This is an amazing list of 100+ Montessori practical life skills with a free printable check list. This list was created over the last year and a half by reading various Montessori resources - Montessori Compass, Montessori Mom, Montessori Print Shop, my NAMC manuals and more. This Montessori Practical Life Skills list is part of our Montessori Homeschool Curriculum for 3-4 years old. As we complete a practical life skill on this list, I will add a link to our activity with an explanation on how we completed this skill. I have already included links to several activities we have done and also to other blogs that have a beautiful explanatory post on the subject.
What else will you find?
Also included is a Montessori practical life skills printable check list. This check list is the same list that is found in this blog post. It is a tool for you to print off and use in your homeschool. As you complete a skill for the first time - check it off. Some of the activities in this list can be introduced to a one year old and many activities can be enjoyed up to 6-7 years old. Please also note that many of these activities can be repeated several times. I hope you find this list helpful! Please share this post with your Montessori Homeschooling friends.
Click below for the Free Printable
100 Montessori Practical Life Skills
Montessori Practical Life Skills
Gross Motor Skills
- Roll a Mat and Put it Away
- Walk Around the Mat
- Carry a Chair
- Transport objects on a Tray
- Carry Liquids on a Tray
- Stacking a Tower with Blocks or Nesting Boxes
- Walk on the Line
- Sit on the Line
- Sit/Walk Next to the Line
- Clapping Hands or Tapping Sticks to Music
Dancing without Falling- Outdoor Play – Climbing
- Enjoying Daily Walks
Care for Self
- Feeding Self with Fork, Spoon, & Cup
- Dressing Frames and Dressing Self – Zipper, Shoes, Velcro, Shirt, Pants, Underwear, Jacket
- Using Toilet, Wipe, & Flush
- Washing Hands, Face, Body
- Brushing Teeth
- Cleaning and Clipping Nails
Life Skills
- Insert Batteries into a Flashlight
- Dial 9-1-1, Learning Home Address & Phone Number (3 y/o)
- Matching Locks & Keys
- Threading & Unthreading Nuts on Bolts
- Wooden Hammer & Pegs
- Dial 9-1-1, Learning Home Address & Phone Number (3 y/o)
- Recycling
- Hammering Nails (4 y/o)
- Pack an Overnight Bag (4 y/o)
- Wrap a Present (5 y/o)
Kitchen Life Skills & Food Prep
- Sort Cutlery
- Open and Close Lids
- Screw and Unscrew Lids
- Sponge Transfer
- Wash Vegetables and Fruit
- Wash Dishes
- Clean the Table
- Peel a Carrot
- Peel and Cut a Banana
- Cut an Apple
- Set a Table
- Fold Napkins with Napkin Rings
- Cut a Piece of Bread
- Use a “real” Knife
- Crack Nuts
- Butter a Piece of Bread (3.5 y/o)
- Make Orange Juice (3.5 y/o)
- Sort Beans
- Pour Grains, Beans, Rice, Salt
- Spoon Grains, Beans, Rice, Salt
- Scoop/Spoon flour, sugar, salt
- Pour Water
- Pour Water into a Funnel
- Transfer the water into a Narrow Neck Bottle (4 y/o)
- Slice Eggs
- Make Egg Salad
- Old-fashioned Egg Beater or Whisk
- Pack a Lunch or Snack
- Clean a Placemat
- Sift Flour
- Stir a Mixture
- Help with Simple Cooking
- Turkey Baster for Liquid Transfer
- Use a Rolling Pin and Cookie Cutters (4 y/o)
- Serve Liquid with a Ladle (4 y/o)
Cooking is one of the activities that children enjoy the most. You can boost this activity by giving them their own cooking items. Not only will they be developing new skills, but by participating in food preparation, it will be easier for them to incorporate fruits and vegetables into their diet.
Care for Clothes
- Clip Clothespins
- Roll a Pair of Socks
- Use Clothes Pegs
- Hang Up and Put Clothes Away
- Wash Clothes
- Hang Jacket on Low Hook
- Fold a T-Shirt (3.5 y/o)
- Folding Work
Care for the Environment
- Use a Dustpan and Brush, Transfer Dustpan to the Trashcan without Spilling
- Sweep
- Wipe up a Spill
- Dust
- Clean a Window or a Mirror
- Polish – Wood, Metal, Leather
- Plant a Seed
- Garden Work
- Clean a House Plant
- Flower Arranging
- Put Materials/Toys Away on the Shelf
Care for Animals
- Feed a Pet
- Wash a Pet
- Keep a Clean Environment for a Pet
- Gentleness for a Pet or Living Creature
Manners
- Daily Greeting
- Draw a Person’s Attention
- Say “Please” and “Thank You”
- Table Manners
- Answer the Telephone
- Blow the Nose
- Cough and Sneeze
Fine Motor Skills
- Transfer Activities – Fingers, Spoons, Tweezers, Tongs, Eyedroppers, Magnets
- Q-Tips & Toothpicks Transfering to Corresponding Holes
- Stack Coins (4 y/o)
- Grate Soap (4 y/o)
Sewing
- Threading Napkin Holders onto a Scarf
- Threading Large Beads onto a Straw
- Bead Stringing
- Sort Buttons by Size/Color
- Sequencing
- Weave a Ribbon (4y/o)
- Lacing
- Braiding
- Simple Use of Thread and Needle
- Sewing Button onto Cloth
Montessori Practical Life Skills Printable Check List
Additional Practical Life Activities:
For your children to feel more comfortable and free doing these activities, the Montessori towers are a great ally. One of the greatest benefits is that the child will be at your level and it will be much easier for him and for you, to help him in the work process.
