Pouring Grains

There are five areas in Montessori education. One of which is called “Practical life” In the practical life, we have “pouring activity”. Preparing two pitchers with one with beans inside and the other one without. The purpose of this activity is to refine fine motor skill by pouring beans without spilling. Children love to do this and repeats over and over because they are very interested acquiring movement. Improvement of the refine the motor skills for young children is for holding and using pencils, chopsticks, and scissors. While picking up the beans if they spilled outside of the pitcher, that is also helpful activity because children are require to use their fingertips to pick up beans carefully.     

【Materials】

• A tray
• 2 identical clear pitchers
• Grains

【Presentation】

1. Bring the material to the table with two hands one on each side each side of the tray. 
2. Sit down on the chair.
3. Pick up a handle of right pitcher with left hand slightly and hold the pitcher with right hand.
4. Set the spout of pitcher in the center of the left pitcher and tilt the pitcher.
5. Pour grains into left pitcher.
6. Put the pitcher down on the right side and turn the tray back to the original setting. 

Let’s do it at home

For the grains you can use beans, cereals, or rice, etc.. It is better to start using something bigger like beans which is easier to pour and to gradually changes to smaller grain like rice which is more challenging to pour. Children are very interested in hearing sounds when they pour the grain, so they love to do this pouring activity repeatedly. Please show an example to your child how to do and let him or her do it until your child satisfied for this activity. And please watch it without disturbing his or her challenge. If your child spills out of pitcher, it would be nice to have a small brush and dustpan that can clean themselves.