Today I want to share some the new materials that Otto is using at 13 - 14 months old. He has only recently mastered materials like the peg board and the ring slide (so fun to watch!). Others like the ball push he could easily do months ago but now he is really enjoying the repetition and is using it more than ever. The trike is a fairly new addition (a hand-me-down from Otis). These puzzles are such a must for me, I love how they have real images, they are also great for language development. I wouldn't ordinarily buy... Read more →

I spend so much time in the kitchen I am always looking for ideas to entertain and engage Otto. Our Fun Pod has been a life-saver as it allows Otto to safely work along-side me at the kitchen bench. If he doesn't have something interesting to do he will start grabbing, reaching for things and throwing them on the floor. What I have found most useful is have him prepare his own snack or help me with what I'm doing. I've written a more thorough list here of practical life activities at 12 months, but what I find we do... Read more →

I recently stumbled upon a couple of really beautiful puzzles and it made me stop and think. As Montessori parents, we often search high and low for the best materials we can find but what does this mean for puzzles? Puzzles for toddlers are reasonably affordable and can be found at most discount stores. But I've found many puzzles are often sold on the popularity of licensed television and movie characters or are heavily stylised or cartoonish. Here are a few things that I look for in toddler puzzles: Realistic images not heavily stylised or cartoonish. This is perhaps the... Read more →

one. / two. / three. / four. / five. / six. / seven. / eight. / nine. / ten. / eleven. / twelve. / thirteen. / fourteen. / fifteen. It's always fun using art supplies with babies, I love engaging with Otto in this way. We've been using playdough and finger paint with Otto from around 8-9 months. Now at 13-months he is using a small but ever increasing range of art supplies. I've been reading a lot of art books lately and I've been feeling really inspired to try new things with him. Before we go any further I... Read more →

Sensory water play for babies - it really couldn't get any easier. Many babies will enjoy just a bowl or basin of water, or perhaps a paddle pool to splash around in! Our weather has really warmed up in the last couple of days so I've been looking for ways to extend our outdoor play, we are aiming for three hours a day outside. So I've introduced some water play. In most cases, we've used a large bowl of water and some tools but we could easily do these in the bath or at the kitchen sink. Here are a... Read more →

Today I want to share with you a subscription service that is a game changer! There are a lot of Montessori subscription services available. Until now there hasn't been one I would recommend. I am actually really disappointed that I've only now found Lovevery as they are for children from birth to 12 months. But if you are a new parent or are expecting, I'm excited that you may like and use this. I get a lot of emails from parents who don't know what to do with their new babies - this is for you! In the months after... Read more →

We almost have a toddler in the house so it's time for us to start thinking about ways we can support his movement and his independence. I've been here before with my two older children but this house is different and this child is different! So I've been making a list of household tools that would be useful to support Otto's independence but also a few things that could assist Otis (7 yrs) too. These are a few things that we want, need or feel would be useful. Light Switch Extender - for the child's bedroom and bathroom. At night... Read more →