This year has been difficult for Otto (2yrs). After moving in January it's taken us months to fully set up our prepared environment to the point that everything is working and functional. But it's so worth it, and it's worth taking tim...
These are very difficult times. Slowly our city is shutting down and life is changing. I've been asked several times to write about how we can talk to toddlers about the virus in a Montessori way. We haven't approached the topic with O...
There is a whole lot of hand-washing going on around here and it's a good thing! I've learnt that toddlers need to be standing up themselves to wash their hands adequately, you can't be holding them up. When you get home from being out...
Today Otto (2yrs) attended his first toddler art class. The studio was beautiful, amazing and vibrant. I felt so inspired that I made some adjustments to our art shelves as soon as we got home. But what had me thinking was the focus on...
We often think about developing fine motor skills in order to prepare the hand for writing. But what about preparing the hand for drawing, isn't that just as important? Drawings are communication, they are expression, they are meaningf...
What are the best scissors for Montessori toddlers? I'd love to know your thoughts. Why specifically for Montessori toddlers? In Montessori environments, toddlers are often taught to use real scissors to cut paper strips. In many mains...
You can teach toddlers to do almost anything. Can they use tongs? Yes, they can! From toddlerhood many children are able to wrap their little fingers around the tongs and squeeze them just enough to pickup their desired item and transf...
I love matching work!! There is so much variety, you can make matching work to suit almost any interest. You can often make the activity using materials you already have at home. It's so good for toddlers and preschoolers too, there is...
One of our most used toys is the stacking and pegging board. Both Otis and Otto have loved them from around 14 months, once they could comfortably sit unaided and use two hands together in a coordinated way. Some pegging toys are harde...
My toddler is going through a language explosion. In a matter of months, he has gone from knowing a hundred or so words to perhaps thousands. It has been exciting and wonderful to watch. I want to share some of the activities that we h...