👞Shoe Polishing •Montessori 🙌🏻Practical Life •Care For Self •101 🎥 Series🎇

Montessori Practical Life Activities incorporate six main categories, one of which is Care for self and others which includes learning to get dressed independently, preparing/getting a snack, washing hands, buttoning or tying shoelaces, shoe polishing and many more. During these activities, children also learn body control and coordination, consequently developing the sense of confidence and the sense of independence.

What you will need for this Montessori 👞Shoe Polishing 🙌🏻Practical Life Activity:

• a tray so that a child can take this activity off the shelf and bring it to the table (buy a set of three bamboo trays here), and a mat (we are using this vinyl mat),
• a set of brushes: stiff-bristle shoe dauber (buy here)  and soft-bristle shoe dauber (buy here) ~ see details below,
• a natural shoe conditioner (buy here) ~ see details below,
• a child-size shoe buffer (buy here)~ see details below,
• and lastly, a foam polish applicator (buy here) which fits perfectly in the natural shoe conditioner polish jar: press gently and rotate to coat or use as a final buffer.
• *Buy the entire shoe polishing activity here, Or economy shoe/leather polishing here. 

This natural shoe conditioner (buy here) is great for the planet and for shoes! This environmentally-friendly, biodegradable conditioner polishes leather and leaves a soft, supple finish. This polish is made in the U.S.A., and it is great for the children since it has a divine lavender scent.

This stiff-bristle shoe dauber (buy here) has stiff bristles that can clean mud off shoes before polishing. The hourglass shape makes this brush easy to grasp, use it to apply and rub in the polish.

 Children learn through order and repetition and Practical Life lessons satisfy such need.

Practical Life lessons also develop concentration and focus, qualities which will help children when they, for example, are learning to read or master addition/subtraction skills. 

 

Dr. Maria Montessori, after years of research, had observed that children will choose real-life activities over imaginary ones almost every time because they want to feel needed, useful and important in their and our worlds.

Allowing children to participate in real life activities which will help their family or classroom are wonderful for building self-esteem.

This soft-bristle shoe dauber (buy here) has a long wooden handle, which is contoured for easy grasping. Soft horsehair bristles are good for dusting off shoes before polishing or for applying polish and then rubbing it in.

"The child who concentrates is immensely happy," said Dr. Maria Montessori, and I see it every day! 

Shoe Polishing Montessori Practical Life Activity Care For Self from Anya on Vimeo.

"The child can develop fully by means of experiences in his environment ... Such experiences are not just play ... We call such experiences ‘work’. [And] it is work he must do in order to grow up.”- Dr. Maria Montessori. 

Finally, this child-size shoe buffer (buy here) will enable children to easily shine their shoes using a soft fleece that covers a wooden block. Adrian also finished off polishing and buffing using this foam polish applicator.
Practical Life Activities lay the foundation and develop the skills the child will need for all other academic areas! Real life lessons such as folding, using a spoon, buttoning, cleaning and more, will help your child develop coordination, concentration, independence and a sense of order, thus facilitating immensely in the future academic lives. 

"I can do it myself!" says the child~ and yes, he can!

For more on Practical Life Activities Care of Self and Others, see here "👚Clothes 💦Washing Activity." For Care of the 🌐Environment Activities see here "💦Caring for 🌺Orchids at 3 Yo.

For transferring activities, see here "DRY Spout Pouring 1:1" and here "💦WET Spout Pouring 1:1 (Practical Life 🙌 Activities 101 🎥 Series 🎇)."

For Kitchen activities, see here  "🍒Cherry Pitting Activity • 101🎥 Series 🎇." For carrot peeling,  see here " 🙌🏻 Making Carrot 🍲Soup at 2.5 Yo." For more on cooking, see here  "Making 🎃Pumpkin 🍪Cookies at 3 Yo."