how we montessori

Extracurricular Activities

Do you ever worry that your child is doing too many or too few extracurricular activities?

Just to put it out there Caspar does Gymnastics on Saturday and Soccer on Sunday. He goes to school everyday of the week, this means he doesn't have a full rest day. 

Initially I thought these extra activities would be good for building relationships. However I've found the classes are so full he doesn't get a chance to connect with the other children or his coaches. What has happened is that he connects with his Dad who takes him. Unless his Dad is working these are Father and son activities. 

The Montessori approach is that these extracurricular activities are unnecessary, especially at this age. I remember Montessori had no emphasis on organised sport. Neither his gymnastics or soccer are competitive. They are great activities for fitness and coordination but these could easily be obtained through other means. 

Montessori for Everyone had an interesting interview When Children and Culture Collide: An Interview with P. Donohue Shortridge. I am really supportive of what Ms Donohue Shortridge had to say. She mentioned:

"Children age 3-6? Again, this age child should pretty much be moving from home to Montessori school and back home again."

You can read more from P. Donohue Shortridge here. I take from this she feels extracurricular activities are unnecessary too. 

What's my view? I feel extracurricular activities can provide a really positive experience for the child but we need to keep in mind what the real benefits are. Swimming lessons are a good example. Here in Australia swimming lessons are considered essential and may reduce drownings. Although something like soccer can be picked up at a later age. If the child genuinely enjoys it and their schedule isn't overloaded, why not. As for essential, is your child missing out if they are not attending any extracurricular activities - probably not!

Planks

As I mentioned in the Fascinated by Froebel post I have been looking at building blocks for Caspar. Planks quickly went on my wish list. These are an Australian design and I believe there are some very similar products in the US. 

On the surface they look like over priced (they're not cheap) off cuts. If you have the tools and skills it's entirely possible to make them yourself. What sets these aside from other blocks is each plank is identical in size and weight.

When Caspar opened the box he wasn't excited. He looked at the brochure and picked out a design he wanted to make. Being a Lego boy he was expecting step-by-step instructions. When he discovered he had to make the design himself he lost interest and didn't come back to the planks for a couple of days.

But then he got creative. He started to use his imagination. It confirmed to me that we need more materials like this, entirely open ended. 

There are only 100 planks in this box which isn't enough. I am undecided on purchasing more planks or trying some other blocks. 

I had preconceived ideas about blocks and even these planks, thinking they were for younger children. Looking at these images I think we have many years of play left. Looking at these images of older children actually makes me feel excited for what our future holds. 

 

Cute puppet storage

Almost all of our puppets were given as gifts - hence the variety. Caspar has been putting on a puppet show almost every day. We use our playstand as a puppet theatre. Caspar came up with this cute way of storing his puppets. It makes for a nice display!

 

Large prints for his room

Otis wasn't even born when I first noticed these lovely large prints. Too scary for a newborn I thought. 

Newborn no longer. I almost have a toddler on my hands. He already loves to sit and watch the small creatures that surround him. Now he can see them in detail. These prints are truly wonderful, you can see the veins on the wings of the dragonfly and the hairs on the legs of the ant. 

I ordered the prints from Michael Olaf however a greater range can be seen here.  It took some courage to install. They are large and certainly make an impact. I love having a nature theme running through our home. The only thing missing from his room is a plant but for that we'll have to wait a little bit longer. 

 

Help me to do it myself - pouring a drink

I thought twice about posting this. I was worried you might think I'm crazy. I know there were more than a few raised eyebrows when I wrote about Otis preparing his own snack. But you know this is a Montessori blog, don't be surprised by Montessori posts. When I've gone though my Montessori texts I've seen children much younger pour themselves a drink. No shock in seeing Otis do it. This goes to the heart of Montessori "help me to do it myself". Often Montessori goes against societal norms. 

I didn't introduce this to Caspar until he was around eighteen months old. Caspar couldn't do it. He just couldn't get the water in his glass. One day I was watching Edison's Day. I think in the video Edison is around eighteen months old and I noticed the size of his jug, it was tiny. I went home gave Caspar a smaller jug, actually this exact one Otis is using and wow straight away Caspar could do it. It was a revelation - size does matter!! I would have given Otis a smaller jug if I could find one. I couldn't even find a suitable milk creamer which are often a good size for beginners. 

