Practical Life - Dish Washing

Practical Life is an integral piece of the Montessori philosophy. Practical Life activities, such as dish washing, provide children life long skills to care for themselves and their environment by fostering independence and responsibility. Try setting up a dish washing station in your Montessori inspired home this week to foster independence in your little one by following these easy steps:

1. Create an environment for your little one to wash their dishes. Some things to consider are what child size tools will your little one need to complete this task? 

Pictured left to right, a Montessori Helper Tower is a fantastic addition to any Montessori inspired home. The tower allows children the opportunity to reach the counter in a safe way with a supported back and sides. The Montessori Helper Tower will help your little one reach the common kitchen sink and can also be multipurposed for your little one to help prepare meals or wash their face in the mirror. 

A key piece when creating a dish washing station is to ensure the child has the ability to complete the task independently. Once your child is able to reach the counter and sink independently, we need to ensure they are able to find and use all of the materials needed from start to finish to wash their dish. Some items to consider are a knob brush and soap for easy grasp and release, a dish towel for drying, a small container of dish soap. We also love using the sink extender in our classrooms for our toddler age group to bring the water spout closer to them! 

      2. Next, it's important to model dish washing for your little one, as they build concept development surrounding this new task. This may look like showing your little one the process while they watch, verbally explaining the process, and utilizing "First,.... Then,...." statements as your little one learns the steps to properly washing their dish. 

       3. In no time at all, your little one will have gained the independence and skills needed to wash their own dishes after meal time! Tag us in your little ones dish washing experiences on our Instagram @Amicimontessori