Preschool

Practical Life

Practical Life activities teach children how to respect themselves, each other, and their environment.

A three-year-old learns to push in their chair and scrub their table after lunch, while a four-year-old uses their developing reading skills to bake a treat in class with a friend.

These activities meet a child’s desire to feel competent, to be independent, and to belong.

Practical Life activities also help children develop a sense of order and sequence, increase coordination and concentration, and enable children to do meaningful things during their time at school.

Care of the Person
Routines such as hand washing, dressing, taking shoes off/on, wearing masks properly, sneezing safety, toileting, and cutting fruit and vegetables for snack.

Care of the Environment
Activities such as cleaning tables after lunch/snacks, pushing in chairs, sweeping, cooking, watering plants, composting, and recycling promote the beginnings of community awareness and an ecological ethic.

Social Relations
Developing skills in greeting visitors, participating in a conversation, self-assertion, resolving conflicts, initiating, and maintaining friendships.

Coordination of Movement
Exercises that strengthen fine and gross motor functioning and involve hand/eye coordination are the building blocks to future learning. Preschoolers work on balance, carry objects, and express themselves through movement.