Pouring
Hands up whoever has ever spilt something whilst pouring with a jug? Pouring is a tricky skill for adults, let alone children. We need to stay in control of the jug and not pour too slowly, or too quickly. Jugs full of liquid can often be difficult to handle and be too heavy. Pouring is an important Montessori Elementary skill for kids in the Practical Life classroom.
Pouring
How does learning pouring help children?
Children develop self-reliance, patience, crossing the midline, balance and to take responsibility for what they are doing. When children pour water from one jug to another, we encourage them to hold the tip of the jug with two fingers in order not to spill any water and to maintain control while pouring.
If a child does spill any water and makes a mess, we encourage children to clean the mess that they have made and to realise what the consequences are for making a mess.
Learning pouring from the Practical Elementary area will help children later on in their life to take responsibility for their actions and realising everything in life has consequences, including that making a mess needs cleaning up!
Montessori jugs for children
Choosing the correct jugs for teaching pouring to children is important. Jugs should not be too big, otherwise they will be too heavy for children to pick up and pour. Jugs for children should be easy to pick up and easy to handle. Montessori jugs are usually made of glass. This teaches children the importance of being careful with the jug and to handle it with care and respect.
Looking for more Montessori activities?
Here is the full list of the Montessori tasks, including preliminary, elementary, applied exercises, and grace and courtesy. Just click on the activity you want to learn about to go there.