Little kids love practical work! At 3-years-old, Gus is no exception. If we can make work for him that is real and practical, he will engage over and over again. Recently, I introduced some new Montessori sandpaper work for him that has been a huge hit. It's been a great introduction to wood working, and I'm guessing it will lead to some other work with real tools soon.
I love this simple Montessori preschool activity because it is great for helping preschoolers to learn to follow a sequence, involves left to right movement, and provides some great sensory input.
Montessori Preschool Activity: Sandpaper Block
This work was super easy to put together. I included:
- a tray
- a piece of scrap wood
- a variety of small pieces of sandpaper
- small work googles
To present this work, I first introduced the sandpaper. I showed how each was made of a rough and smooth side, we felt the different textures, and talked about how each texture worked. Then, I showed Gus the motion of how to sand. I sanded for a minute from left to right, then gave him a turn.
Then, we turned our attention to the wood, we noticed how it had changed. We felt it with our fingers, again noticing the different textures. I pointed out some imperfections in the wood (from previous wood working work) and wondered what would happen if we sanded those down.
I left him with those wonderings and have noticed him sanding those areas with care over the next few days. It will be awesome for him to see how the small marks are removed as his work continues. Plus, the wood will be very ready for some other tools in the near future!
This super basic Montessori practical life activity has been perfect for 3-year-olds. It really has provided some great sustained effort and has some great teaching moments. I can't wait to introduce more woodworking with my kids.
Have you introduced basic wood working with your child? What tools have you used?
