"Montessori Practical Life is more than the wonderful feeling of doing real work, of being helpful to others, this work also sharpens valuable mental skills including planning, organization, task initiation, working memory, self-regulation, flexibility, goal-directed persistence, and sustained attention." —The Universal Child, Guided By Nature (p.2) by Susan M. Stephenson
In the summer, cherries are in abundance, and my children love cherries! Even more, they like the fact that they can serve themselves a snack independently from the beginning to the end – no adult assistance is required. Adrian, at two-and-a-half, boasts with confidence and pride whenever he serves himself a 🍒cherry-snack.
The step stool (buy here) provides access to the otherwise unaccessible refrigerator.
You will need a tray, few bowls, a cherry pitter and a picker for plucking cherries.
A child can put on a Montessori apron (buy this apple one here) without an adult assistance.
Montessori aprons allow for complete independence, affording a child a sense of accomplishment.
"The best instruction is that which uses the least words sufficient for the task."— Maria Montessori, The Discovery of Child.
Adrian naturally knows that the first step is to take off the stems.
Plucking cherries with a picker.
The pitter promotes child's gross motor control as the child has to push down to separate the pit. 
Adrian is removing the pitted cheery with a picker as well.
The 🍒 cherry-snack is served!
“Never help a child with a task at which he feels he can succeed." — Dr. Maria Montessori.
See here a video post of Arian pitting cherries a year later "🍒Cherry Pitting Activity (Practical Life 🙌 Activities 101🎥 Series 🎇)."
2 Comments
What a boy!
Thank you:)