“I have seen one-year-old children putting things away when they were finished with them, a piece of work which usually goes unnoticed. This sort of work which a very small child is able to do and loves generally goes unnoticed, because children are usually given only toys to handle.”

~ Dr. Maria Montessori

Dr. Montessori framed “homework” as work of the home— tasks and responsibilities that are essential to the function and purpose of a home. For children aged 3-6 this encompasses a wide range of activities, including dusting shelves, washing clothes, sewing a button, caring for animals, helping to prepare meals, learning to ride a bike, and many, many more.

If you’re looking for ideas for specific areas of your home or activities to do, these lists can be used as a reference. These are just ideas, so please do not feel this is a manual or a must for your home. At the very least, when reviewing the lists, you’ll begin to see the reoccurring themes and take the essence of how to adopt more developmentally appropriate supports in your home for your young child(ren)

All these suggestions and any guidance are only ever as effective as you practice them and model them yourself.