Pouring to a Line

Strengthening the wrist is an important fine motor skill.

One activity that accomplishes this is pouring.

There are many types of pouring activities.
I recommend starting with pouring dry ingredients, such as beans,
then progressing to rice and flour.

Bear first practiced pouring water without a line on her glass.
I set it up so that there was only enough water in the creamer that it couldn't overflow the container she was pouring into.
I recommend doing this on a tray in case of spills.

Now that her wrist is stronger, she has more control over the creamer.
After a pouring accident in which she poured just a little too much milk into her cereal, I decided it was time to teach her how to stop pouring even if liquid remained in the container she was pouring from.

I used painters tape to mark the line on her glass and made sure the creamer had more water than was necessary to reach the line. After she pours to the line, she pours the water back into the creamer and starts over.

She did this for a good fifteen minutes!

I know Montessorians would say that the creamer should be on the left to encourage prereading skills, but it just doesn't make sense to me when her pouring wrist is her right one.