This was the first time I have shown this to Otis. It was pure joy. He did it over and over and over. Pure joy! He drank a lot of water and got very wet in the process. 

A couple of things to note;

• Otis has been using a glass for over six months. He can pick up, move, hold, put down and drink from a glass comfortably. This isn't a good time to introduce a glass for the first time. If you are already using plastic cups there is no harm in trying this with a plastic jug. Otis didn't even think about throwing the jug, he treated it with care as he does the glass.

• I had a small sponge on the table for Otis to help clean up spills. Although he tried I mostly used a tea towel to clean up, there was a lot of water spilt. 

• I had a larger jug on the table for me to refill his jug. I only put a small amount of water in his jug each time. This saves me getting up for fresh water every time. Guaranteed if you try this at home your child will want more than one drink.

• I allowed every spill. I didn't make a fuss and simply cleaned up. Otis poured himself many drinks, the last time he picked up his glass he deliberately poured it over himself. This indicated to me the activity was over, his concentration was broken. I love water play and it has it's place which is not at the table. 
  

He has perfected the one handed drink. 

I know there will be a few people who try this at home. The photograph below is for you. It's one of Otis's first attempts. Yes, he missed the glass entirely. Don't feel discouraged, it only took him a couple of tries before he got it.  

Happy pouring!

Grow your own Mushrooms!

My attitude to preparing activities for Caspar has changed. While I still explore and try to expand upon his interests I also try to engage him in new and interesting concepts. Like growing sprouts or making our own butter. Because he spends so much time in school I try to present learning opportunities that are not available to him there. Like growing mushrooms. 

How much fun. I didn't know you could get kits to do this. It takes a while though, all things going well we'll have mushroom mold in a week and harvesting mushrooms within a month. 

Otis is the lucky second child who comes along for the ride. Caspar is misting the mushrooms above and those are Otis's little hands below. He's peak in a pointing phase. 

Fascinated by Froebel

I am looking for some new blocks for Caspar. Something architectural. I haven't made any decisions but Froebel's blocks and his other gifts have caught my attention. I'm fascinated.  

It has been said that Maria Montessori was inspired by Froebel and it's easy to see his influence in her work. Straight away the Roman Arch and Constructive Triangles appear Froebelian.

Froebel was the founder of the kindergarten. He designed a series of tools called gifts to stimulate symbolic learning. These gifts have been called the original educational toys. Froebel created these gifts to allow children to experience the order and beauty of the physical world.  

The gifts include solids, surface, lines, points and a framework for solids. The gifts are used differently to Montessori materials. They require the teacher to guide the child. As an example blocks are not the be knocked down or rebuilt but changed piece by piece and every piece of the gift must be used. So interesting. I have enjoyed reading this collection of articles by Richard Thiessen produced by AIMS Education Foundation.  

There are many similarities between Froebel and Montessori. Froebel wrote about children trying to make sense of the world by exploration and the importance of the prepared environment. Because of the hands on nature of the Montessori classroom I think Montessori children would take to these gifts really well. 

The Froebelian approach is about more than these gifts. Gardening, songs, movement, games and crafts called occupations are also prominent. I love the video on Froebel Gifts. They go on to say that the core of the philosophy is focused play which could be achieved without the gifts, that this could be achieved with materials from nature walks or everyday materials. Beautiful don't you think?

 

Pets for children - how about Hermit Crabs?

Pets add a feeling of warmth to a home. For a minimalist like me that's important. Pets allow us to observe nature up close. We can learn anatomy, behaviour patterns, eating habits, oh so much. 

I love these little critters. They have personality and are very active. They like digging, climbing, tumbling and eating. 

To start I wasn't sure. They require upkeep. Their water and food needs to be replenished frequently. Their water needs to be dechlorinated and they need a salt bath. You have to monitor their temperature. It's too much for Caspar so his responsibility is checking on their welfare, "do they look happy?" and an occassional mist.  

