I've started to look for a journal for Otis (9yrs) for the new year. Otis likes to use a journal, he doesn't write a lot but he likes checkboxes and he makes lots of little comic drawings. Journals and importantly gratitude journals can be a wonderful way of connecting with your child, and for them to unwind and reflect on their day. I've found that a gratitude journal helps: make gratitude a priority in our home establish a gratitude ritual provide a space for open communication between parents and children promote record and memory keeping the child unwind and de-stress... Read more →

I am always looking for new and interesting snack ideas for my children. In case you are too, here are eight snack and food prep trays that we've used recently. Jam on Pikelets - spreading strawberry jam onto pikelets. We often use crackers for spreading activities so it's nice to use pikelets for something different. Melon Balls - my three-year-old finds this difficult but it's worth the challenge. We use a small melon baller and some cocktail picks to make it easier to share. I've cut the rounded end off the melon so that it sits flat on the chopping... Read more →

Today I'm sharing a little about our Land, Air, Water Sorting Activity. I've found this to be a wonderful and engaging activity for my young three-year-old. He loves playing with the animals. He is still learning the names of some of these animals and although this is a Montessori early geography activity, I've found that it easily leads into animal study, specifically the study of feathers, fur, and scales. We use a felt mat that has clearly defined areas for land, air and water. I've presented this with a basket of model Australian animals. For conservation and sense of place,... Read more →

Are you looking for gifts ideas for a three to five-year-old? These are the types of gifts that I love to give! These are gifts that I will often give to friends and there are also lots of ideas here that would work in Christmas stockings. Many of these gift ideas can be adjusted to suit the child's age and stage in development. Baking - Child size wooden spoon, Montessori-style baking apron and The Ultimate Kids' Baking Book. Other children's cookbooks that I like to give include The Tickle Fingers Toddler Cookbook, Little Helpers Cookbook and Cooking Class. Etsy is... Read more →

Are you looking for ideas on how to use children's scales or balance buckets? Scales can be fun for exploring weight, quantities, more than/less than and heavy/light. Many of the items we can use with scales can be found in nature or around the home. "Children naturally have an interest in all aspects of mathematics, weight, order, systems, series, time, quantities, and symbols and so forth. We can serve the development of the mathematical mind by feeding this interest, giving sensorial experiences first." Child of the World: Global Education for Age 3-12+ by Susan Stephenson. Here are a few ways... Read more →

(Christina's children James and Lilah reading Montessori abc's) There is a new book on our shelves and I know you are going to love it. It's an authentic Montessori style alphabet book written and photographed by Montessori parents! Montessori abc's (AU link here) is written by Christina Clemer (Montessori-ish Mom) and photographed by Nick Karwoski. It's wonderful to see a Montessori style alphabet book that is so true and genuine. Christina decided to publish Montessori abc's after making a similar book for her son James. Montessori abc's has: a simple easy-to-follow layout engaging and interesting images phonetic words/images a single... Read more →

I recently put together some poetry and story baskets for my preschooler (3yrs old). The baskets ensure I am intentional about the poems I share and they also provide my child with the opportunity to hear a poem when he chooses. Poetry and short stories can help develop phonemic awareness and memorization skills. They are also a good way of developing a love of language. We know that early literacy skills are about listening and speaking rather than about reading and writing. We want to build our child's vocabulary, we want the child to hear and identify sounds, rhyme, and... Read more →

When Otto turned three in September I knew we needed to make a few changes to his bedroom. We want the room to fit the child so we needed to size up with a few things. We swapped out: A small table and chair --> larger table and stool Low infant shelves --> higher shelves Small bookshelf --> greater capacity bookshelf The other significant change we made was to remove learning material like puzzles and only keep open-ended toys in this space. As Otto is now preschool age we've decided to keep most of his learning materials on his shelves... Read more →

I get such a spark and a lift from looking at really beautiful Montessori spaces. All of these spaces are real, comfortable, and cozy!! These spaces are lived in. I hope you enjoy. ❤️ A bedroom for Nash. So many cute elements. Forward-facing bookshelves, low shelves, a comfortable small chair, and a floor bed. Lots of natural and neutral colours. Many families don't like to have toys in the bedroom, but I like the idea. The child can play during quiet time or before and after a nap. This room has lots of practical ideas. A low hanger for the... Read more →

This term Otis (in yr 4) is an Eco-Warrior representative for his class. This means he gets to take out the compost and do other environmentally responsible tasks. He started a discussion about what we could do to reduce our waste at home. Otis and I thought about starting a worm farm. We previously used the Bokashi composting method but it was no longer suitable for our growing family. We decided to try a worm farm. Otis helped to set it up and does most of the maintenance. A great flow-on effect is the whole family has been involved in... Read more →

Ravensburger Welcome to The Zoo Jigsaw Puzzle - 2 x 24 Piece Today I want to share some jigsaw puzzles that we are enjoying in our Montessori home. My preschooler loves puzzles. I find them fantastic for building focus and concentration, and they help to develop visual discrimination skills. Although we enjoy puzzles all year round they can be especially useful during the school holidays and during colder and wetter months. These are all jigsaw puzzles and not the traditional Montessori puzzles you would see in a school environment. Jigsaw puzzles can be addictive. Once the child falls in love... Read more →