Areas that can be explored in PLA.
- Use of DIY tools- hammer, wrench, spanner, screw driver, etc
- Sewing
- Knitting
- Weaving
- Washing
- Gardening-raking, planting
- Flower arrangement in vases
- Cooking and food preparation
- Start with large beads and make the beads smaller as the child gains experience and skill.
- You can make your own lacing cards with smaller holes
- The children can go on to large button sewing,
- They can make stitches and go on to cross stitches, following designs and patterns and using an embroidery hoop as a guide.
- They can make raffia plaits and join them together with needle and thread to make belts or coasters and table mats.
- They can make macramé pot hangers or bags on cane or wooden handles.
- They can learn how to use a seam ripper to remove stiches.
- There are also weaving projects they can do starting with paper or cardboard
- They can go ahead and weave strips of cotton
- They can also graduate to using a child sized weaving loom.
- They can learn how to use a lint pick-up to remove lint from a dress or item of clothing.
- Under care of the environment the children can learn how to do washing.
- They can have an outdoor PLA day per week or once in 2 weeks when they wash tyres, cars, window washing and cleaning using the special window or windscreen cleaners
- They can learn how to use the vacuum cleaner to clean up after lunch or art activity.
- They can care for the school playground- raking, gardening, planting.
- They can arrange flowers from the school yard in a vase or on an oasis.
- Integrating food preparation will help you explore not only PLA but other areas of the Montessori curriculum as well.
- Sensorial-explore fruits and vegetables that are rough and smooth.
- Language- you can mention ingredients as you cook and making a note of the differences between two things.
- Math- weighing of ingredients or the quantities used.
- Science- Knowing where things come from
- Cultural- trying food from different cultures
- Art- they can paint pictures of fruits or make prints with food § Music – the beaded gourd [shekere ] comes from a dried fruit.
