Montessori Practical Life Activities List: 50 Activities

Montessori Practical Life activities are an important part of the primary curriculum. In this article, find out what Practical Life Activities are, when you should introduce them, and get examples of Practical Life activities you can introduce to your child.

Table Of Contents

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What is a Practical Life activity?

The benefits of Practical Life activities
The 4 main groups of Practical Life

Practical Life Activities List

Preliminary Practical Life Activities

Work Mats
Walking a Line
Moving a Chair
Wiping a Spill
Carrying a Tray
Opening and Closing Containers
Whole-Hand Grasp Transferring
Spooning Activities
Pouring Activities

Self Care

Hand Washing
Cleaning Under Fingernails
Dressing Frames
Folding Clothes
Putting on a Coat
Matching Keys to Locks

Care of Environment

Grace and Courtesy

Greeting People
Getting Someone's Attention
Phone Etiquette
Blowing Nose
Coughing and Sneezing
Offering Help to Others

Waiting to be served at the Table

Serving Food to Others
Please, Thank You, and You're Welcome

What is a Practical Life activity?

Maria Montessori, when she founded her first school, observed that the children were more interested in performing tasks normally reserved for adults than playing with toys.

She noted that performing these tasks seemed to satisfy children immensely.

Practical Life activities are the first activities young children are introduced to when they enter the Montessori primary environment.

These are activities of real-life that help children feel comfortable and interact appropriately and productively with their environment.

Maria Montessori qupte intrinsic motiation.

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Taking advantage of the sensitive period for coordination and movement, Practical life activities are enjoyable and beneficial for preschool-age children.

The benefits of Practical Life activities

sense of order
independence
concentration
coordination of movement and control over body

The 4 main groups of Practical Life

Preliminary Activities
Self Care
Care of Environment
Grace and Courtesy

There are many Practical Life activities that are universal; presented in every Montessori classroom.

However, Montessori teachers and parents take liberties with their Practical Life areas.

This is because the real-life lessons children need can vary from classroom to classroom and home to home. This flexibility is vital for following a child in their needs.

If you are implementing Montessori in your home, this could mean teaching your child how to fix a plate of nachos or setting up a Baby Bell cheese unwrapping activity.

Below is a list of Practical Life activities.

This is by no means exhaustive, but by the end of the list, you should have an understanding of the purpose and benefits of these activities, as well as when to introduce them.

You might also come up with some creative variations or some Practical Life ideas of your own.

This list is great for Montessori homeschooling or if you are looking to supplement your preschool classroom's traditional curriculum.

practical life activities by age pinterest graphic.

Practical Life Activities List

Preliminary Practical Life Activities

Preliminary Practical Life activities are the very first Practical Life activities a child is introduced to when they enter a Montessori classroom.

Work Mats

2.5-3 years old
Work mats are used to delineate a child's work area. Work mat activities teach children how to unroll and roll work mats, as well as how to walk carefully around the workspace of others.

Elite Montessori Accessories Rug…

The tight weave provides children with a smooth work surface; the…
Machine wash cold, hang to dry.
Natural (off-white) color

Walking a Line

2.5-3 years old
Also a lesson in Grace and Courtesy, walking a line helps children control their movement and increases a child's awareness of their body position in relation to others.

Moving a Chair

2.5-3 years old
Children are taught to move furniture carefully and quietly.

child cooking real food on ikea montessori play kitchen. Adapting a play kitchen is one way how to get started with Montessori. — Cooking pancakes in a play kitchen.

Wiping a Spill

2.5-3 years old
Learning how to wipe a spill is essential to meal and snack times, as well as many Montessori activities.

Carrying a Tray

2.5-3 years old
Carrying a tray is involved in many Montessori activities in the classroom.

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Opening and Closing Containers

2.5-3 years old
Through this activity, children gain a skill and get fine motor practice.

Whole-Hand Grasp Transferring

2.5-3 years old
This is transferring activity that builds fine motor skills. This activity allows children who have not yet mastered the pincer grasp (for spoon, tongs, tweezers, ect.) to have success at transferring small items from bowl to bowl

child grinding herbs for practical life activities. — 4-year-old herb grinding

Spooning Activities

2.5-3 years old
Montessori spooning activities are fun and help develop coordination, as well as fine motor skills.

Pouring Activities

3 years old
Many Montessori activities require a child to have practice in pouring. Early pouring practice is a fun and essential activity.

Self Care

Children enjoy the sense of confidence and independence of being able to perform self-care tasks.

In Montessori, self-care activities are broken down into manageable steps, increasing a child's chances of success.

Hand Washing

2.5-3 years old
Children learn a self-care skill and gain a sense of independence through this activity.

Washing Hands Activity Set Montessori IC…

Pail Dimensions: 6.18″*5.51″ (15.7cm*14cm)
Bowl Dimension: 7.56″*2.95″ (19.2cm*H7.5cm)

Cleaning Under Fingernails

2.5-3 years old
Children learn a self-care skill and gain a sense of independence and fine motor skills through this activity.

Beans, bowls, and spoon in a basket for Montessori spooning activities. — Spooning activity setup

Dressing Frames

3 years old
Montessori dressing frames include practice with buttoning, tying, buckling, snapping, and using a zipper. These frames provide fine motor practice.

New Sky Enterprises Montessori Basic…

Usage: to teach your baby how to put on clothes
Size: 10″ *10″*0.6″ for one piece
Material: wood and clothing

Folding Clothes

3 years old
Children learn a life skill, control of movement, and a sense of symmetry.

Putting on a Coat

2.5-3 years old
Children enjoy the feeling of independence being able to put on their own coat gives them.

