ARE YOU SEARCHING FOR DAILY "AT-HOME ACTIVITIES" FOR YOUR TODDLER?
Start with an appropriate and engaging environment based on Montessori principles. And, please don't forget my secret ingredient: music!
2-yr old Joplin spreading peanut butter on his crackers. Photo by Carolyn for Magical Movement Company
What Do Toddlers Want?
Throughout each day, our Musically Montessori Tots are constantly seeking to take care of themselves, just like all the adults around them!
They get hungry and want to eat.
They get restless and want to go outdoors.
They are curious and want to explore.
They are capable and want to master basic skills.
They are always in motion and constantly learning through their senses.
We can make all this easier for our toddlers and ourselves, by preparing an environment that is appropriate and voila! it will also be engaging.
****FIRST RULE OF SAFETY: CLOSELY SUPERVISE YOUR TODDLER AT ALL TIMES****
Setting Up An Appropriate Toddler Environment
Based On Montessori Principles
In my Montessori Tot home environment, I have planned for five basic areas of learning:
1) Practical Life
2) Outdoor Classroom
3) Hands-on Sensorial Experiences
4) "Shelf Works" designed to enhance cognitive development (activities that prepare the child for reading, writing, math, and the sciences)
5) Aesthetics & The Arts through Cultural awareness.
This blog article features the first area of my Musically Montessori Tot Environment: Practical Life.
Here, I will present some of the ways I have set up these daily activities in my home environment.
Eating, Self-Care, and "Practical Life" Activities
Montessori Toddler Dining Activities
2-yr old Joplin spreading peanut butter on his crackers. Photo by Carolyn for Magical Movement Company
And young children need to eat frequently and in healthy ways.
The first Montessori area I set up for my Montessori Tot, Joplin, was the "dining area."
The sunny breakfast nook in my kitchen has been transformed into Joplin's Practical Life and Art areas. So, there is a child-size table, chairs, and shelving to hold the trays of activities. Since this set-up is in the kitchen, there is a sink nearby (for quick clean up) and the floors are laminate and "mop-able."
When Joplin arrives in the morning, he loves to play music with me in the family room for a bit, then it's off to the dining area for a morning snack! You can check out some of our Montessori Tot music activities in my blog article here: The Musically Montessori Tot: "Toddlers-At-Home" Activities
Montessori Toddler Environment featuring the "dining area" and Practical Life activities
(photo by Carolyn for Magical Movement Company)
Preparation and Procedures
Over the past few weeks, Joplin, who is 2, has been learning the procedures for dining in his child-friendly environment.
Before he arrives, I set up his table with a little table cloth, placemat, and pitcher of water with a small drinking glass. I also fill the little snack bowls on the shelf with fresh fruit or veggies, crackers, peanut butter, cream cheese, etc. (If there is a peanut butter allergy, you can offer cream cheese, humus, tahini, or even butter/margarine as a spread alternative.)
After washing hands, Joplin enjoys checking out what I have put in his little snack bowls on the Practical Life shelf next to his table.
When Dr. Montessori opened the first Montessori House of Children in Rome in 1907, she discovered that the little children arriving at the school each morning, were unbathed and dirty. So the first activities Montessori introduced were washing hands, feet, and faces. The Practical Life exercises of self-care!
Joplin decided that he would turn the wooden balance board into a little "rocking cradle" for himself. (Adorable!)
Joplin also helps me maintain the houseplants and loves to give them a daily spritz. He also has a small watering can for caring for the plants.
Components of a Montessori Toddler Environment featuring the "dining area" & Practical Life activities (photo by Carolyn for Magical Movement Company)
Next, he chooses his plate and little butter knife for spreading, then he takes it to his place at the table.
Then, Joplin carries each snack bowl to his place mat and sets them up next to his plate and spreading knife.
He pulls his chair out a bit and sits down to eat.
All along, I am there to assist him and I even sit there with him and have my morning tea. I have discovered that Joplin always wants me to sit and eat with him!
When he has spread the peanut butter or cream cheese on crackers or sliced fruit, he proudly eats it!
At some point, Joplin chooses his tiny drinking glass and then carefully pours water from the child-size pitcher into his glass.
Joplin's skills have quickly developed over the weeks.
You Can Practice Patience and Consistency in
Guiding Your Montessori Tot
In the beginning, Joplin wanted to take a cracker from the snack tray and carry his snack around the house checking things out. I would gently and diligently guide him to the snack table saying, "Back to the kitchen, please."
Nowadays, Joplin always brings his snack (or lunch plate) to his little table and sits while he is eating. That is because I decided ahead of time how to set up the environment and then consistently guided him in the procedures I had decided upon, as well.
Decide On Your Procedures Beforehand
Deciding on procedures is a classic part of the general setting up of the Montessori environment. So, before your child begins to interact with this environment, it is important for you, as the educator, to decide HOW things will be implemented. What will your procedures be? This is a secret to success!
With Joplin, I also sit with him at the table...he enjoys that! We look out the window and chat about the birds or the clouds in the sky. In your home environment, you can certainly set up dining at the family table for your toddler's snack. You could have the snack tray and toddler placemat set up on the family table and your Tot can proceed by herself to butter the crackers and pour her own water.
Meals together with your Montessori Tot are an excellent time for teaching table manners, developing vocabulary, and modeling the skills necessary for small motor refinement.
