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#FollowTheChildFriday - In a Montessori classroom, we don’t shy away from activities that can be messy, such as working with water. So many valuable skills can be learned through messy work! Water works provide the child with life skills such as whisking, pouring or washing. Carrying bowls or cups of water teaches children coordination and grace by teaching them to carry things gently and walk slowly. If water is spilled, the work is not only teaching a practical life skill, but it also teaches a lesson in personal responsibility. The child is taught to clean up after themselves and are expected to wipe or mop up their own mess. Aside from teaching practical skills, coordination, and responsibility, these works also provide the child with an opportunity for sensory exploration. This helps the child to refine their sense of touch by experiencing the difference between wet and dry.
Maeve, one of our three-year-olds, is a huge fan of water work!
She has been working her way through all of the water work since January. In Practical Life, we nave whisking bubbles, pouring water, transferring water with basters, straining, table washing, and baby washing. These works engage Maeve in activities that are useful in everyday life, such as using a whisk, washing things, using a baster or strainer, or pouring her own water.