Matching Keys to Locks

3 years old
This is a fine motor activity that increases concentration.

MIKNEKE Montessori Lock and Key Toys Set…

Hands-on Learning: Children’s Potential for Learning Can be…
Fine Motors Skills: Helping Children Develop Coordination, Visual…
Practical Life Skills: Helping Kids Learn Use Keys to Lock and…

Care of Environment

Care of environment activities teach children to care for and respect their home environment, classroom, and the outdoors.

Cleaning a Spill

3 years old
Learning how to clean a spill properly is integral to a safe and clean learning environment.

Brush and Dustpan

3 years old
Learning how to use a brush and dustpan is necessary in a Montessori learning environment, as children are allowed to experience the natural and logical consequences of spills and breaks.

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oranges and glasses for making hand squeezed juice. — Juicing activity setup

Washing a Table

3 years old
This is a skill that will be used often in the Montessori classroom.

Washing Dishes

3 years old
This is an enjoyable activity that gives children a sense of pride and ownership over their environment.

Using Clothespins

child hanging clothes on child size clothes line. — 3-year-old hanging clothes on a low clothesline

3 years old
Clothespin activities are great for fine motor development.

Kiddison Clothespin Exercise Clothesline…

Polishing a Mirror

3 years old
Polishing a mirror is a fine motor, concentration-building activity.

Yx-outdoor 3 pcs Montessori Daily…

Montessori daily life teaching aids: polishing mirror work,…
Product parameters: Material: plastic, fabric, etc., the size of…
How to play: guide the children to put the teaching aids in the…

Plant Care

3 years old
Learning how to care for a plant is helps a child's development in many ways and encourages them to help keep their environment beautiful.

Flower Arranging

3-4 years old
Arranging flowers is a relaxing activity that encourages enjoyment of nature, visual discrimination, and fine motor development.

Animal Care

4 years old
Animal care activities help children develop empathy and have elements of gross motor and fine motor refinement.

Sorting Silverware

3 years old
This is a life skill that also teaches a child about categories.

child using apple chopper. — 4-year-old positioning apple chopper

Setting a Table

3 years old
Learning how to set a table is a Practical Life activity that teaches a child the skill of setting a table and encourages fine motor development, as well as visual discrimination.

Making Juice

4 years old
This activity teaches children how to make juice using a hand juicer and it is a great fine motor skills activity.

OXO Good Grips 2-in-1 Citrus Juicer,…

Snap on the small reamer for lemons and limes, or the large…
Measurement markings up to 350 mL
Drip-free pour spout

child washing vegetables for practical life activity.. — 2.5-year-old washing eggplant

Grating Soap

4 years old
This is fine motor skills and visual discrimination-building activity.

Handy Housewares Mini Grater with…

Great to have in your kitchen when preparing and to cook food.
The Grater comes with a container to keep garlic and cheese one…
It is ideal for garlic, cheese, and zesting citrus.

Washing Fruits and Vegetables

3 years old
Washing fruit and vegetables is a great early food preparation activity that helps develop fine motor and concentration.

Peeling and Chopping Fruits and Vegetables

4 years old
Fine motor skills, coordination of movement, and the ability to prepare food are all aims of this activity. Special care should be taken by the caregiver to closely monitor and give instruction on knife safety.

child chopping eggplant, a montessori practical life activity. — Chopping eggplant

Using Rolling Pin

3-4 years old
This activity gives a child the skill of using a rolling pin, plus fine motor and coordination skills.

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Higher Quality: HelferX Small Wooden Rolling Pin is made from…
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Using Manual Egg Beater

3.5 years old
This activity teaches children how to use a rotary egg beater. This is a great fine motor/hand-eye coordination activity.

OXO Good Grips Egg Beater

Perfect for eggs, light batters, whipped cream and more
Smoothly rotating gears are enclosed for protection and easy…
Beaters are elevated and continue to work while resting on bottom…

Prepare Nesting Materials Box

3-4 years old
Making a nesting materials box involves fine motor practice, cosmic lessons, and zoology.

Sifting Flour

3.5 years old
An estimating and measuring activity that teaches a child how to use a sifter.

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Recycling Sorting

3 years old
A sorting activity with a cosmic education/environmental focus.

child setting a table. — 4-year-old setting a table

Composting

3 years old
Teaching children about composting can have fine motor, sorting, science, and cosmic lesson components.

Nuts and Bolt Fastening

3 years old
Fasting nuts and bolts is a fine motor and concentration-building activity.

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Spreading Toppings

3 years old
This activity gives children practice with the skills they need to fix their own snacks.

duplo block and marbles for transferring practical life activity. — A bowl of marbles, a Duplo block base, and plastic tongs. Transferring with tongs activity.

Hammering Nails

4 years old
Learning how to hammer nails teaches safety with sharp and heavy objects and has gross and fine motor components.

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Wrapping a Gift

4-5 years old
This activity is great for helping children develop skills of estimation, fine motor skills, and cosmic lessons on gift-giving.

Weaving

4 years old
Teaching children to weave helps develop fine motor skills, as well as listening skills. It can also satisfy schematic play needs.

LEADER JOY Montessori Weaving Board, Can…

Three ropes of different colors are fixed on the wooden board for…
Exercise the baby's hand-eye coordination ability, weave simple…
The woven board has no burrs, smooth edges, safe and non-toxic!

DIY weaving activity, good for connection play schema. — Weaving activity

Sewing a Button

4 years old
A fine motor activity that gives children the ability to fix torn cloth items.

Hekisn Large Eye Sewing Needles, Sewing…

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Grace and Courtesy

Grace and courtesy activities help acclimate young children to social customs and manners. Grace and courtesy lessons may be different across cultures.