myself!" is the toddler's mantra
• Fine motor skills — essential preparation for writing
• Concentration — completing a multi-step task builds focus
• Order and sequence — every activity has a beginning, middle, and end
• Self-confidence — mastery of real-world skills builds self-esteem
• Preparation for academics — as Montessori observed, children who master practical life demand to be taught to read and write!

See also: Practical Life — the foundational overview, Montessori Baby — activities for birth to 12 months, and Walking the Line — a key gross motor exercise.