Ideas for "practical life" in lower elementary?

[tatermom]

I'm helping out in the elementary program at my son's Montessori school. It's a pretty new program, still very tiny (they've been working on expanding up to 3rd grade this year, and there are only 11 kids in the 1-3rd grades). The directress and I would like to see them further develop the "practical life" side of the elementary and I have volunteered to help research ideas. The school is really struggling financially and I know they don't have funds for a lot of fancy materials, so I'd love ideas for things we could organize ourselves. So far we've added knitting, crocheting, and weaving to the curriculum, but we'd love to add some woodworking activities or other types of activities that some of the more active kids would enjoy (a few of the boys declared the crocheting to be "boring" today). Maybe we could handle gardening but we don't have a convenient area outdoors for much of a garden... plus fall is coming soon. Other ideas I should consider? Anyone have specific recommendations for woodworking type activities? We have a workbench and could acquire some basic tools if there were some specific activities that we could organize relatively easily. Thanks!!

[Drummer's Wife]

Watering small plants would be good (and not take up too much room), you could also have them clean the leaves with a damp sponge. Basic classroom cleaning - window washing, sweeping, mopping, wiping down tables, etc. I think I'd just offer many of the same practical life work found in 3-6 environments. Food preparation, if snacks are par of their day and dishwashing if there is a sink (and real dishes)... Anything that needs to be done to maintain a clean and orderly environment. Oh, and flower arranging can be a cheap if you ask a local florist to donate old flowers once a week. Small vases are inexpensive at thrift stores.

ETA: Hope you get some wood work advice, and more activities the boys will prefer. I have 3 boys in Montessori, and will have to ask them which practical life activities they enjoy most.

[Kushali]

I'm trying to remember the practical life stuff we had when I was in Lower Elementary. Here's some of the stuff I remember:
- quilting
- using chopsticks to transfer items
- napkin folding
- gardening
- pounding nails into a stump
- weaving
- cooking
- vacuuming/sweeping
- making things with scrap wood and other things
- knot tying

I know the fabric for quilting and sewing was a combination of yard sale finds and freebies from local home decor stores. They would happily give us scraps and old sample books. I believe we got wood scraps from a similar source.

A lot of the practical life activities I remember were simply caring for the environment. One fall the shelves in the classroom needed repainting and so a shelf painting work was setup outside. When new wood chips were delivered for the playground we helped load the wheelbarrow and rake them into place throughout the playground. If you thought the patio was dirty you could sweep it.

[tatermom]

Thanks, these are great ideas!! I'm going to bring this list to the director tomorrow-- I love how many of them can be done on a small budget!

[elsie123]

How about cooking projects? Our Lower El has a small convection oven, a mini fridge, and a microwave, and they make their own snack almost every day, baking or cooking something.

[flightgoddess]

Well, there's always cleaning their own room or another part of the school. Even though it is fall, you could prepare a garden area, in the ground if there is a place on the school grounds, add compost/much, turn over the soit (an adult probably will have to get some of it started if you have to remove sod) or prep some wading pools for gardens (then they can sit on aspault or concrete or any stony area , check this link: http://www.technologyforthepoor.com/...ure/garden.htm ) and in the winter, research seeds/plants, take a tour of a green house/grower, start seedlings, and transplant them in the spring.

[musikat]

Would taking care of a class pet be considered "practical life?" My son's lower el class has a lizard and each child takes turns bringing in crickets for her to eat that week. In addition, families volunteer to take her home for extended vacations like Christmas, Summer, etc. Low cost, involves everyone and boys like reptiles.

[carmel23]

Cooking?

We do a lot of cooking at our school.

And really, you don't need much space to grow things for gardening and such. Four 1 square foot containers can be a good start.