Small Bucket (10cm)
$3.00
These Small Buckets measure approximately 10.5cm in height with a 10cm diameter at the top. It features a small handle.
Available in a range of colours - please see the gallery images; Red, Yellow, Blue, Green, Purple, Pink (please remember to choose your colour preference from the drop-down menu).
Small Buckets are a surprisingly versatile tool in a Montessori inspired home or classroom. There are many different activities that can utilise these vessels, including (but not limited to!) the ideas shared here...
Practical Life accessories
I find myself regularly incorporating small buckets into indoor and outdoor practical life experiences. Here are a couple from my own Montessori classroom;
I find myself regularly incorporating small buckets into indoor and outdoor practical life experiences. Here are a couple from my own Montessori classroom;
Flower arranging activity featuring Purple and Green Buckets, small white jug and mini glass heart vase.
The child uses one bucket to gather the flowers, another to contain all the discarded leaves (removed from the lower end of the stems so they will not rot when placed in water), a small vase and a jug to fill the vase with water.
A bucket and whisk are used to mix soap shavings (made with our Box Grater) and water. This creates a bubbly solution that can be used for a variety of cleaning works, such as table scrubbing or cleaning placemats that have been soiled by paint.
Paint pots / pencil holders
Small buckets can make convenient colour-coded pencil holders or paint containers. They are particularly useful as paint containers for toddlers or young pre-schoolers who have not yet entirely mastered the art (pardon the pun!) of self-control. The child can be supported by ensuring that only a small amount of paint is placed in the bottom of the bucket. This leaves around 9cm of height between the paint and the rim of the bucket. This distance assists the child by allowing some of the 'drips' to fall naturally before the child even finishes lifting the brush from the vessel. The wide 'mouth' at the top of the bucket then assists the child with intentionally wiping the bristles to try to get rid of any remaining excess drips.
Colour sorting
Small buckets can make convenient colour-coded pencil holders or paint containers. They are particularly useful as paint containers for toddlers or young pre-schoolers who have not yet entirely mastered the art (pardon the pun!) of self-control. The child can be supported by ensuring that only a small amount of paint is placed in the bottom of the bucket. This leaves around 9cm of height between the paint and the rim of the bucket. This distance assists the child by allowing some of the 'drips' to fall naturally before the child even finishes lifting the brush from the vessel. The wide 'mouth' at the top of the bucket then assists the child with intentionally wiping the bristles to try to get rid of any remaining excess drips.Colour sorting
The buckets are available in a wide range of colours so they make the perfect vessels for sorting coloured objects. A toddler might initially focus on the single act of identifying colours and arranging them appropriately (as shown in the first photo). When the act of colour sorting itself is mastered then the difficulty can be increased by adding tools - such as the tongs shown in the second photo.
Fine motor exercises
A liquid transferring exercise using a baster. A simple version (above) involves simply transferring the water from one bucket to another, while a more advanced level (below) requires the water to be transferred more precisely into smaller containers.
A liquid transferring exercise using a miniature ladle.