Mealtime is an opportunity for the Montessori Toddler to develop small motor skills
along with skills in grace & courtesy (photo by Carolyn for Magical Movement Company)
Make Your Montessori Tot Environment "Child Friendly"
Another important component of successfully creating a Montessori Tot environment is making things manageable for the child. (ex: child-size utensils located near the actual eating place.) Joplin knows his child-size plates and silverware are in a basket next to the dining table. As well, there is a small pitcher of fresh water (partially filled with a small amount of water) located on the table next to a child-sized drinking glass. There is even a tiny, tiny salt shaker that he really enjoys!
To create "ambience", I like to include a little flower bouquet in a vase on the table. It is lovely if you choose to turn on a little electric candle and even play some soft background music like you might find in a downtown cafe!
If you like, you can begin the "dining experience" with a little "thank you song". This will not only add a musical element to the meal, but also gives everyone a moment to quietly and respectfully prepare to eat. You will hear my favorite "meal song" at the end of this 3 minute video: "Montessori Toddler Dining Set-up":
Montessori Toddler Self-Care
During childhood, we are all learning how to do things and master the skills necessary for taking care of ourselves. This is an important part of the Montessori pedagogy.
“The essence of independence is to be able to do something for one’s self.” The Absorbent Mind, by Maria Montessori
When Dr. Montessori opened the first Montessori House of Children in Rome in 1907, she discovered that the little children arriving at the school each morning, were unbathed and dirty. So the first activities Montessori introduced were washing hands, feet, and faces. The Practical Life exercises of self-care! Joplin, my Montessori Tot, is 27 months old and he is very physically capable. He also wants to do everything himself and this is typical of young children. Mastering skills and gaining independence are important milestones in a child's typical development.
In the bathroom, we have set up a way for Joplin to reach the sink to wash his hands and also to brush his teeth. He also knows how to pump the hand soap and how to dry his hands with his own little hand towel.
Everything he needs to clean his hands is there within his reach. There is a step stool so that he can reach the faucet. I still turn the water on for him and I also fill the sink so that he can wash his hands. But, Joplin himself is gaining skills daily in this process.
My role: encourage...encourage...encourage!
Child-friendly environment for the Montessori Tot's self-care developing skills
Montessori Tot in his self-designed rocking cradle for practicing self-care skills
(photo by Carolyn at Magical Movement Company)
Then, we opened up the basket of baby dolls and accoutrements. He immediately began to practice skills in brushing hair, brushing teeth, and later dressing and undressing the dollies.
Montessori Tot creating his own activity to practice self-care skills
(Photo by Carolyn for Magical Movement Company)
Where Does Your Montessori Tot Hang Her Jacket?
Another area of self-care that is important in the Montessori Tot environment is orderliness: Where are the snack items kept? Where is the hair brush stored? Where do we put our boots and jacket when we enter the house?
When personal care items are kept at the toddler's height and in the most convenient location for the child, then your Montessori Tot will be successful in gaining self-care skills necessary for independence.
Montessori Tot's low hook for hanging jacket and backpack
(photo by Carolyn at Magical Movement Company)
At our front door, we take off our shoes and there is a rack for our jackets and shoes, back packs, covid masks & face shields.
The lower hooks are at Joplin's height, so that he can reach them himself. And, that is often how he lets me know he wants to go outside for a walk. He goes to the lower hooks and takes down his jacket and backpack, and even his face shield. Then, he slips on his boots and he's ready!
Everyday, we are working on Practical Life skills like putting on and zipping jackets, velcro-ing shoes, putting on gloves and caps. Soon, we will be refining the skills for the big step of going to the toilet! (I'll keep you posted)
Montessori Toddler "Care of Environment"
If you know any child who is able to walk & toddle around, then you know how much they want to push around a broom, or vacuum cleaner whenever they see the adults around them engaging in these activities.
In the Montessori environment, the young child is offered child-size tools located at the child's height. This gives the child the opportunity to practice the skills for caring for the environment.
Montessori Tot's housekeeping tools for care of the environment
(photo by Carolyn at Magical Movement Company)
In our Montessori Tot environment, I have set up a rack for a child-size broom, dust pan, duster and swiffer mop. Joplin can access these tools anytime he likes, and when there is a spill, he can help clean up!
Of course, I clean up along side Joplin, and I do most of it...but he is getting a message from me that he can take responsibility for his spills and also keep order in his environment.
Plus, we have fun cleaning together!
Montessori Tot taking care of the houseplants in the environment
(photo by Carolyn for Magical Movement Company)
In my upcoming post featuring the Toddler Outdoor Classroom, you will see more "care-of-environment activities" that maintain the outdoor environment, such as filling the birdbath, washing windows, sweeping and raking, and cleaning bird feeders.
Also, we always sing simple little songs (that we make up) about cleaning up, brushing teeth, and just about anything we do daily!
RESOURCES
Here is a quick list of Montessori Practical Life resources I recommend:
1. Child-size plates, silverware, glasses & pitcher from Montessori Services
2. Montessori Printed Dining Mat from montessorivita
3. Baby dolls from Lakeshore Learning
4. Wooden Balance Board on Amazon
5. Child-size cleaning tools from Montessori Services or Lakeshore
6. Child-size plant care tools from Montessori Services
7. Music for everyday activities from Frank Leto
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Thank you again for visiting my blog today. I hope you have gotten some helpful ideas for engaging your Montessori Tot.
