Practical Life Activities for Little Kids
Are you wondering how your little can help around the home?
Children as young as 18 months can already start (and enjoy) helping! Toddlers want to help. It makes them feel valuable and makes the most of their desire to be independent. Before you get too excited, they might not be quite ready to clean for your upcoming rental inspection! But with some modelling and patience, you might be surprised how much you appreciate their help.
Here are our top twelve favourite ways you can get your toddler involved:
1. Helping with the Laundry
Opening and closing doors, pouring liquid detergent into the right spot, and even learning simple folding is perfect for toddlers.
2. Making the Bed
3. Prepping Meals
Washing vegetables, peeling eggs, and cutting soft foods like bananas are a great way to get your children involved in the kitchen and strengthen up fine motor skills at the same time.
4. Dusting
5. Setting the Table
As soon as your child can walk and reach the dinner table, they can start trying some basic table-setting tasks. Start small with adding cutlery to the table. Later, you can show them how to place the cutlery.
6. Energy Saving
Learn energy saving at home by turning off the light switches.
7. Collecting the Mail
Collecting the mail every day is a favourite task in many homes. It's a great task that even the youngest of children can help with.
8. Watering the Plants
Looking after plants is a great way to teach young children how to care for the environment. For Montessori gardening care, a simple spray bottle is a perfect resource for watering indoor plants.
9. Drying the Dishes
An old favourite. This is an easy one for the youngest of helpers. Older children may enjoy unloading the dishwasher and helping to pack away too.
10. Sweeping
Sweeping is a great activity to help little children gain control over their bodies and master their movements. It’s great because they can see an instant result- the floor is clean!
11. Cleaning the windows
A favourite, montessori and practical life activity for toddlers. It's also great for fine motor skills! A spray bottle, cloth, and home-made cleaning solution of 50% vinegar and 50% water is you need.
12. Can you please...
This one makes it easy for young children to help at home. A one step direction starting with "can you please...." it all that's needed. Collecting clothes, a nappy, the soap, or helping with a younger sibling is an easy and practical way that your toddler can help at home.
Tips for Success
Practical life activities can be fun and rewarding for little kids. We recommend the following five tips for making sure it’s a success:
Look for child-sized materials.
Have cleaning supplies at the ready
Go slow and provide lots of time to complete the task
Make it fun and let go of perfection
Keep it simple. Start with a two-step process. As your child becomes good at the task, add more steps.