If you are looking for a new Montessori style table and chair for your child, I recommend taking a look on Etsy. I've never had a problem shopping with Etsy and I know that I am supporting small businesses. I love that I can search by location and find local suppliers. As always with ordering furniture for your child remember to double-check all measurements including seat and table heights. Above is the Montessori Table and Chair Set for Toddlers (Canada). It could be used for activities or as a weaning table. This table has raised edges to prevent items from... Read more →
Are you looking for something new to bake with your child? Here are three things I make with my child (pictured here at 3 and 4 years old) using Filo/Phyllo pastry. Filo/Phyllo pastry can be crumbly and flaky so we need to embrace the messy parts and acknowledge with the child that the pastry will tear. We use premade fresh pastry from the supermarket. All of these recipes can be adapted depending on your likes and dislikes. The processes I've listed can be adapted to the age and skill of the child. Sometimes my children will stay with me for... Read more →
If you have a lot of model animals at home, this might be a fantastic sorting activity for you to try! Sorting Nocturnal and Diurnal Animals. We can use whatever model animals we have at home, plastic, wooden or stuffed animals, we use mostly Schleich. I made up and printed two labels, one for Nocturnal (night-time) and one for Diurnal (day-time). We could also add or discuss Crepuscular animals (mainly active at dawn and dusk). The child simply sorts the animals into the two categories. For younger children, we could use fewer animals and for older children, we could add... Read more →
Research has shown that Australian children want to learn First Nations words more than other, foreign languages. We have a few books with some Indigenous words but I knew I could do better to expose my children to our First Nations languages. Why should we introduce our children to First Nations Words and Languages? To acknowledge and raise awareness of First Nations Languages. To help strengthen and preserve the languages and to increase demand for language-specific resources. To help build connections between Indigenous and Non-Indigenous communities. To increase knowledge of and respect for First Nations People. To provide the cognitive... Read more →
My preschooler loves art. He loves getting his hands covered in paint and he's attracted to all kinds of brushes, stamps and printmaking. Here are six art trays that we've tried recently. Painting with a Spring Whisk. I found this spring whisk (similar) while out for a walk and immediately knew it would be fun for painting. The child can press the whisk down and it springs back up. It's good for printmaking and it's addictive! The child presses the spring whisk into the paint and then onto the paper. This was a huge hit and I'll remember to get... Read more →
I love baking with my children but we often end up making the same things (muffins or banana bread). A baking kit is a nice way to bake something different, something special. Baking kits like this one by Easy Peasy also contain a craft. Children's baking kits are a lovely gift idea, or nice to save for when grandparents, cousins or special guests come to visit! Most children's baking kits are made by small businesses which is just another reason to give them a go. Here are some children's baking kits that look fun and delicious! Australia: Easy Peasy Eco-Friendly... Read more →
This is an easy idea to help children learn about the weather, seasons, temperature and numeracy. Put a large indoor/outdoor thermometer at the child's height, near your entryway. We had a large outdoor thermometer in our children's garden area but as we aren't out there every day, I moved it to our front porch. This is an area we pass through many times a day. Sometimes the children are waiting here while I lock the door or look for keys, making it a great place to put the thermometer. To begin I tried to ignite interest in the thermometer by... Read more →
I was really interested in trying some symmetry drawing with my preschooler. It looks like a fun way to teach children about symmetry and art. I initially downloaded these insect symmetry drawing cards but once I had them I could tell they were way too hard for my four-year-old. I made up some of my own cards by downloading basic images and removing half of the image. As this was the first time presenting this work to my child, I gave him a mirror to show him what the complete image would look like. This was really tricky work. Flowers,... Read more →
Does anyone want to try some sorting with us? All of these activities use items we can find around the home! I wanted to dive into the concepts around recycling with my preschooler but first I wanted to make sure he had a good understanding of the different types of materials. These activities teach the child about the world around them, how the world works and what materials exist in our environment. First, we started with natural and man-made materials. As we sorted these for the first time, I spoke to my child about what is natural, in our natural... Read more →
My preschooler is a pre-writer who loves scribbling, drawing and other mark-making. We have lots of crayons and pencils (also charcoal, oil pastels, and, chalk) available for drawing but I still keep a look out for other interesting ideas that involve creative mark-making. My older children have enjoyed using Spirographs but we hadn't used the Spirograph Junior Set before. I was hesitant to try the Spirograph Junior Set as I couldn't find a detailed review and I didn't know how durable or suitable it would be for this age. I also couldn't find a set second hand, this needed to... Read more →
My children love pasta so I was thinking of a way to teach my preschooler the names of different types of pasta. We could use the correct terms when cooking or serving the pasta, we could use the correct names when ordering pasta delivery or when eating out. We could also use a three-period lesson to teach the different types. My preschooler doesn't love three-period lessons and I found some three parts cards that looked suitable. Instead of using all of the three-part cards, I've used just the first card and made up some matching work. The physical matching is... Read more →
Have you seen the new Apple Floor Bed by Sapiens Child? It's so well designed, it has low sides for the young child to independently get in and out, and a seat or a storage bench at the end. Sapiens Child is located in Vancouver, Canada, where Jorge makes all of the furniture in his studio. Jorge started Sapiens Child after the birth of his first child Santiago. His wife was passionate about Montessori but they couldn't find the right child-size furniture for their apartment. Sapiens Child furniture is perfect for a Montessori home, they have a toddler table and... Read more →
Today I want to share some Montessori spaces from around the world. Blogs and books often show one person's or one family's perspective and I love to provide a peek into other people's homes, even if it is through the lens of social media. My intent is to inspire and motivate - not to induce feelings of envy or inadequacy. I hope you take away some useful ideas and enjoy these spaces as much as I do. This bedroom for a two-year-old (in a dreamy new build!) is fun and bright. Simple shelves provide storage for the toys and the... Read more →
Did you know that Ashley from Hapa Family has released a new book? The Montessori Home: Create a Space for Your Child to Thrive (AU here)(UK here)(World Wide) was released last month. I couldn't wait to get my hands on it and I wasn't disappointed! There are a lot of Montessori books around but Ashely has written a book about what I feel was missing. That is the parent's point of view of Montessori in the home. Although Ashley is a certified Montessori guide (0-3) this is written from a parent's perspective, and it's a welcome change. The communication really... Read more →
The beauty of Lovevery Play Kits is that they contain stage-based play essentials. The idea is that through research we can present our child with the right toys at the right time. But... the Lovevery Play Kits don't only contain play essentials, they also contain practical life tools that are so useful and enriching that we use them every day! So just in case you were thinking Lovevery is all about toys, I want to prove you wrong and share some of the materials that aren't toys, that we use super frequently with my preschooler at 4yrs. Some of these... Read more →