Normally it's not that crowded, today we tried offering some banana and grapes. It's hard to tell if they ate any but they climbed all over it. 

It's important to us that they are accessible. First we had them on a small coffee table. But that was too easy for Otis to reach, he started banging on the glass. This table is perfect, it's so stable and Otis can see the crabs but he cannot reach them. It's nice that Caspar can still access the aquarium and it makes a nice place for him to sit and observe. 

I'm still a novice. Seeking the advice of crab keepers near us and reading up, there is some great information on forums and even blogs on crabs. If you have any tips on keeping Hermit Crabs I'd be happy to hear. Our crabs currently don't have a hut but the branch does provide protection.

Grrr. I just read Hermit Crabs don't like misting. Who to believe?

A sneak peek at our new pet!

Using a work mat at home and an open and close activity

Do your children use a work mat at home? I wonder at what age it is introduced? 

In the past Otis has worked at his table or straight on the floor. This is the first time he has used a work mat. I felt like a real teacher rolling it out slowly and deliberately.

As you can see Otis wanted to sit on it. I only have two rules. 1. The work stays on the mat. 2. The mat is rolled up and put away when we are finished. 

When I met with Kate last week I realised that we would soon be posting on similar activities. Otis and Sarah are so close in age we will always have much in common. 

I remember presenting an open and close activity to Caspar when he was around eighteen months. The beauty of this activity is you can easily change the skill level. Otis's basket contains tins, jars and other containers from the kitchen and bathroom. I don't mind the busyness of the labels, I think it makes this a good practical life activity. He's not just opening a container, he is opening a spice jar!

As it turns out Otis is only interested in mastering the Cream to Tartar container. He's focused for sure. 

Montessori bloggers are not a voice of authority.

How do you feel about blogs? Do you feel inspired? Do you feel defeated? Is the world of blogging becoming larger or just my immersion into it?

Some blogs are amazing and are like an escape to another world, another reality. I think that proves we are all different. With different blogs. With different perspectives, even on Montessori. 

Caspar makes lunch

Since Caspar has started extended days at school he has started making his own lunch. I really love this however there are some difficulties. Mainly time. It takes him around twenty minutes. While we try to keep our mornings nice and easy it's hard to spare the twenty minutes. You know you can't rush a four year old. There is no telling him to hurry up.

I think it's a good idea for a child to prepare their own lunch no matter their age. I'm sure there are children much younger doing this. Even if your child is older I don't think they are ever too old to start. Thinking back to my childhood I don't remember ever making my own lunch. I know Caspar's childhood memories will be very different. Here are a few of my tips for making it happen. 

• Wake up early, get started early, do whatever you need to ensure they have enough time. A young child simply cannot 'quickly' make their own lunch. Respect the process, if you rush your child or take over it can hurt their ego and self confidence. 

• Have the child prepare familiar foods foods in a familiar way. This is not a good time to introduce new skills. If your child hasn't peeled a carrot before try demonstrating this when you have more time.

• Discuss with your child the night before or before food shopping what they might like for lunch. 

• Ensure there is lots of variety. Caspar likes to eat the same foods everyday but if I don't offer him options he'll never take them.

• Only present your child with healthy options. We keep treats to snack or in between meals. I don't believe a treat a good idea at a meal time. Our school is also very strict no sweets, cake or biscuits allowed in the lunch box.

• Empower your child and make it part of their everyday routine. For Caspar it's not even an option it's just something he does. 

My number one tip is to give your child a lunch bag to contain their lunch box, fruit and drink. I didn't do this and on Caspar's first day he dropped his lunch box with it's contents spilling everywhere. It also may seem obvious but ensure your child can open and use their lunch box and drink containers. If your child struggles to make their own lunch I suggest have them help you and then over time slowly empower them, shift the balance so they take the lead and you become the helper. 

Making their own lunch may seem like a small thing to us but I assure you it's a big thing to them.  

 

A sensory experience for Otis

Nice cool rice. It feels good. 

When the rice falls onto the clam shell it sounds like rain. Later in the evening we took the clam shell and rice inside.

The long grass provides a sensory experience too. 

