A child’s homework is the work of the home.”
In addition to this video I made attempting to adapt my kitchen to share with Montessori children accustomed to preparing their own dining spaces, serving themselves, and cleaning up independently, I’d like to offer a few ideas for inviting your children to work alongside you in the kitchen.
- Make and maintain a grocery list. Depending on the child’s age, you may invite them to illustrate an ongoing grocery list with their requested items or phonetically sound out and write a list of their requests! The “Preschool” section on this website has a few different writing paper options that may serve as a guide. If you’re unsure of realistic expectations for your child’s development, contact their guide!
- At Heartwood, all children help to fold our cleaning cloths and napkins. If you use cleaning cloths and/or cloth napkins in your home, now is your opportunity to invite your child to show off their skills!
- Involve your child in simple food preparation activities. With the appropriate tools, children can: core and slice an apple, slice a banana, tear lettuce leaves, grate/grind spices, grate cheese, mix ingredients together in a bowl, peel and slice carrots or other vegetables, count quantities of items to serve. If you’d like more ideas or delineated how-to’s, contact your child’s guide.
- Bus dishes / load the dishwasher / put away clean dishes / set the table.
- Match tupperware containers and lids!
- Reheat a plate or bowl of food in the microwave for 30 seconds.
Share with us how you’re involving your child in the kitchen at home!
heartwoodmontessori.org 