In this video I’m in my Montessori toddler classroom (18–36 months) sharing a fairly new addition to my practical life shelf—an activity I now consider a “always have out” work: board book cleaning. Practical life is anything that improves, maintains, or restores the indoor/outdoor environment (including food prep and care of the environment), and this one fits perfectly because toddlers love real, meaningful work that helps the community. With independence and freedom come messes—so I just brace for them, because it’s part of life and we can clean them up. One thing that gets messy even when we try not to is books, especially board books with little toddler fingerprints (and yes, sometimes dried hummus). This simple, inexpensive setup gives toddlers a clear way to care for classroom materials while feeling proud of their contribution. All you need is a chemical-free wipe (I use WaterWipes), an airtight container to keep the wipes from drying out (bonus points if the lid is interesting to open and close), and a tray to present it neatly. I also show how I give the lesson: take a wipe, fold or bunch it, and slowly drag it across the pages while visually checking for spots to clean. It keeps our books looking nice, supports independence, and strengthens that sense of classroom community.