A large component of the early years of the Montessori classroom is practical life, and since eating is a very key component of life, a lot of the works center around food and its preparation. Even if there is not actually food present, a lot of it is applicable to food preparation. Some of these works include pouring, working with tongs, carrying trays.
These practical life skills also come into play with snack time. At Sandpiper Mon
tessori we have a self-serve snack time. Each family brings in food for a given week of snacks and the children help prepare and serve themselves. This includes the washing of hands and the setting and clearing their eating space. The children feel a sense of pride in sharing their choices with the others, so please include them in the process of deciding what your family will bring when it is your turn.
A natural extension of this is getting started with safe cooking jobs in the kitchen. At Sandpiper we have been embracing fall and making seasonal things. Last week we made apple sauce and pumpkin bread.
This week we have harvested the summer’s basil and turned it into pesto.
Through these activities the children start to understand recipes, kitchen vernacular, measuring, pouring, and lots of other valuable life lessons! It is our hope that it instills in them an understanding of the intricate relationship our planet has with our bodies – providing both home and nutrition.