I have used a few Montessori methods and materials to teach my toddler about shapes. We have used the three period lesson and some matching cards you can see us using here. While these are fantastic for language development and learning what shapes look like, I wanted to show and teach my toddler about how shapes interact. I felt so strongly about this I tried with wooden shape tiles and patterning blocks but what I found most successful was using shapes on a magnetic board. The young child can put the shapes on the board and they stay there, they... Read more →

I hope you and your family are well. It's been such a stressful week for everyone. Here are a few things that I've been enjoying. 1. Juicing oranges. We love our electric juicer. For a toddler this really helps to set them up for success. Otto (2yrs) can make enough juice for the whole family, and it's a lot of fun too! Highly recommend! 2. Growing Beans! This is a fun activity for young children as the beans sprout and grow so quickly. Unlike when they are grown in soil, the child able to see the roots and all of... Read more →

Today I'm sharing some beautiful Montessori inspired spaces. The first one in from an Early Learning Centre but the rest are in homes. These windows above are wonderful! This is from a Montessori Early Childhood Centre near Brisbane (Australia). While there are plenty of shelves, materials, and books I notice all the open space. There is space to move and breathe! It looks so peaceful. An absolutely beautiful Montessori inspired bedroom via Sprout. I love the neutral and calm decor. I have no words, in my eyes this space is perfect. It's simple, cozy and comfortable. "I wanted a space... Read more →

We know that good hand washing is critical in protecting our children from COVID-19 and the flu. Like most parents I've been supervising my children's hand washing especially when they've come in from outside. My older children know how to wash their hands but I've found myself constantly reminding them to "use more soap', "wash for 20 seconds". I knew there was a better way, a visual way of getting the message across and I pulled out some hand wash training lotion and a UV light. The idea is the child puts the hand wash training lotion on their hands,... Read more →

Today I want to share with you twelve really easy Montessori activities that use materials you may already have at home. Most of these activities are best suited to toddlers and preschoolers. Many of these activities I do with my toddler but an older child may like to do them independently. It's great to take time to set them up but don't worry, you are a busy parent at home, they don't need to be presented the same way they would be in a Montessori classroom. If you find your child/ren really like some of these activities, many of them... Read more →

This is the second article in a new series 'Ask A Montessori Teacher'! In this series we put a question to one of my favourite Montessori Teachers, Meg Hicks. Meg has experience and training in birth to 12 years, she also home-schools her two sons. So please feel free to ask a question you would like Meg to answer in upcoming weeks. Today's question is all about Pocket Money! Q: Do you give your children pocket money? We don’t but our children get almost everything they want. Sometimes we save a big gift for their birthday. How to I teach... Read more →

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 Otto (2yrs), we are more vigilant with hand washing and we have stopped going out. Our explanations to Otto have been brief, "we need to wash our hands really well with lots of soap and bubbles to get them clean", "there is no art class today, the art studio is closed". But if your circumstances are more extreme... Read more →

Wow! What a week! Today I want to share five things that have brought me joy, a little spark of happiness in recent days. 1. A Sea Themed Playdough Tray. I'm encouraging Otto to mix the colours but so far he likes to keep them separate. Here we have some model animals, shells, starfish, seaside stamps and green and blue playdough. 2. A Story Basket for Reading Outside. We are taking so much of our learning outside in the shade. This magpie is so loveable and is perfect for cuddling while reading a story. 3. A Toddler Geoboard. Otto has... Read more →

Bedtime is all about relaxing and unwinding, in our home it is also a key time for connection. My three children go to bed at the same time so we need to we need to be flexible and juggle things a little but I try to get just a few minute of one-on-one time with each of them. Caspar (12yrs) will read or sit with Otto (2yrs) while I put Otis (8yrs) to bed. Out of my three children Otis needs the most one-on-one time at night. I read to Otis almost every night and I just can't read long... Read more →

We are starting to spend more time at home. While we aren't in total lockdown (my older children are still at school) Otto and I are home most of the time. Luckily we have a smallish but safe backyard to play in and the weather has been gorgeous. I have been heavily influenced by some of the process art I've seen at our toddler art classes. Our classes have been cancelled for now so along with a lot of other work, I'm making sure I offer some interesting art experiences. I love the idea of a painting texture wall. We... Read more →

We don't run to a schedule and almost every day looks different. But our days are child led. For us this means a whole lot of free play outside! Today I felt the need for some new materials. What was in order? A trip to the toy store, some online shopping? No! A morning visit to our local Reverse Garbage. I phoned ahead to make sure they were open and I spoke to Kirsten (Creative Director), who I have proclaimed an expect in early childhood loose parts play. Kirsten later greeted us at Reverse Garbage (Sydney) and showed us around.... Read more →

I've noticed a lot of parents using the Little Helpers Toddler Cookbook, so much so that I decided we needed to give it a try. Do you have this cookbook in your collection? It was only released last year so perhaps it's new to you? The Little Helpers Toddler Cookbook: Healthy, Kid-Friendly Recipes to Cook Together has 40 healthy mealtime (dinner or lunch), snack and dessert recipes. It also has: a good range of healthy and easy to find ingredients. good, clear, attractive photographs including a photo for each recipe. easy to follow instructions. instructions that are colour coded so... Read more →

Welcome to a new series I've titled 'Ask A Montessori Teacher'. I often have questions that I would like to ask someone who is Montessori trained. Sometimes I feel like I need reassurance, sometimes I need new ideas and suggestions or just someone else's point of view. Do you ever feel like that? The person I go to for Montessori parenting questions is Meghan Hicks. She is a parent to two boys who she has raised in a Montessori way since birth. Meghan has run toddler groups, homeschooling groups, she now works with individuals and families and lectures internationally. She... Read more →

The media has been full of information about the Coronavirus. A lot of the discussion I've been hearing is from overseas. So I wanted to share a little about what we are doing about the Coronavirus here in Sydney. Our schools are open and are operating normally. All of the children's sporting events are going ahead, my children still have weekly training and matches. We are keeping our children informed in an age appropriate way and are taking a few extra precautions like more considered hand-washing. Our Activities We don't live with or have regular contact with elderly or immunosuppressed... Read more →

Is there anything on Etsy that has caught your eye recently? These posts are dangerous for me to write, while compiling these images I couldn't help but to order a new toddler apron and a colour matching set. Etsy never fails, I aways find cute, 'must-haves'! Here are a few other things that I am loving on Etsy: Wooden Solar System Galaxy Set - this is fantastic, you can also get the planets separately. Reversible Children's Apron with Flowers/Mustard - the cutest! Fabric Matching Game - perfect for the toddler in my life. This just isn't about colour but also... Read more →