Flower Arranging and other Montessori practical life activities are used to help children develop independence and logical thought. Each step in the home life activity satisfies the child’s innate desire to imitate the “work” that children see adults doing around them.
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How to Teach Children to Arrange Flowers
Maria Montessori developed practical life activities to help children develop into independent thinking adults. Each step in a practical life activity satisfies the child’s innate desire to imitate the home life skills that children see adults perform around them on a daily basis.
Other practical life activities include pouring, transferring materials, cutting a banana, squeezing an orange, folding washcloths, etc.
Flower arranging includes a number of home life activities, so it is best for kindergarteners, preschoolers and older toddlers who have had a lot of experience with skills such as carrying a tray, pouring, and using scissors for cutting.
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Flower Arranging Montessori Practical Life Activity Materials
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How to Set Up Flower Arranging Montessori Practical Life Activity
- Pick or purchase flowers to arrange.
- Place doilies, flowers, discard bowl, scissors, a pitcher of water, and a vase in a tray or on an activity mat.
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Demonstrate the Activity: How to Arrange Flowers
Demonstrate how to arrange flowers if this is the first time your child has ever tried flower arranging. Follow the steps listed in the directions below. Young children learn best by imitating others.
Describe what you are doing as you work, but there is no need to lecture or teach your child. When you are finished with your demonstration invite your child to arrange flowers and complete the activity.
Montessori recommends that all practical life activities proceed from left to right, and top to bottom. Doing activities in this way begins to create a habit that prepares the child for reading and writing.
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How to Arrange Flowers: Basic Directions for Montessori Flower Arranging Practical Life Activity for Kids
1. Have your child put an apron on. [This starts the activity cycle and the child knows it is time to work.]
2. Present the materials. Place the flower arranging tray or activity mat in front of your child.
3. Pour water into a vase.
My daughter likes to work outside on her DIY Art Table & Mud Kitchen. Click on the link to learn how to make your own.
4. Trim each flower with scissors before placing it into the vase. Stand the flower next to vase to determine the amount that needs to be trimmed.
5. Place the trimmings in a discard bowl, and the flower in the vase. Have your child repeat trimming and placing each of the flowers into the vase until the activity is complete.
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How to Complete Flower Arranging Montessori Practical Life Activity
1. Invite your child to place their flower arrangement somewhere in the home. This will help your child feel like a valued contributor to the household. Be sure to demonstrate how to carry a vase with two hands so your children will learn to do the same.
2. Clean up and put everything away. In our house, that means placing the flower trimmings in the compost bin and placing the tray with the pitcher on the kitchen counter.
3. Roll up the activity mat and put it away.
4. Have your child take their apron off and hang it up.
Do not skip these last steps, children need to complete the activity cycle so they know their work is complete. This will create strong work habits for the child.
Do your best to abstain from moving your child’s arrangement. Admire it as is!
Below is a photo of an arrangement my daughter placed after arranging flowers one day. I wanted to turn my daughter’s beautiful arrangement around to face the room, but that would have disturbed her work and put less value on it.
Montessori practical life activities are designed to help children develop logical thought and independence. Flower arranging contains several home life skills important for a young child to learn.
Make sure you pop over to have a look at all of our other popular kid’s activities HERE. You may also be interested in THESE positive parenting tips and resources.
More Montessori Practical Life and Sensorial Activities
- Coin Sorting Montessori-Inspired Sensorial Activity
- Cutting a Banana: A Montessori Practical Life Activity
- Squeezing an Orange Practical Life Activity
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