Montessori Elementary Homeschool Blog - with documentation of our infant Montessori, toddler Montessori, and primary Montessori experiences; as well as preparation for the upcoming adolescent Montessori homeschool years.

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Exercises of Practical Life in our Home - Toddler Years

Many of the simpler exercises of practical life can be done by toddlers; this frees up their primary years for deeper, more purposeful work. Included in our practical life was a lot of sensorial as well - for us the two areas overlapped a LOT in the toddler years.

In our home, we had the following for the toddler years - approximately ages 12 months to 3 years.

  • continue cutting with scissors on thin strips - by age 2, using most of the primary cutting exercises
  • mounting toothpicks into a mound of playdough
  • continue other infant work as long as needed (see June 7 post)
  • cutting banana and other very soft items with a butter-spreader
  • opening and closing boxes, latches, etc. 
  • twisting: caps on bottles, large nuts/bolts
  • matching lids to pans (my son put this one together himself!)
  • wiping up spills
  • preliminary stages of getting self dressed
  • how to wash hands
  • walking on a wide line
  • walking carrying items (such as porcelain statues)
  • sweeping with a child-size broom
  • safety rules (ie hold hands in parking lots)
  • respect rules (ie do not touch visiting friend's keys on the table without asking)
  • spooning grains (cereals in particular)
  • pouring from small pitcher
  • stringing large, then smaller beads
  • using knobbed shape puzzles (large knobs, then smaller; all geometric shapes)
  • using large eyedropper (a medicine dropper)
  • matching shapes
  • dressing frames as appropriate - dressing self as appropriate (shoes on)
  • matching colors
  • hanging loose items on a hanger
  • completing work cycle of putting things away
  • using spray bottles to clean windows and tables
  • setting own place at the table (with an outlined place mat)
  • putting away laundry and other household items




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