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 →

Today I'm sharing five things we've enjoyed this week along with a few links and interesting Montessori inspired home tours. 1. Otis' (8 yrs) favourite podcast. He is naturally inquisitive but this podcast really gets him thinking and he often has more questions after listening to an episode!! I often subscribe him to new podcasts for him to try but this remains his favourite. Some of the others include Tumble, Wow in the World and Fun Kids Science Weekly. 2. Caspar (12yrs) is currently reading speeches that changed the world, he loves the section on Gandhi. 3. Moving house means... Read more →

I've been looking for some fresh and inexpensive prints for our Montessori nursery. I love having low hanging prints for the young child to be able to look at and focus on. Artwork by siblings, cards or postcards, photographs, images from calendars or even old books are all inexpensive ideas. One of my favourite framed prints (which is currently in the nursery) is a small painted farm scene I found at a garage sale. Small prints can be used around the child's work areas including in the care of self or dressing area, above work/low shelves, near the weaning or... Read more →

. I was recently asked about early numeracy activities. While I don't feel that we do or that I put out a lot of numeracy activities it was quite easy to put together a list of five. These five really encompass the numeracy activities that we do at 27 months as part of our everyday living. These activities are as hands on as possible keeping in mind that workbook, worksheet activities don't form a part of the Montessori approach at this age. . Counting Everyday Items . Counting oranges as we put them into the bowl. Counting apples at the... Read more →

Last week we travelled to my sisters wedding. It was so beautiful. While travelling we used store bought baby food resulting in left over baby food jars. Naturally I wanted to reuse as many as possible. Here are some of the ways we are reusing baby food jars in our home. 1. Christmas decorations I featured these in the previous post Handmade Christmas decorations. A little glue, a little glitter to make these extra sparkly candle holders, a great look for Christmas. They would also work well as vases. 2. Little storage jars Perfect storage for the little things on... Read more →

Otis is six months old today!! I am happy to have made it through what I consider to be the toughest time and today I wanted to reflect and share some short cuts that I used (some I still use) to get through. 1. Slow cooker I purchased this slow cooker when Otis was a couple of weeks old. When my first son was born it didn't matter if we had dinner late (or not at all). But now I have two children to look after. I call this a short cut becuase I don't use any recipes, it's simply... Read more →

This is the list I wish I had three years ago. With no Michael Olaf, no Montessori Services, where do we go for our Montessori materials? Today's five things are sources of Montessori materials that we have used and can recommend. 1. At Home with Montessori - Materials for children from birth to three years. 2. Montessori Child - I really like their practical life section. 3. A2Z Montessori Australia - They stock a large range of items, really comprehensive. 4. Bright Tomato Learning - A small but useful range. 5. Wood Puzzles - Puzzles, sandpaper letters, moveable alphabet. All... Read more →

I am a little late with my Five Things post. I actually had another topic in mind but I got distracted thinking about weaning, so I might post two Five Things this week. Today's five things - reasons to read to your baby. With Caspar (now three) I knew reading to him as a baby was important. I didn't know why. Now with Otis, my second child, I am much more aware and present as a parent and the reasons to read to him are abundant and oh so clear. 1. Sharing This happens while I am showering and getting... Read more →

There is a lot to admire. There is also a lot that parents like myself can learn from teachers. Here are the things I admire most about Montessori teachers. 1. Patience Do I need to say anymore? Oh the patience that must be required to work with so many little children. To deal with their parents too! I am not a patient person but I am working on it. 2. Ability to observe Caspar had only been at his school for two weeks when his teacher made a comment to me about him. It made me think, I was surprised.... Read more →

Five Montessori quotes about love and the child. They are powerful and inspiring. Surprisingly Montessori wrote and spoke about love a lot. You will need to read each quote slowly to appreciate it. Love is more than the electricity which lightens our darkness, more than the etheric waves that transmit our voices across space, more than any of the energies that man has discovered and learned to use. Of all things love is the most potent. All that men can do with their discoveries depends on the conscience of him who uses them. But this energy of love is given... Read more →

I purchased these tokens just after Caspar was born. At the time I didn't know exactly what we would do with them but I knew they would be useful. Over the last three years we have used them in so many ways. Here are a few of our favourite activities using coloured tokens. 1. Money box An oldie but a goodie. Caspar used this from 12 months. It's made from an old yoghurt container with an opening cut in the lid. The lid is really easy to get off and on and with a little practice the child can do... Read more →

Because some days we just need a little quiet and calm. Five things for this week are five quiet and clean indoor activities for Caspar. 1. Puzzles Puzzles are great for children of any age. One thing I now know is not to ask the shop assistant for help when choosing puzzles. Puzzles vary so much in skill level required, the only person who can choose the right puzzle for your child is you. I always try to have a couple of puzzles in storage that are just above his current skill level. This one is an airport puzzle and... Read more →

This week my five things are reasons why we chose Montessori as a parenting method. Yes I am now calling Montessori a parenting method. Really Montessori just isn't about educating but about living and yes parenting. 1. Montessori inspires me Do I need to write anymore? After all I have read I want to read more. After all I have done I want to do more. She inspires me to be a better person and a better parent. I am enthusiastic about bringing Montessori in our home now more than ever. 2. I believe in it - all of it... Read more →

This week my five things are sources of Montessori information. 1. Blogs I love blogs and read so many of them. They are great places for ideas, inspiration and motivation. However if you are new to Montessori keep in mind that blogs are just web logs and not ever the best source of accurate Montessori information. What DID we do all day? has a comprehensive list of Montessori blogs. Also Flickr and Pinterest are great for visual inspiration! 2. Books I put books into two categories. First books that are written by or transcripts of the work of Maria Montessori.... Read more →

These are our five favourite things for bathtime fun. 1. Boats We have both sail boats and paddle boats. It would be great to have a race. With the paddle boats you wind the paddle which is held in place with a rubber band, and let go. 2. Water pump This requires a little strength and a little coordination. Just pump the handle and water comes out the spout. 3. Bird/water whistle How much fun is a bird whistle. If you haven't seen one before, you put a little water in the bottom of the whistle and blow. It makes... Read more →