When you see pictures of Montessori children working on practical life work, they are almost always wearing an apron. For my kids, putting an apron on is one of the very first steps to a lot of the things they do around the house. Whether it's moping, cooking in the kitchen, painting, or indoor gardening, an apron is available to them to do the task. I love the aprons not only because they are so adorable, but it helps to keep their clothes clean. Plus, the apron helps to center their activity by signaling the start and end of a particular task.
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In a Montessori classroom many of the practical life works will have its own apron for a child to use while doing the task. In the classroom, these aprons often coordinate with the work to remind the children where to put it back or which apron to use while working. So, for example, the orange juicing work would have a coordinating apron with oranges on it. But, the plant care apron might be a solid green or have a beautiful nature inspired print.
These aprons would be tailored to the activity (so waterproof where appropriate) and limited in its use. In Nora’s class, for example, the children are taught to neatly fold each apron and store it with the work itself on the tray or shelf. Each apron is used for a singular purpose.
We can be more flexible in a Montessori home. Each of my children has one apron for general practical life work. The patterns are unique to their individual interests instead of specific to the activity. Nora uses one with beetles on it (shown in number 1) because of her love for bugs. Henry uses one with maps because he loves geography work.
When considering an apron for my home, I keep in mind:
- Size - I want something appropriate for my children. They are small so I tend to purchase the toddler aprons.
- Ability to get wet/be washed - they will need to be cleaned!
- Beauty - I want something that will call to them and be attractive for the work
- Ease of use - I prefer the ones that slip over a child's head and can be strapped independently
If you haven't tried an apron with your child, you should! They are an easy way to incorporate a little Montessori order, beauty, and practical work into your day.
Does your child have an apron?
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