Squeegee: Window Cleaning (70 cm)
Made by Nienhuis Montessori · shipped by Heutink International (Netherlands) About the maker
A squeegee of 70 cm, the same height as the brooms it stands beside, for windows and for water on a floor. It is the tool that finishes a job somebody else usually finishes for the child: washing a window is satisfying and leaves it streaked, and the squeegee is the difference between a window a child cleaned and a window a child cleaned properly. One long stroke, edge wiped, next stroke. 70 cm.
“Education is a natural process spontaneously carried out by the human individual, and is acquired not by listening to words but by experiences upon the environment.”
The floor squeegee serves as a bridge between the child's desire to contribute meaningfully and their developing physical capabilities. This wooden-handled tool with its professional rubber blade transforms water removal from an adult task into an accessible childhood activity.
- Gross motor coordination through large arm movements and controlled pushing motions
- Cause-and-effect understanding as water visibly moves with each stroke
- Sequential thinking by learning to work systematically across floor areas
- Care of environment through active participation in classroom maintenance
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Maria Montessori observed that children between three and six years seek real work that produces visible results, and the squeegee answers this developmental need by allowing them to see water disappear with each purposeful stroke. The ergonomic wooden handle fits naturally in small hands, while the rubber blade's effectiveness validates their efforts immediately. Through squeegeeing activities, children experience the satisfaction of restoring order to their environment while building the gross motor control necessary for larger movements. This floor tool embodies the Montessori principle that children learn through purposeful physical activity, as each push and pull of the squeegee strengthens arm muscles while developing spatial awareness and movement coordination.
How to present it
Follow the Montessori method of presentation for optimal child development.
Place squeegee on designated hook at child's height. Create a water spill area using a small pitcher on waterproof flooring or outdoor space.
- 1
Demonstrate holding the squeegee handle with both hands at comfortable height
Let the child adjust their grip naturally rather than correcting minor variations - 2
Show slow, deliberate pushing motion away from body to move water
Emphasize watching the water move rather than speed - 3
Demonstrate lifting squeegee and repositioning for next stroke
Count strokes aloud initially to help establish rhythm - 4
Guide child to work from one side of wet area to other systematically
Use painter's tape to mark boundaries if needed - 5
Show how to push collected water toward drain or collection point
Celebrate the dry floor rather than praising the child
Every Child Is a Little Creator
Heritage
Since 1929
In classrooms
Around the world
European brands
Nienhuis, GAM, Educo
Squeegee: Window Cleaning (70 cm)
