In her first school for young children in Rome, Dr. Maria Montessori created a series of activities to help her young students become more capable of caring for themselves and their surroundings. She called them Practical Life activities, and they became the cornerstone of every Montessori home and school environment.

Practical Life activities are an affordable way to introduce Montessori into your home because you can use items you find around your home or in second-hand stores. These objects should be attractive, child-sized, and serve a practical purpose. While natural materials such as wood or glass are best, plastic can be a good alternative when cooking or traveling. Here’s a video that shows how a few small plastic bottles, such as those found in a hotel toiletry kit, can support your child’s fine motor skills and focus. Once you discover how easy and fun it is to make Practical Life activities, you’ll never look at household objects the same way again!

A collection of small bottles provides an enticing opportunity for little ones to practice matching the bottles to the caps, as well as screwing the tops on and off. You can transport your Practical Life activities in small cloth bags, which helps to keep small objects safe. The video shows how a few small plastic bottles, such as those found in a hotel toiletry kit, can support your child’s fine motor skills and focus. Opening Closing Bottles can be introduced around 2 – 2 1/2 years old.

For more tips on how to introduce Montessori activities, read The Nine Key Points to Sharing a New Activity with Your Child.

P.S. Would you like my support and guidance setting-up your Montessori home? If, yes then go ahead and schedule a ‘Discovery Session’ with me. It’s free and you’ll know if we are a good fit. 😉