Spring is in full bloom here which means that summer is right around the corner! And with spring and summer come gardening work for me and for my family. The more we are outside these coming months, the better. In our Montessori home, the backyard just becomes an extension of our house – a place for all sorts of practical life work. In order to make that happen, we need the right sized rakes, brooms, and gardening tools so my children can actively participate in the work of the family.
There’s a reason the Montessori prepared environment contains child sized tools. Without the right tools, it’s really difficult for young children to actually engage in practical work. At the right size, children can actually complete tasks, something even young toddlers really enjoy. They can independently use the materials, and build their powers of concentration.
Child Sized Rakes and Brooms for Spring and Summer
There are so many options when it comes to child sized rakes and brooms. Here are a few options:
I also suggest looking at your local hardware or garden store for child friendly brooms and rakes. Look for soil rakes and lobby brooms. These tend to be smaller and more easily used by children. Push brooms tend to be hearty and easy for younger toddlers to use, but less effective. Smaller rakes are better for gardening and wider rakes are better for leaves.
Think about the kinds of work you want to and need to do as you choose specific tools for your child.
Gardening Tools and Watering Cans for Montessori Toddlers
Again, there are so many options when it comes to gardening tools for young children. Think about the kind of work that you’ll want your child doing outside and get a few small tools that can help that job get done independently. Here are a few options:
There are so many ways to open up practical tools to your child! Don’t forget to place these tools in an accessible location and organize in a way that they can maintain. A little bit of organization can really help to call children to these tools over and over throughout the season.
What kinds of work would your children do with these child sized rakes, tools, and brooms?!
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