Table Scrubbing
One of the more work-intensive Montessori practical life activities is Table Scrubbing. Here, your child will be using a hand brush to scrub clean a table.
What equipment will you need to teach children table scrubbing?
Teaching children how to wash the table correctly
Obviously, start with your table. Your Montessori classroom table is a great start. You’ll also need a bowl of water, some dish soap, a hand brush, and an apron. Have a small towel handy for drying off the tabletop and legs after the child has scrubbed the table.
How to teach your child how to scrub a table
To present table scrubbing to your child, fill your bowl with warm soapy water. Let your child feel the water and the bubbles to give them a sensory feel to the activity. Dip the brush into the water and scrub the table with the hand brush in small circles. When you’ve finished scrubbing the table, you can dry off the table with a small towel.
Allow the child to scrub the table
When the child is ready, let the child fill the bowl with warm water and add some dish soap. The child now copies you and scrubs the table before drying it off with the towel. After the child has scrubbed the table, the child must put all the equipment back and put the water down the sink.
Once the child has mastered how to scrub a table, they will love helping mum and dad at home scrubbing too. And it isn’t just tables that can be scrubbed; children can help at home scrubbing the sink or kitchen surfaces as well.
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.