Montessori Practical Life Activities

Practical life activities aim to develop independence by teaching children how to care for themselves and the environment. These activities give your child the freedom of choice, learning through their own mistakes, and having the ability to self-correct their actions.

The Practical Life curriculum can be divided into six categories.

1. Preliminary
2. Fine Motor
3. Care of Self
4. Care of the Environment
5. Manners and Etiquette
6. Grace and Courtesy

In this blogpost, I'll be covering some of the 'Fine Motor' activities that you can do with your child at home.

Activity 1: Pouring water using two jugs

ACTIVITY NOTES: Pouring water from jug to jug refines your child’s hand-eye coordination, concentration, and fine motor development. It also indirectly prepares your child for writing with a pencil.

MATERIALS: 2 jugs, water

PREPARATION: Place water inside one of the jugs, and fill it halfway. Position it on the side of the tray that corresponds to your dominant hand.

DIRECTIONS

1. Using your dominant hand, wrap your fingers around the handle of the jug filled with water.
2. Lift the jug up from the tray.
3. Using your non-dominant hand, place your index and middle finger beneath the spout of the filled jug.
4. Carefully position the spout of the filled jug on the spout of the empty jug.
5. Slowly pour all the water into the empty jug.
6. Turn the tray so that the filled jug is back in its original position (turning the tray so that the filled jug is moving in the direction away from the edge of the table to avoid spilling).
7. Ask your child if they would like to try the activity.

Activity 2: Pegs around a bowl

ACTIVITY NOTES: Placing pegs around a bowl refines your child’s hand-eye coordination, concentration, and fine motor development. It also indirectly prepares your child for writing with a pencil.

MATERIALS: 1 bowl, 10 pegs

PREPARATION: Place the pegs in the bowl. 

DIRECTIONS

1. Using your index finger, middle finger, and thumb, demonstrate the pincer grasp to your child.
2. Using the pincer grasp, pick up one of the pegs, and open it by pressing your fingers together.
3. Slowly place the open peg on the rim of the bowl.
4. Slowly remove your fingers off the peg to secure it firmly on the rim of the bowl.
5. Ask your child if they would like to try the activity.

Activity 3: Opening and closing bottles and jars

ACTIVITY NOTES: Opening and closing bottles and jars refine your child’s hand-eye coordination, concentration, and fine motor development.

MATERIALS: 1 bowl, 5 different sized bottles (or jars) with screwing lids

DIRECTIONS

1. Using your dominant hand, pick up the jar and pass it to your other hand.
2. Place the jar down on the table.
3. Put your dominant hand on the lid of the jar.
4. Twist the lid in a counter-clockwise position until it comes off the jar.
5. Place the lid in the bowl.
6. Repeat the above steps with all the remaining jars.
7. Follow the instructions in reverse to place the lids back on the jar. 
8. Ask your child if they would like to try the activity.

Activity 4: Threading large beads

ACTIVITY NOTES: Threading large beads refines your child’s hand-eye coordination, concentration, and fine motor development.

MATERIALS: 20-30 large beads, 1 bowl, 1 string with aglet, 5-10 bead pattern cards

PREPARATION: Place the beads inside the bowl. Tie a knot at the end of the string to prevent the beads from falling through.

DIRECTIONS

1. Pick a pattern card and place it above the tray. 
2. Pick up the string, holding the aglet with your dominant hand.
3. Reading the pattern card from left to right, pick up the first bead with your non-dominant hand.
4. Insert the aglet end of the string through the hole in the bead.
5. Slowly pull the string through the bead until the bead reaches the knotted end of the string.
6. Continue the above steps until the pattern is completed.
7. Follow the instructions in reverse to remove the beads from the string.
8. Ask your child if they would like to try the activity.

Here's a link to a pattern card you can do with your child!

Activity 5: Dry pouring using two jugs

ACTIVITY NOTES: Pouring with two jugs refines your child’s hand-eye coordination, concentration, and fine motor development.

MATERIALS: 2 jugs, 1 cup dry material (beans, beads, pasta, or rice)

PREPARATION: Place the dry material inside one of the jugs. Position this jug on the side of the tray that corresponds to your dominant hand side.

DIRECTIONS

1. Using your dominant hand, wrap your fingers around the handle of the jug filled with the dry pouring material.
2. Lift the jug up from the tray.
3. Using your non-dominant hand, place your index and middle finger beneath the spout of the filled jug.
4. Carefully position the spout of the filled jug on the spout of the empty jug.
5. Slowly pour all the dry material into the empty jug.
6. Turn the tray so that the filled jug is back in its original position (turning the tray so that the filled jug is moving in the direction away from the edge of the table to avoid spilling).
7. Ask your child if they would like to try the activity.

Looking for more practical life activities to do with your child?

Check out my book 'Fresh Montessori' for 50+ Montessori activities!