Transferring Valentine Pompoms using Tongs
Valentine Toothpick Transfer & Fine Motor Work
Washing a Pumpkin
Autumn Transfer Activities
Washing Herbs in a Strainer
Flower Arranging for a Young Child
Pompoms into a Hole of a Plastic Container
Enjoy this 8 part series with ideas for incorporating Montessori education into the home for ages 1-4:
- Let's Define the Montessori Method
- 100+ Montessori Inspired Activities for Toddlers
- 15 Montessori Toddler Shelf Themes
- 100+ Practical Life Skills with Free Printable
- Tips for Montessori Spaces at Home
- Montessori Materials List for 2-4 Years Old
- Montessori Homeschool Curriculum for 3-4 Years Old
- Organizing Homeschool Supplies
This list is amazing. Thank you very much for compiling this list and making it available. May God prosper you and your family in all areas of your lives.
Thanks so much Sherene! May God bless you too!
What a great collection 🙂 My kiddo adores practical life works! It’s wonderful how much of an impact these types of activities can have on kids. We do a lot of ‘practical life’ just as we do life (cleaning spills, washing up etc), but I’ve really loved seeing how independent my son is getting from practicing practical life skills 🙂
I agree! Practical life skills are so much fun! 🙂
WOW! The list is huge! I can not even imagine how much time you spent to fulfill it! Thank you for this amazing work. I will spend not one day surfing through it *excited*
List for 5-10? I have an almost 8 yr old 🙂
Hi Rebecca 🙂 I don’t have an official list put together yet because my little boy is only 3 years old. However, I’ll write a list here for you off the top of my head. 😉 Prepare a whole meal for the family from start to finish – prepare food (use a real knife), cook the food, set a formal table, serve the family, clean up. This could also be divided into parts over time if preparing an entire meal is too much at first. Woodworking is always a wonderful practical life skill for older children. This is a book on Amazon that looked like a good guide – http://www.amazon.com/Carpentry-Projects-Children-Childrens-Activity/dp/0486250571/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1453908815&sr=1-3&keywords=woodworking+for+kids. Vegetable gardening – planning the garden, preparing the soil, planting the plants, caring for the garden, harvesting the garden, cooking from the garden. Herb garden in a pot – plan the garden herbs to plant and read about what grows well together. Cook from the herbs in the garden – like make pesto from basil with pasta. Do any projects together that you will both enjoy – sewing, car mechanics, mowing the lawn, washing windows, organizing the house one room at a time – let the child come up with the plan for the new organization and write a budget for items that are needed to get organized like clear plastic bins, also let them help decide what needs to go to the Goodwill, consignment shop, or trash. Build something together like a bird house, sandbox, design and build with legos, build a model car. I hope this gives you some ideas! 🙂
Wow! What an amazing resource! Thank you for stopping by the Learn & Play Link Up! This post is featured on Christian Montessori Network this week.
Hi Vanessa, thank you for this amazing resource. I am a mom who just decided to start Montesorri homeschool for my 2.5 year old and 8 month old. I am so confused and don’t know where to start. Your blog is a great resource and has confirmed my plan of homeschooling. I am wondering if you have any information to share about organizing the day, for both little bee and yourself. Any information will be greatly appreciated! THANKS!
Hi Claire 🙂 I just had my second child who is now 4 months old. Little Bee is now almost 4 years old. Honestly, I am still trying to get my footing with two children. LOL! However, this is our basic outline of our day – wake up, breakfast, worship, work/play (1-3 hours homeschool activity) time, walk outside, lunch, naps, play time till Daddy comes home, dinner, bedtime routine. I hope this helps a little. 🙂 I also have some routine posts I did before Baby Bee was born. https://www.mamashappyhive.com/montessori-inspired-routine-at-three/ Take care! Vanessa
This is a great list! When do you incorporate practical life skills while still having the child work through the curriculum activities? Do you work on practical life all throughout the day or is there a set time that you focus on it? Thanks!
We usually work on it throughout the day, but sometimes we concentrate on a task. Examples: folding work, fine motor work, gross motor work, gardening, and more.
The content is fantastic!