Practical life activities make up one of the most important areas of Montessori education, helping with order, concentration, coordination, and independence. And most preschoolers LOVE practical life activities that involve food preparation!
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Here are some Montessori-inspired food preparation ideas found online:
Andrea Coventry had some helpful introductory words in a site that’s no longer available:
“Food prep is a great practical life activity. The children learn self care as they wash their hands. They develop independence as they learn to prepare food. They improve fine motor skills as they prepare the food. They practice grace and courtesy as they offer the food to share with their friends.”
On her current Montessori Writer site, Andrea Coventry has ideas for patriotic food preparation activities for kids.
Food Preparation Area (Photo from How We Montessori)
Food Preparation Area from How We Montessori.
Cutting Vegetables (Photo from How We Montessori)
How We Montessori has many other food preparation posts in the practical life category, such as the Kids Cutting post.
I have a “Cutting a Banana Practical Life activity for Toddlers.”
I have other food preparation activitie, such as ants on a log, in my Kids in the Kitchen category.
I also have healthy recipes for kids and families, such as my healthy, yummy, gluten-free blueberry muffin recipe in my Kids in the Kitchen category.
“Toddler Day Care -Montessori influenced -pretty food” Video from Monarch Montessori Ministry
Montessori Activities for Toddlers: Food Preparation from Daily Montessori
Toddler Knife Skills from The Montessori Motherload
Independent Food Preparation: My Toddler Can Do That? from Montessori Moments
Food Preparation using a Child-Sized Rolling Pin (Photo from Vibrant Wanderings)
Practical Life with a Toddler: Naturally from Vibrant Wanderings (The blog is no longer available.)
Montessori at Home: Toddlers in the Kitchen from Bluebirdkisses
Favorite Recipes for Preschoolers are Often the Easiest (my post)
Activity of the Week – Homemade Ice Cream Right Now! No Machine Required! (my post linking to a post from Simply Montessori)
Serve-Yourself Snack Gives You More Freedom from Awake Parent Perspectives
Montessori in the Kitchen from Life in a Pink House
Cherry Pitting Activity (Photo from Counting Coconuts)
Carrot Peeling, Egg Slicing, Cherry Pitting, Whisking Eggs and Sorting Grapes, Our Snack Break – Food and Set-Up, Snack Time, Watermelon Snack, and Daily Food Chart from Counting Coconuts
Food Chart from Noor Janan Homeschool.
Montessori-inspired making-applesauce activity (above video) from O’ Boy Organic Blog.
Peeling Tangerines (Photo from Leptir)
Squeezing lemons and oranges, peeling tangerines and fruit cutting from Leptir
Peeling Carrots (Photo from The Moveable Alphabet) – blog no longer available
Making Yeast Pancakes from Early Education with Antek and Kuba (use Google Translate from the blog’s right sidebar)
Making Pizza (Photo by Julie at The Adventures of Bear)
Making pizza from The Adventures of Bear (no longer available)
Making Yeast Pancakes from Early Education with Antek and Kuba (use Google Translate from the blog’s right sidebar)
For Small Hands has many inexpensive child-size tools to use at home.
Kids’ Food Fun Pinterest Board
I have many links to fun food ideas for kids that can often be used to create Montessori-oriented food preparation activities in my Kids’ Food Fun Pinterest board.
What are your child’s favorite food preparation activities?
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Thank you for sharing this post at AfterSchool, it’s wonderful!! My kids love to help in the kitchen. It has made them very independent when it comes to getting their own snack and drinks.
Thanks so much for your kind comment! It’s awesome that you’re encouraging your kids to gain skills and become independent in their food preparation! 🙂
I love the cutting tool. JDaniel has tried a dull knife and has had trouble with it. This tool looks like something he can handle.
Thanks, JDaniel4’s Mom! Those cutting tools are awesome! I love that there are special tools now that really do help children gain independence more quickly in the kitchen. 🙂
Firstly, love your blog. i admin on Montessori Alliance too and we’ve been having conversations about food prep in the setting. What is the wonderful cutting tool in the first image? I’d love to see if its available in Ireland. Thanks again for inspiring posts. Clair.
Thanks so much for your very kind comment, Clair! Kylie from How We Montessori is from Australia, and I’m not sure where she got the cutter. You could always ask at her blog. I’ve seen a serrated cutter from Montessori Services, but it’s not exactly the same one. I hope you’re able to find one you like that’s available in Ireland.
I am completely awed and inspired – as usual! – by your post! It all just makes SO much sense to me. I can’t wait to start engaging my daughter with these fun kitchen activities! thanks for sharing!
Thanks so much for your very kind comment, Carrie! I’m sure you’ll have lots of wonderful experiences with your daughter in the kitchen … have fun! 🙂
Thanks for including me, Deb!
My pleasure … I love your post! 🙂
This is such a helpful collection of resources, Deb! Thank you for linking up to Discover & Explore. I’m featuring this post today.
I am offering a workshop next month on Preparing Snack Together and will be sharing this post with everyone there. Thanks for all the wonderful information and resources. What a beautifully done blog.
I was looking for food prep inspirations and I noticed that you shared my applesauce making lesson, THANK YOU!!! I love your site and find so many great ideas for my own Montessori classroom.