This is my last post coming from the UK. My next post will be from Sydney, Australia. I wanted to publish this earlier in the week but international moves always take more time and energy than I expect. All of my children love to eat pasta and fresh pasta often tastes better. There are so many reasons to try making pasta with children; It's easy - making pasta is almost fool proof, it's easy to make and easy to correct mistakes, add more flour if its too wet. Only needs a few easy-to-find ingredients - like eggs, flour, water. We... Read more →

We are about to spend three weeks on the road (and air). There are a few little bits and pieces that I always keep an eye out for when travelling. Some of these are to remember our travels, some are for more academic purposes and some are to add interest to our home and collections. This is not to promote consumerism but to help create a collection of thoughtful and meaning materials, from around the state, country or world! Many of these items can be found at markets, gift shops, handmade stalls and at festivals. Some can be found at... Read more →

I haven't seen a sorting box like this for years. There was one in our Montessori toddler group in Canberra (Holder) but I don't remember much about it. I took a risk and ordered one for Otto (at 27 months). Luckily it was a hit, definitely worth it, and I can really see the benefits. It's fantastic for cognitive development which is so important in the first three years of life, including: visual perception and the child's ability to identify objects that are similar - what looks the same and what looks different (the tiles match the wooden strip at... Read more →

I've never met a toddler that doesn't love a little spray bottle!! Mini spray bottles are fabulous for developing hand strength and can be used for lots of practical life activities. Needs some ideas? Mini spray bottles can be used in the home for toddlers and preschoolers for: Care of Self Activities spraying hair, to smooth it in the mornings or to add a leave-in conditioner. cooking, spray water on bread before baking. Care of the Environment Activities window washing, or mirror washing. in the kitchen to wipe counter-tops, wipe down tables, clean out fridge, general dusting, to put in... Read more →

My children use knives in the kitchen almost from the moment they can stand unassisted. They typically start with a crinkle cutter and cut soft foods like banana. My toddler (now at 27 months) uses a whole range of knives, none of them sharp enough to cut his skin and all with a rounded tip for safety. I believe a good knife can inspire children in the kitchen. A good knife can make work like slicing food be it hard squash for soup or a ripe tomato for a sandwich, a whole lot easier. A knife that doesn't cut easily... Read more →

Our most played with toy on Christmas day was the Lovevery block set! The blocks are so colourful and modern, they are versatile and fun!! Otto just kept on going back to them. I want to share this block set with you as it is a little out of the ordinary and significant in terms of learning to follow and support your child's development. "We went into more than a hundred families’ homes and discovered that classic blocks were not a staple for many. Bricks and other block alternatives had pushed blocks aside. We knew we had to do something,... Read more →

My children love using cookie cutters! My eight-year-old has a huge cookie cutter collection. Today I'm sharing some activities to do with children using cookie cutters. Most of these are suitable for toddlers and some are for older children too! Cookie cutters are good for building hand strength, coordination and life skills. They can help build creativity within food preparation activities and art. Above, we borrowed these heart shaped cookie cutters from our neighbour, they are adorable. They are perfect for stacking and sorting by size. My toddler (27 months) sorts them and then gets them out again over and... Read more →

Play dough is one thing that is guaranteed to keep my toddler (27 months) happy for a very long time. He may use his play dough tray anywhere from five minutes to an hour and five minutes. It's lovely. But I need to remember to rotate the play dough and some of the materials every so often. We recently removed our Autumn themed play dough and put in some Christmas themed dough and materials. I make notes as I see new ideas and I thought I would share some of the notes I made in preparation for our Christmas play... Read more →

We often think about developing fine motor skills in order to prepare the hand for writing. But what about preparing the hand for drawing, isn't that just as important? Drawings are communication, they are expression, they are meaningful, they assist in developing individuality and creativity. We mustn't think that writing is always the end goal, drawing and creating is pretty important too. And guess what, your toddler can already do it! Fostering creativity through drawing is always a priority for our toddler. Because toddlers can't always tell us what they want, they don't always know they want to draw unless... Read more →

Floor beds are becoming more popular!! By two years of age many children have also transitioned to a toddler bed. So before Otto gets any older (he's currently 27 months) I want to share some pictures and note what his floor bed set up looks like. At two years (27 months) we currently use: Cot Sized Floor Bed - c/o Sprout, we have one high side and one low side. Fitted sheet - we don't use a top sheet as it restricts movement. A fitted sheet is really important for the toddler as it doesn't bunch or come off. Hand... Read more →