Folding is a wonderful Montessori exercise in building independence, confidence and fine motor skills, by utilizing an everyday object, cloth.
Not only will this activity help children develop a better sense of muscular control, it also provides a lesson in exactness and rigor, laying the foundations for later geometry work.
There are a number of different folding exercises contained within the tray. The child will trace their finger along the seams, highlighting where the fold will occur. They will then carefully fold the cloth, along the seams, receiving the visual confirmation they need to know they are completing the task.
Once the child has successfully folded the squares of cloth, they will place them at the top right of the table, where the others lay, proceeding to work on the next one in the series.
Beyond the work found on the Practical Life shelf, children also fold laundry items used in the classroom, such as napkins and hand towels, building independence, confidence, and fine motor skills.