We don't have leaves like this in our garden. These are left over from one of Caspar's projects. 

Crunchy autumn leaves. 

Otis wears Amber

Honestly when I first read about teething necklaces I thought the child must chew them. I hesitated thinking what a choking hazard! You know the child isn't supposed to chew the necklace at all, they simply need to wear it against their skin. 

Caspar wore his infrequently and it didn't appear to help at all. However Otis is happy to wear his all the time. He doesn't notice it and you cannot even see it, it's usually hidden beneath his clothes.

The theory is Amber has healing properties and can help relieve the pain of teething. The Amber needs to be warmed against the skin. There is no possible harm in wearing the necklace (it has a release on the clasp so it will break if it gets caught) and nothing else has helped. Gels, paracetamol, teethers still no relief. I like to think the Amber is helping in the most natural, soothing way. 

How we attach this picture to the wall.

Following a few comments here is in photographs how we attached this picture to the wall.

We have a couple of pictures like this. We found them at a second hand stall. This one is my favourite, I love that Otis can see the farm animals. 

We use Command Picture Hanging Strips. They are temporary so you can remove the strips from the wall and your picture without any damage. This is perfect for a toddler's room where you might want to move the pictures frequently.

One strip goes on the picture and one on the wall. The reason this works well for this picture is because the strip is placed on the picture backing, not on the wooden frame as seen here. 

When you match up the two strips and click them into place...

this fame sits flat against the wall. Otis has so far been unable to remove it from the wall. Although he tries he cannot get his fingers behind the picture to pull it off. If he was successful I would add a few more strips. I have used the strips on other pictures and they are stonger than they look. 

I'm happy for him to touch and explore the picture. There is no glass cover to be concerned about. I wonder about it's origin. Anyone recognise the style?

Toilet Learning Pants

Along with shoes we also ordered these toilet learning pants from Michael Olaf.

Otis has been wearing training pants for a while like the red ones in this post although as you can see they are bulky and absorb much like a nappy, neither Otis or I could even tell he was wet. I was looking for pants that were;

• Absorbent enough there is no puddle but the child still feels wet

• Easy to see the child is wet 

• Slimline, not at all bulky

• Easy to get on and off, even for a very young child

• Made from natural fibers

• Comfortable

These pants are perfect for us. They are made from organic cotton and so far no puddles. Not even a wet bed. Although I don't intentionally have him sleep in them. I usually change him before bed, sometimes I don't get a chance. 

Otis only wears them when we are at home. When he is in training pants I am able to see when he is wet and have worked out a bit of a pattern. Otis is also very aware of when he needs to use the toilet (potty) but sometimes we don't make it in time. The pants also help with self confidence. No problem if the pants get wet, we'll go put on a dry pair. 

I continually refer back to the toileting section at Aid to Life. The information is simple and doable.

The Cube Chair

We bought Otis's first cube chair before he was born. I always liked the look of two chairs together, such a cute concept. Because these two chairs have different stains they don't match perfectly but I still love using them together. 

Otis used the Me-Do-It chair as a weaning chair. At six months he couldn't sit up like this, he needed the support. He is currently using the Me-Do-It chair in his room and this combo is for his snack area. I love that it is compact, when friends come over we have two chairs and they can be used as step stools in the kitchen. Later they can be used as besides tables.

I was asked about his picture. He cannot pull it off because it sits flat against the wall. He cannot get his fingers behinds it for leverage. He still tries occasionally.

When everything is beautiful

I wish I could capture and save the beauty of today. So many of my friends and family are in good places right now.

My sister Shannon is about to compete in her second Ironman. That's 3.8km swim, 180km bike and 42.2km run. Shannon, there isn't a moment Sunday we won't be thinking of you! 

After school today the boys and I visited the National Museum Australia, for the second time in two days. We visited the Travelling the Silk Road exhibition and passed through Xi'an, Turfan, Samarkand and Baghdad. I loved this exhibition, I loved their use of senses. They had sound and scent displays! We were at the museum for three hours. I'm not kidding. Caspar and Otis were so well behaved. Caspar didn't want to leave. It was beautiful. 

