Five Things on a Friday + Montessori Weekend Reading

Today I'm sharing five things we've enjoyed this week along with a few links and interesting Montessori inspired home tours.

1. Otis' (8 yrs) favourite podcast. He is naturally inquisitive but this podcast really gets him thinking and he often has more questions after listening to an episode!! I often subscribe him to new podcasts for him to try but this remains his favourite. Some of the others include Tumble, Wow in the World and Fun Kids Science Weekly.

2. Caspar (12yrs) is currently reading speeches that changed the world, he loves the section on Gandhi.

3. Moving house means new house plants. These are on the children's shelves and I always try to introduce plants that are interesting. Monstera plants are a favourite and this one is putting out new leaves (light green) already. I don't know the name of the second plant but Kokedama always look fun!

4. Otto (29 months) loves these 15 piece puzzles, he's been using them for a couple of months and has now mastered them. They are on a cardboard tray so they are easy to store on the shelves or carry around. The cardboard tray also has little indentation where there the puzzle pieces go. I'm not sure if Otto sees them but they may make it easier for the young child to do the puzzle. Tractor on The Farm Jigsaw Puzzle and Farm Animals in The Meadow Jigsaw Puzzle.

5. I've been observing and recording Otto's drawings and his progression. Most of his drawings have been of large circles with just a few small squiggles. But today, it's all about these zig-zags and small, more controlled movements. I've received some comments about other children his age drawing specific things, but his drawings seem to be random, he doesn't name or describe them. Let me know if this seems typical with your child/ren's development.

A few things I've been reading:

The Problem with Turning Your House into a Toy Store at Becoming Minimalist by Joshua Becker. This reinforces what we already know, not to make you (or me) feel guilty about having too many toys.
Have you preordered Ocean Anatomy: The Curious Parts & Pieces of the World Under the Sea by Julia Rothman? I already know it's going to be a hit! Nature Anatomy is one of our all time favourite books, our copy is so, so worn.
5 Steps for Brain-Building Serve and Return at Harvard University. This is fantastic if like me you have a toddler who is constantly out and about pointing and naming things, this article has some practical tips on how to best respond. There is so much research on why these simple interactions can help your child's brain development - it's not difficult! I read a lot about childhood development and it's always the little things that we can do that only take a minute but we need to do it often. “Sensitive parental care, characterized by prompt and adequate response to the child’s signals and needs, predicts a more secure attachment relationship, higher levels of cognitive competence, and fewer psychological problems.”
Why it's totally normal (in Finland) to be a young mum and PM. Wow! The new Prime Minister of Finland is 34 and a new mum.
This is good!! If you know an architect, please pass this on. How to Stimulate Children's Autonomy Through Architecture and the Montessori Method at Arch Daily.