Are you looking for handwork ideas for your preschooler? We've recently started using a Knitting Fork (Lucet) and French Knitting. My four-year-old prefers the Knitting Fork, he finds it easier. Both are great options that may initially challenge the child but produce results fast, especially if you are using chunky yarn. These knitting ideas are fantastic for developing coordination and fine motor skills but they are also really good for showing children how to use raw materials to make something by hand. If using wool we could start by showing the child how wool is grown, we could do the... Read more →
There are two trains of thought when it comes to children's knives. There are those that are happy for their children to use 'child safe' knives. These are knives like the Rikon Kuhn KinderKitchen and KiddiKutter (AU), that can be used from a young age as they are blunt, they are not sharp enough to cut a child's hand. There are others that prefer their child to use a 'real' (sharp, but with a round tip) knife as soon as practicable. In all of the Montessori toddler classes I've attended, the children use real knives under close supervision. The benefit... Read more →
There are lots of tools and items that we may have already around the home, that we can use with our children to teach them about the world, to teach literacy or maths. Items like a measuring tape or perhaps a stopwatch! I've found that my preschooler loves playing with a stopwatch, he loves walking around the house with it pressing the stop/start buttons. He's still learning to count so I'm sure it's fantastic for his numeracy skills. I've given him a children's stopwatch, it doesn't beep or have an alarm, it has a large clear display and large stop,... Read more →
Otto has started taking bath time seriously. He asks for a bath several times a day and he wants to stay in there for hours. We've been accumulating more bath toys and are struggling to keep the bath tidy and organised. How do we store all the bath toys in a way that is hygienic, ordered and accessible to the child? We haven't mastered bath toy storage or organisation but this is what our children's bathroom currently looks like. We are striving to: Encourage independence: We decant bubble bath, liquid soaps and shampoo into smaller easy to use squeeze containers,... Read more →
Are you a woodworker or have one among your family or friends? With some skill many Montessori materials and child size furniture can be made by hand. Hand made and homemade mean you can have control and surety over the woods and finishes used. It's not always cheaper or easier to DIY but the results are often more beautiful! Here are some woodworking DIYs that I've been loving. As always be careful with safety and securing necessary furniture to the wall. Above is Montessori Toddler Wardrobe using Birch. There are plans for a similar Montessori Toddler Closet at instructables workshop.... Read more →
We know that Montessori materials can be expensive. If your child is learning to read or write you may be looking for an affordable option for a Movable Alphabet. Our wooden Movable Alphabet cost around $70+AUD plus postage. The cheapest option for a Movable Alphabet would be to cut letters out of cardboard. Another affordable option is to find wooden craft letters and paint them. Although here in Australia, I've only found wooden craft letters in Capital/Upper Case letters. It is important in this early stage of learning that our children are using lower case letters. There are also Movable... Read more →
Wednesday 2nd February 2022 is World Read Aloud Day!! The purpose of World Read Aloud Day is to celebrate the power of reading aloud. I love reading aloud to my children but often I worry if I should be doing it more, if they are really listening, if I'm choosing the right books and perhaps if I could be doing a better job at it. I've been reading a ton about reading aloud and here are some of the best tips and quotes I've found that have put my mind at ease. "Reading out loud is probably the least expensive... Read more →