I made all of this with things I bought at the Dollar Store! It only cost me $5!
*This lesson is considered transferring with a tool.
Homeschool Montessori Practical Life lessons or “work” is an excellent way for young children to get started with their homeschool Montessori education. Ideally, you will dedicate one shelf to these lessons and keep them in an area that children can call their own.
Practical Life may, at times, seem simple and easy to you the parent, but trust me, children love these lessons, and it will genuinely benefit them with their future learning. Coordination, concentration, and independence are at the root of all these lessons.
Supply List from the Dollar Store:
- Small plastic tray. I found this with the seasonal items.
- Small plastic caddy that matches in color to tray. Also in seasonal items.
- Dish Sponge, I cut mine in half so it fits perfectly for small hands.
- Salt shaker, found in kitchen supply area.
- Blue kitchen towel
Total cost for this lesson was $5!
Here is a fun lesson to start with that includes transferring water. You may want to keep these in an area you don’t mind getting a bit wet like the kitchen or consider a mat under the children’s table.
The Squeezing a sponge lesson:
- Demonstrate this first to your child from beginning to end, saying very little and then allow them to do it any time they wish.
- Carry the tray to the table.
- Layout the towel or mat and then place the dish and caddy on them.
- Pick up the salt shaker (filled with water), turn it upside down over the tray and shake it until some water comes out.
- Pick up the sponge and wipe up the drops slowly. You could say, “look how the sponge soaks up all the water.”
- Then put the sponge by your ear, squeeze, and say, “I can hear if the sponge picked up all the water on this tray.” Look surprised, “I can hear the water.”
- Then repeat from shaking the water through the listening to the sponge a few more times.
- Clean up, showing your children how to walk to the sink and squeeze out all the water in the sponge. You could alternatively have a discard bucket for the water. Finish by rolling up the towel or mat and returning it to the shelf. Now you can say, “you may do this any time you want.”
