I don't like a lot of toys in the bath. It drives me crazy when I have to move them or clean them up. We usually only have a couple of toys out at a time. But I find bath toys almost essential. They are so, so useful. We have a couple of toys in the children's bath but now I also have a few toys in our ensuite shower. Our shower is large (it's the size of a double) so it's easy for me to keep out a few things for my toddler (2yrs) to play with. Our usual... Read more →
You know how some children love to 'post' things. Some children also love to hang things. There is this repetitive fine and gross motor movement that they find satisfying that can help cement their learning and increase concentration. When I first noticed the Language Tree I knew that Otto would enjoy it. He loved our ornament tree at Christmas which uses a very similar hanging motion. I asked Andrea O’Halloran of Montessori Materials to tell me a little more about the Language Tree: "When I taught at Forestville Montessori School, we introduced the concrete example of an object to a... Read more →
There are some brands that you can just trust. There are brands that I feel very well aligned with and these are the ones I seek out over and over. When I opened our first Lovevery box I loved everything inside it. When I looked closely I could see that their stage-based approach was spot on and it closely mimicked what I had done with my children, from cute black and white cards, small rattles, to interlocking discs and play socks. It was everything I was looking for. I've been sharing my experience with Lovevery for a while but recently... Read more →
Our family has been through a huge transition. With Christmas, traveling and moving back to Australia my older children have just started going back to school. When we go through transitions or difficult times I always seek out opportunities for my children to concentrate. I find concentration grounding and calming. It's like finding some stillness and quiet in the chaos. Also, it's something that you can't force, you can't make a toddler concentrate, but you can allow for it and provide opportunities for it. When travelling we continue to seek out opportunities for our toddler (2 years) to participate in... Read more →
Want to see some really lovely Montessori toddler spaces? These are all such good examples of a little space in the home (and one community) set aside for the toddler's toys and materials. I love the format of these shelves. This is an adorable version of the Sprout Luce Shelves. These would be super useful if you had a crawling or pull-to-standing infant. These shelves really do grow with the child. The rug is really cute too! This is from a toddler community in Chicago. It is a great account to follow especially for Montessori toddler teachers. The space is... Read more →
The first room I set up when we moved into this new house was Otto's bedroom. We had spent almost four weeks in hotel rooms and apartments. I knew that Otto needed his own space. Space to be himself, to play, to roll around on the floor. To learn, grown and concentrate. To play uninterrupted. He needed his very own refuge and safe space. He needs minimal supervision in his room as we've made it a 'yes' space. There are no toys with small parts. There are no large pieces of furniture. We have three puzzles on his shelves that... Read more →
This is my last post coming from the UK. My next post will be from Sydney, Australia. I wanted to publish this earlier in the week but international moves always take more time and energy than I expect. All of my children love to eat pasta and fresh pasta often tastes better. There are so many reasons to try making pasta with children; It's easy - making pasta is almost fool proof, it's easy to make and easy to correct mistakes, add more flour if its too wet. Only needs a few easy-to-find ingredients - like eggs, flour, water. We... Read more →
We are about to spend three weeks on the road (and air). There are a few little bits and pieces that I always keep an eye out for when travelling. Some of these are to remember our travels, some are for more academic purposes and some are to add interest to our home and collections. This is not to promote consumerism but to help create a collection of thoughtful and meaning materials, from around the state, country or world! Many of these items can be found at markets, gift shops, handmade stalls and at festivals. Some can be found at... Read more →
I haven't seen a sorting box like this for years. There was one in our Montessori toddler group in Canberra (Holder) but I don't remember much about it. I took a risk and ordered one for Otto (at 27 months). Luckily it was a hit, definitely worth it, and I can really see the benefits. It's fantastic for cognitive development which is so important in the first three years of life, including: visual perception and the child's ability to identify objects that are similar - what looks the same and what looks different (the tiles match the wooden strip at... Read more →
I've never met a toddler that doesn't love a little spray bottle!! Mini spray bottles are fabulous for developing hand strength and can be used for lots of practical life activities. Needs some ideas? Mini spray bottles can be used in the home for toddlers and preschoolers for: Care of Self Activities spraying hair, to smooth it in the mornings or to add a leave-in conditioner. cooking, spray water on bread before baking. Care of the Environment Activities window washing, or mirror washing. in the kitchen to wipe counter-tops, wipe down tables, clean out fridge, general dusting, to put in... Read more →
My children use knives in the kitchen almost from the moment they can stand unassisted. They typically start with a crinkle cutter and cut soft foods like banana. My toddler (now at 27 months) uses a whole range of knives, none of them sharp enough to cut his skin and all with a rounded tip for safety. I believe a good knife can inspire children in the kitchen. A good knife can make work like slicing food be it hard squash for soup or a ripe tomato for a sandwich, a whole lot easier. A knife that doesn't cut easily... Read more →
Our most played with toy on Christmas day was the Lovevery block set! The blocks are so colourful and modern, they are versatile and fun!! Otto just kept on going back to them. I want to share this block set with you as it is a little out of the ordinary and significant in terms of learning to follow and support your child's development. "We went into more than a hundred families’ homes and discovered that classic blocks were not a staple for many. Bricks and other block alternatives had pushed blocks aside. We knew we had to do something,... Read more →
Thank you so much for being here with me this year. I hope you have a safe and wonderful Christmas Day. If you have a moment, here are a few links and things that you might enjoy! This Montessori toddler room at Joy of Discovery is lovely. The shelving provides storage while keeping the room looking light and open, it works so well! My favourite book this year, Let's Do This, is now available at Manine Montessori! Otis and I have been baking a lot these holidays, we have bookmarked these planet cookies to make next week. Decorating cookies isn't... Read more →
My children love using cookie cutters! My eight-year-old has a huge cookie cutter collection. Today I'm sharing some activities to do with children using cookie cutters. Most of these are suitable for toddlers and some are for older children too! Cookie cutters are good for building hand strength, coordination and life skills. They can help build creativity within food preparation activities and art. Above, we borrowed these heart shaped cookie cutters from our neighbour, they are adorable. They are perfect for stacking and sorting by size. My toddler (27 months) sorts them and then gets them out again over and... Read more →
Play dough is one thing that is guaranteed to keep my toddler (27 months) happy for a very long time. He may use his play dough tray anywhere from five minutes to an hour and five minutes. It's lovely. But I need to remember to rotate the play dough and some of the materials every so often. We recently removed our Autumn themed play dough and put in some Christmas themed dough and materials. I make notes as I see new ideas and I thought I would share some of the notes I made in preparation for our Christmas play... Read more →