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 →

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 meaningful, they assist in developing individuality and creativity. We mustn't think that writing is always the end goal, drawing and creating is pretty important too. And guess what, your toddler can already do it! Fostering creativity through drawing is always a priority for our toddler. Because toddlers can't always tell us what they want, they don't always know they want to draw unless... Read more →

A Montessori teacher once told me that she doesn't recommend anything (to parents) that isn't readily available (locally) or affordable. She said that parents had more important things to worry about than sourcing the same cutter or wavy knife that they use in the classroom. I've felt it too. Hearing that the 'best' Montessori knife/pitcher/toy isn't available or doesn't ship to your country isn't helpful. Regularly promoting materials or toys that are out of the reach or budget of the majority isn't helpful. Making it feel like Montessori materials are exclusive or that creating a Montessori home is unachievable, isn't... Read more →

I've been reading Creative Children's Spaces: Fresh and imaginative ideas for modern family homes by Ashlyn Gibson. It's not Montessori in approach but there are floor beds featured (house beds) and good art display options. I love the idea of using a restaurant tab (or check) grabber for displaying art, or prints, or photographs so much that I ordered some straight away. A young child can use them easily and independently. I am also a fan of the slightly industrial looks. Perhaps in our next house I will put one in the kitchen, or living area or near the children's... Read more →

Floor beds are becoming more popular!! By two years of age many children have also transitioned to a toddler bed. So before Otto gets any older (he's currently 27 months) I want to share some pictures and note what his floor bed set up looks like. At two years (27 months) we currently use: Cot Sized Floor Bed - c/o Sprout, we have one high side and one low side. Fitted sheet - we don't use a top sheet as it restricts movement. A fitted sheet is really important for the toddler as it doesn't bunch or come off. Hand... Read more →

Image: Minime Design What is your favourite part of Montessori parenting or teaching? Of course I love working and spending time with my children but I also enjoy designing Montessori inspired spaces. Over the last few years I've dabbled with helping friends work out some of their spaces. But in the new year I hope to do a lot more of it!! I can see the impact good Montessori design can have on children and their ability to move, to learn and, to create. If you are in Sydney need help putting together your child/ren's spaces in 2020 let me... Read more →

When selecting gifts for children we like to make an activity kit or bag with a few items that the child can use and play with. We think about the child's interests and choose a theme. These activity kits feel a little more personalised than giving a toy alone and they feel a little more put together. Hopefully the children find them fun and useful! Here are some of our gift ideas for our friends and family. Most of these ideas can be adapted to other themes depending on the interests of the children. We will wrap the individual items... Read more →

Every child deserves to learn about real food and where it comes from. Visiting a farm and growing your own food is important and books can be used to support this hands-on-learning. We love books in our home and especially books about food and gardens. Here are some of our favourite books about farm to table and farmers markets. Before We Eat, Meet Me at the Farmers Market and Happy Veggies are stand outs. No matter the age of your children, no matter if you shop at the grocery store or at the farmers market, I hope you enjoy our... Read more →

Children (including toddlers) can cut, grate, peel, mash, spiralize! Often parents and care givers (including me) totally underestimate what young children are able to do because we are so focused on keeping them safe, on keeping them away from harm. Often we/I also focus on keeping the children and our kitchens clean! But we know that exposing our children to risk is important, we know that providing our children with real experiences and real skills is important, it's critical to their natural development. Children cannot get real skills from cutting wooden fruit. So what is holding us back? At this... Read more →

chowki: noun INDIAN a low wooden seat or stool. A Montessori Chowki is a simple Chowki that is sized proportionately for the child. Maria Montessori observed children using Chowkis in India. Since then their popularity has grown and the Chowki can now be found in Montessori classrooms around the world. What is so 'Montessori' about a Chowki? They can be child-sized so children can sit and use them comfortably. Chowkis promote movement, they promote flexibility in the classroom and can contribute to a dynamic workspace where children can develop to their highest potential. Chowkis can work well in small spaces... Read more →

A toddler-friendly Christmas tree? Is it possible? There are a few options that are toddler-friendly and depending on your decor and your child, you may be able to find one that fits your family. In the past, we've decorated our main tree very lightly with toddler safe decorations but toddlers looooove to take things on and off. Christmas trees look pretty and it's hard for toddlers to resist. While I can't guarantee your toddler will leave your main tree alone, here are a few options that allow for hands-on play, repetition (= concentration) and ownership for the toddler. I've read... Read more →