Practical Life
The Practical Life area of the class is a favorite among new students at Chai Tots. The activities in this area allow the children to develop fine motor skills, increased levels of concentration, and an ability to complete sequential steps thereby forming the basic skills for further intellectual work.
Through Practical Life exercises, the children play a vital role in caring for and maintaining our classroom and school environments and learn to take pride in their surroundings. They see themselves as important and contributing members of the group and become sensitive to the needs of the environment and the care that they and others have put into it.
Practical Life activities include pouring, washing, baking, polishing, flower arranging, dressing, sewing, tying, and spooning just to name a few. Every day the children set the table for and clean up after lunch and once a week the entire school bakes Challah together in honor of Shabbat.or twice a week the whole school bakes in our child-sized kosher kitchen.
In the Toddler Class the Practical Life activities focus on helping the children attain a measure of independence. Among other things, the children work on putting on their own shoes, brushing their hair, and helping to make and clean up snack.
At the Preschool level, the Practical Life section is expanded to include all the activities first mentioned above, and more. Because Chai Tots is a Jewish school, our polishing activities are designed so that the children polish the very candlesticks and Kiddush cups that are used at our weekly Shabbat parties.
