I wasn't intending on publishing an article on juicing, but this morning my toddler kept on asking to use the juicer, he got all the juicer pieces out and put them on the kitchen bench and just waited until I agreed. He was so eager to do this work! Have you used a juicer like this with your children? My toddler is 2.5 years old, a child closer to two years old might struggle with the strength but many children by three will be able to do this. This work is empowering, it's almost like magic - turning the fresh... Read more →

I recently watched a chef whip up an Arugula (rocket) and Pea Pesto to serve with pasta that I knew my kids would love. He made the pesto with a mortar and pestle (no food processor) and it was really fast. My first thought was - a toddler could do that! Yes, a toddler could do that, but they would need little guidance. My toddler (2.5 years) has done some mortar and pestle work before but it's been more like free play and exploration. This time I decided to work along side him as we needed to turn the arugula... Read more →

a. / b. / c. / d. / e. / f. / g. / h. / i. / j. / k. / l. / m. / n. / o. / p. Perhaps it is the wind and rain, although we are still going for our nature walks we are spending more time inside and my toddler is loving ALL the cutting, pasting, and sticker work! Sometimes we use sticker books how they are intended, by sticking the stickers in the books often on predetermined pages. Most of all we use stickers for collage work, presented on a tray. Although we... Read more →

This is a friendly reminder that there are huge benefits to using paste and a brush before using a glue stick - especially for toddlers and preschoolers. Montessori schools often have young children apply paste with brushes or small spreaders as opposed to glue sticks. It serves as an opportunity for the child to develop their fine motor skills and pincer grasp preparing their hand for writing. If at home you are going to do some collage or pasting work with a young child try using paste and a brush or a little glue spreader, we don't need to set... Read more →

Do you have a toddler that loves to use scissors but is perhaps bored with the usual cutting strips? Here are some other engaging activities we've been using at 2.5 years. Above is an idea from Days with Grey. It is so much fun and the child can cut one handed - they don't have to hold a paper strip or other objects. I've put a small model animal into each section of a muffin tray. I've then used coloured craft tape to tape the animals in! Days with Grey use painters tape and I'm confident that Washi tape or... Read more →

Are you looking for some new materials for your child/ren's shelves? If your child is around two to four you may consider a Feel and Find game. There are a few ways you can use this game as it grows with the child. Matching by Sight - Start with 2-3 cards and the corresponding 2-3 objects. Show the child how to match the object to the card. This is simple silhouette matching. We started this around two years of age. Once the child can manage matching 2-3 cards and objects we slowly build up to presenting more cards and objects.... Read more →

At around 2.5 to 3 years old children start asking questions, a lot of questions! Some questions are easy to answer and others not. What I know for sure is that the questions just keep on coming. Asking questions can be a way for the child to find out more about the world and the environment around them, but it can also be a way for the child to express concern or worry. We want the child to feel confident about asking questions and we want to be able to satisfy the child with our answers. First we need to... Read more →

I love looking in kitchen specialty stores and finding new treasures for me or for the children. Over the years we've collected a lot of 'adult' kitchen tools that also work well for children. Most often it's because the adult tools are made in a slightly smaller or mini size which makes them easier for the child to hold and to manipulate. I recently took out all of the kitchen tools that my children (2.5, 9 and 12 yrs) use and realised that we use more of one brand than any other. OXO almost flies under the radar as their... Read more →

Are you looking for a super easy and fast bread recipe to use with your children? This recipe is suitable for toddlers but an older child from 6-8 years may be able to make it by themselves. Yesterday my nine and two year old children made it together. Easy Turmeric Flat Bread Ingredients: 1 Cup of Self Raising Flour 1 Cup of Natural or Greek Yoghurt 1 Teaspoon Ground Turmeric ¼ Cup extra Flour for flouring board, rolling pins and hands. Method: Put the ingredients into a large bowl. Mix ingredients together until it forms a dough (a largish ball).... Read more →

Nature walks are an essential part of our day. For my older children it gives them a chance to step away from their school work and it give us all some fresh air, much needed time outside + a big dose of Vitamin D. While we try to vary where we walk inevitably we spend a lot of time in the same areas. To mix things up a little bit and bring some new interest to our regular walks we have started going into our nature walks with a theme! It really does help us to view the same area... Read more →

We love a good podcast. We often use podcasts for learning or for entertainment but in more recent times we have also used them for relaxation at bedtime. We don't use them on a regular basis but I will put one on if one of my children are having a hard time getting to sleep. I've explored a range of bedtime and meditation apps but these podcasts are currently working for us. For my toddler especially I am wanting reality based stories. A couple of these podcasts have episodes that are nature-based and a couple have been made specifically for... Read more →

Do you have a lot of children's books in your home? I assume you do. The problem for many families is we have a lot of books but want to rotate or only keep out a small amount for our toddlers. Older children can manage more books but we want toddlers and young children to be able to select their own books from the book shelf and then later put them away. This means we need book shelves that are low, accessible to the young child, preferably with forward facing book display and limited in size. Here is how we... Read more →

How are you? Have restrictions started to lift where you live? This week my older boys go back to school, just for one day a week. They are really looking forward to it. With the virus numbers lowering I am looking forward to getting out in our community soon. Here are a few, little highlights from the past week. If your child likes dot markers you might find refillable dabbers useful! You can mix your own colours and use paints you already have. I like to buy paint in bulk so this feels like an eco-friendly option. (Similar in US... Read more →

Otto (2.5 yrs) has finally mastered self dressing! It helps that our weather is mild and he usually only wears a loose t-shirt and pants. Dressing has been a huge point of frustration for us so I want to share how we have got to this point. Why do we want a toddler to dress themselves? Out of respect for the child. To support the child's independence and developing autonomy. To help develop the child's sense of self and to develop self esteem. To teach practical life skills including fine motor skills. Because they can, they are capable if we... Read more →