Philadelphia Chinese Academy

Children feel a sense of accomplishment when they see an object fade behind a coating of polish and then reappear all shiny—after a little rubbing, of course. Polishing activities give children a chance to synthesize preliminary skills, such as making a cotton swab and using an eye dropper, into an orderly sequence that yields a satisfying result.

Polishing is so wonderful because, like many Practical Life lessons, it allows for the child to develop his or her logical sequencing. Every time the child polishes, the sequence of the activity is reinforced (first you lay out the materials, then you open the bottle, then you put just a little polish in the bowl, and so on). Polishing also allows the child an incredibly conspicuous result of their labor. The tarnish on the cotton ball and polishing cloths are good indicators of their work, as is the shininess of the polished object. This activity encourages motivation for repetition, concentration, exactness, and care of the environment.

How to present Metal Polishing at home?

- You can make your own silver polish by mixing 2 parts baking soda with 1 part salt.
- The cotton cloth should be about 3 inches square. These can be cut out from an old T-shirt.

⁠⁠
⁠


⁠
⁠
⁠
⁠