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 →

We are mid-way through a 7-day isolation period and my preschooler has been desperate for some new activities. It's also been rainy so my mind goes straight to art. I've raided our art cupboard and put together a few new art activities! These activities allow the child to focus on one activity or one skill at a time. The art trays can be used: to introduce a new skill. to introduce new materials. on the kitchen table for the children to work on after breakfast. after preschool/daycare/school alongside a healthy snack to relax and decompress. in the afternoon while the... Read more →

At home, we like to draw and paint self-portraits. I've been thinking of ways to encourage my child to see the details in his face and to notice features like eyebrows and eyelashes, things that were missing from his drawings. I set him up with a mirror so that he could look closely at his own eyes. We used a simple eye diagram to identify parts of the eye at a preschooler level. It's a good reminder to use correct and accurate terms with our children, a four-year-old can absolutely learn iris and pupil! Then together we tried observational drawings... Read more →

I decided to try a few Montessori workbooks with my preschooler and I was so surprised I had to share them with you! Montessori workbooks especially for the 3-6 yr age group feel like a bit of an oxymoron. We want the children's learning to be hands-on, using real-life experiences as much as possible. But for the child learning to write and needs a lot of practice, a Montessori workbook may be very helpful. Times have changed too, now more than ever parents are teaching their children at home. Montessori workbooks are affordable and easy to use. If your child... Read more →

It feels like an inappropriate time to be blogging. The senseless war in Ukraine, the loss of life and the loss of personal security is unfathomable. It can be difficult to know how to help. Today we are donating to the UNHCR Ukraine appeal. Please leave a link, especially if you have personal experience of agencies we can support in and around Ukraine. I found this article useful Talking to Kids About Hard Things by Emily Oster. For many people, Etsy shops are their only source of income. Marina from Wooden Toys for You in Kyiv (we love their Continent... 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 →

Did you know that the CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation) publishes children's books? I only found out a year or so ago and since then we've been amassed a small collection of their books. We love CSIRO children's books because: they contain scientific terms and names - the storybooks all have science interwoven into the story. we can learn about lesser-known and often endangered animals - like the Spotted Handfish or the Lord Howe Island Stick Insect. we can trust the science - many of the authors are scientists first that are writing about their area of professional... Read more →

As you may remember we like to use story baskets (or trays). We don't retell the entire story through puppets or props but I like to add a few things to make the storytelling fun, to hold the child's attention and to further the child's learning. Often my preschooler will use these baskets and trays independently. He will flip through the book and then engage with the materials. Story baskets (or trays) can: Give the child something to hold while reading. Enhance the read-aloud/storytime experience. Stimulate and provide further ideas for exploration, discovery and learning. Expose the child to real... Read more →

I've only recently discovered Alice Zaslavsky's children's food book Alice’s Food A to Z. It was the first cookbook to be given a Notable Book award by the Children’s Book Council of Australia. That says something! Alice is a former School Teacher, MasterChef contestant (2012), culinary correspondent on ABC News Breakfast, author of In Praise of Veg and soon to be food columnist in The Weekend Australian Magazine (replacing David Herbert). "This book is about encouraging kids to dip into the world of food and splash around to see what they can find. It aims to pique their curiosity enough... Read more →

What are the best libraries in Sydney for children? Sydney has amazing libraries, we have so much choice. Today I want to share with you my local library and three other libraries with outstanding children's areas. I live in the Eastern suburbs and all of these libraries are within a 25 minutes drive. Our most visited, local library is the Margaret Martin Library. It is not our closest library but it is the most convenient for us, and convenience is important for a library! The Margaret Martin Library is located on Level 1 of the Royal Randwick Shopping Centre. The... Read more →

Today I'm sharing the top materials ordered by HWM readers through Amazon (US) in the year 2021. This post includes a ton of product links, if that isn't your thing please skip this post. I hope you find this useful and that you get some great ideas for your children for now or for the future! Let's start by looking at toddler toys and materials. The Radio Flyer Classic Walker Wagon is popular year after year (mainly due to this article). My children adored the Melissa & Doug Deluxe Pound and Roll Wooden Tower and the Galt Pop Up Toy... Read more →

Have you tried sequencing puzzles with your child? Some sequencing puzzles are simple and can be used by toddlers (2yrs+) others are better suited to preschoolers (3-4yrs+). I hadn't given sequencing puzzles much thought until we borrowed one from our local toy library. While the puzzle was easy to put together my child loved the storytelling part, he narrated the story on the puzzle as he put it together. I could see his eyes light up, he really enjoyed putting the story together. Sequencing puzzles are a bit like a storyboard. They help children learn the correct sequence of an... Read more →

As you may know, I'm a huge fan of Christina Clemer. Christina is a mum to two and a Montessori teacher (3-6yrs). Christina is also an author of two books Montessori abc's (AU here) and Montessori Silent e (AU here). Montessori abc's (AU here) is a wonderful 'first', 'abc's' book for Montessori parents and teachers. It is also available in cursive. I would recommend these from 2 years+ but perhaps they most relevant for preschoolers and children who are showing an interest in letters. It has clear, photographic images and blue/red vowels/consonants. You can read my previous review at Montessori... Read more →

This term my preschooler started taking an online music class which is guided by the Suzuki approach. It's completely different to the music classes I've taken with my children before. The classes have dramatically improved my child's musical vocabulary. Towards the end of the class, the teachers read or sing a couple of books to the children. The classes have inspired me to start a small collection of music-related books to read at home. Initially, I selected books about the Orchestra! First Book About the Orchestra by Sally Taplin. This is relatively short at ten pages but it has nine... Read more →

Have you been getting ready for Halloween? Here are a few Halloween themed activities we've been doing with Otto at four-years. Painting Paper Mache pumpkins (AU) with paint. I knew Otto would enjoy painting them and they look fantastic! I might seal them with some Mod Podge or something similar. I've presented this activity with three colours which Otto picked out, I would have presented this with more or fewer colours depending on his choice. He painted his other pumpkins other colours including some of our UV-glow paints (c/o Modern Teaching). We also coloured the Paper Mache pumpkins (AU) with... Read more →