The Practical Life Activities are the first activities the child is introduced to in the Montessori environment. This is because they can immediately begin to satisfy the young child's inner desire for skills and self-sufficiency. The Practical Life Activities allow the child to try doing what adults all around can be seen doing each and every day. Activities concentrate on developing the child’s gross motor and fine motor skills.
- Gross Motor activities include
— table scrubbing, — sweeping, — throwing, — jumping, — swinging, — balance etc
- Fine Motor activities include
— sorting objects, — using tongs (strengthens fingers ready for learning how to write); — shoe/brass polishing; — spooning (using a spoon to move rice from one bowl to the other – teaching hand/movement control); — pouring etc.