Did you enjoy the recent posts (Part One and Part Two) on Screen Time? Ok, I admit it's not something I really enjoy talking about but I do think it's important. I was really inspired by the concept of TV Free Week and Five Lessons from a TV Free Household over at Simple Kids. Simple Kids is one of my favourite sites and one of only a handful that I subscribe to. 

I have also been thinking about children spending time outdoors. It's rained a lot here recently and our children at school missed out on outside play because it was raining. The old me, the before kids me, would understand. It's raining so you don't want the children to get wet, especially at school, they'll have to wear raincoats and possibly change their wet clothes, it's too hard. But the current me, the me with children questions this. Perhaps other parents won't agree, perhaps teachers would be horrified at the thought. But why not? It's easy to send your child to school with wet weather gear and most children already keep a spare set of clothes in their bags. It feels by keeping them indoors they are not experiencing the day fully, it feels like we are overprotecting them. So often I feel like my expectations of others, of our school are too high. But I'm a purist at heart and saying you cannot play outside today because it's raining doesn't feel right. I'd love to hear if your school allows your children outdoors in the rain. Does this happen? 

I have been meaning to share a new site with you. Aid to Life is a wonderfully simple site for children 0-3 supported by some of the most respected Montessori organisations. For Otis I've been following their information on toileting exactly. It's been working well, Otis can definitely tell when he need to go to the toilet. I cannot wait until he can walk though it will make it much easier.  

Take care and have a wonderful weekend!

Reading at twelve months

I featured the above photograph on Tuesday for the Photo of the Day but I liked it so much I wanted to feature it here too. 

I know many of you are book fans, big book fans. I have written about why read to your baby before but things are now different for Otis. He can choose, open and read his own book. I love capturing these quiet moments of him reading to himself.

At twelve months I endeavor to teach him;

• How to hold a book (carefully and the right way up), I don't correct him if he holds it upside down but I do make a point of showing him the right way next time I get the chance. 

• How to turn a page.

• There are pictures and words that tell the story.

• How to handle a book with respect, no throwing, don't step on them. I need to remind Caspar that he needs to be a good role model too. 

• How and where to store books, put them away when finished. 

• Reading is for enjoyment and it can be shared.

Because Caspar and Otis are so apart in age I like to read to them everyday together and separately. These rainy days it's mostly snuggled up in bed. 

There is nothing better than finding Caspar reading to Otis. Caspar is shy about it, he only does it when they are alone, he'll stop as soon as I walk into the room. 

In the kitchen - child led hommus

Today Caspar made hommus. We don't have a food processor and when I saw this hand held processor demonstrated and they said it could be easily used by a child, I was sold.  

We love hommus but this is the first time we have made it ourselves. Although it didn't taste as good as the hommus from our local Turkish restaurant it did taste better than the supermarket hommus. This is a very simple recipe. Most people suggest a spoonful of Tahini which would be a good addition if you found your hommus needed a boost. 

Hommus

1 can chick peas

1 clove garlic

1/4 cup of olive oil

juice from half a lemon

- drain and rinse chick peas, puree chick peas, add crushed garlic, mix in olive oil and lemon juice

serve with crackers or vegetable sticks

When Caspar is making something new we start by going through the ingredients and discussing the steps. I will help verbally and of course if he asks for help. Here I opened the can, helped to peel the garlic and finish the processing to get the right consistency. Caspar made the hommus and I helped. 

It requires a change of thinking and finding the right recipes and food. If your child likes to help in the kitchen I encourage you to find a way to help them. Allow them to take the lead. Depending on your child's skill base it may take time and a bit of mess. Also the more time children spend in the kitchen the more comfortable they become. Repeating a favourite recipe helps too. Because we have cooked it so many times Caspar almost knows our chocolate cake recipe by heart. 

You know we have a book to be released on June 4 which contains some of our favourite child led recipes. It contains suggestions for making your kitchen child friendly and walks you through basic skills to teach your child. We have put a lot of effort into it and all funds raised will go to Montessori for All. The book will be available on Amazon. I will give your more details once they are finalised. I'm excited and nervous at the same time. 

Back to the hommus, this has to be good for you!