Practical Life – Taking it Outdoors

Great idea for an outdoor Practical Life activity!…shared by UMA graduate Kelda Adair, director of Gardenview Montessori School in Bellingham, WA.

Needed are:

• 1 large tree stump
• 1 sturdy hammer
• 1 basket with large-headed nails
• 1 set of goggles
• 1 very serious and eager child!

Developmental Purposes are:

• Hand-eye coordination (aiming hammer at center of nail)
• Small muscle control (grasping nails)
• Order (planning the motions)
• Concentration (holding hammer and nail, one in each hand)
• Independence (self-chosen activity without assistance)
• Self confidence (“I did it myself!”)

Sensorial benefits are:

• Smell, Sight, and Feel of the natural wood
• Sound of hammering (on wood & nail)
• Opportunities to experience all the other sounds, smells, tastes, feel, and sights of nature all around.
• Ahhhh…breathing fresh air, the calming rhythm of the activity, and so much more!