Many of us are spending a lot of time at home right now. I know there is one thing that will keep my toddler very busy and learning at home every day of the week. That is art and creating! I've been reading and learning about children's art spaces in Montessori and also in Reggio environments. While this art area is uniquely ours I wanted to share it with you. This art space is on our back deck, it's an almost seamless indoor/outdoor environment. The deck is covered and is suitable for working in all year round. Our art environment:... Read more →

While at this age I don't feel it's important for the child to be able to write their name, it becomes more and more important that they can recognise their name. "Our names are a crucial part of who we are. They give us a sense of identity, attachment and belonging. Right from the earliest moments of our lives we hear our names over and over most often being spoken by the people that we love. Using marks to write their own names is one of the first pieces of writing that many children try to do - saying in... Read more →

Earlier in the year I featured our little toddler snack area but I didn't show the whole kitchen. Today I want to share all the areas of our kitchen that our toddler uses. Above is our toddler/children's fridge, drink station and baking table. I want you to know that all Montessori homes look different. Do what works for you, I hope you find some ideas here. The key areas for me include access to fresh and healthy food, water, and, practical life tools like food prep tools and cleaning tools. The two main themes are independence and safety. Otto's weaning... Read more →

Nature journaling with a toddler? Is it possible? It is possible and it can be a lot of fun too! It's nice to make a few observations while out in nature especially if we visit the same spot regularly. We can make observations about the big things like the wind or the raging waves, or about the small things like a tiny crab claw found in the rockpool. Here are three ways we enjoy nature journaling with our two year old. Mark Marking/Drawing We take a journal or notepad and some pencils for mark making and free drawing. I don't... Read more →

In today's society, we are inundated with 'fast' toys. Fast toys are so prevalent in mass-market retailers it's easy to forget that we have other options. Fast toys are busy toys that are often cheaply made and of poor quality. They do a lot and may even hold the child's attention but for a short period of time. Slow toys are made from quality materials, may be handmade, they do very little but require the child to use their skills and imagination to use them and they are made to last. Tumi Ishi definitely fall into the slow toys category.... Read more →

I recently presented Otto with his first sand tray! He isn't interested in phonics or letter recognition but he loves drawing and mark making. A sand tray is a wonderful way to encourage and develop pre-writing skills. The child can draw a picture and then shake the tray to start over again, it's fun and economical. Like finger painting, this is a good way to encourage mark making without the child having to use a tool. Sand is tactile and feels wonderful. I suggest using a fine, dry sand. Here we've used fine salt that I've coloured. I love to... Read more →

What are the best scissors for Montessori toddlers? I'd love to know your thoughts. Why specifically for Montessori toddlers? In Montessori environments, toddlers are often taught to use real scissors to cut paper strips. In many mainstream environments this may not occur until preschool age and even then some children are taught to cut soft things like play-dough first. In Montessori we also like our children to use real materials so small sharp scissors (with a round tip) are going to be preferred over dull plastic scissors. Otto (2yrs 10months) and I recently tested ten scissors that claim to be... Read more →

Has your toddler started to draw people? A few months ago Otto started to draw circles, then he started to draw circles within circles and then he started to draw faces with two eyes and a mouth. On Sunday night (at two years, 10 months) he started to draw people with legs and arms. I had been patiently waiting for the moment to happen and it did not disappoint. He has been drawing these 'tadpole' (or potato people) ever since, and lots of them. They are adorable! Here are a few notes that I've made about this stage from Children... Read more →

Over the weekend we put a new arm-chair into Otto's room so I had to move things around to make it fit. I also put back in a little table and chair for Otto to work at. Otto is growing so fast I thought it was a good time to document this space. Want to see more of his room? This layout is similar to his room in the UK. Low shelves, wardrobe, bed, and a table. The idea is always the same, to create a child-centred space that is warm, comfortable, and cozy. A stool so that he can... Read more →

Do you have a child that needs to throw? I find having at least one throwing activity out essential during inside or 'stay at home days'. The last couple of days here have been very stormy, with hazardous winds so outside play has been limited. Bean bags are an obvious choice for throwing. We like to use bean bags for: throwing in or to a target such as in hoops or in buckets, or even a circle drawn with chalk onto the driveway outside. throwing at a vertical target such as a spot on the wall, marked out with painters... Read more →

As I've show pictures of my toddler drawing and tightly grasping a pencil, I've been asked a lot about pencil grip. For a child in the first plane of development, especially in the child under three I would never correct pencil grip. Another one I'm asked about is how the child holds their scissors, unless it is a safety issue don't fix them. Role model and work along side them, surround them by peers of all ages (who can also role model), give clear and precise demonstrations but don't fix them, they are learning from the experience, and will learn... Read more →

Two-piece part-whole perception puzzles can look simple but they can be difficult, they go to the core of what puzzles are about - matching pieces and forming a whole. Part-whole perception puzzles help the child to understand 'part' and 'whole' relationships, that two parts can come together to form a single shape or a single whole picture. They allow for hands-on discovery and exploration of shape, colour, form and spatial relationships. There is growing evidence that spatial skills exercised during puzzle play are foundational in supporting learning in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. "Through infant age, toddler age and in... Read more →

We love to use our Ikea Flisat children's table as a sensory table or as a simple sand and water table. But the mess can be too much for indoors. We have put the table outside on our deck but sand still travels everywhere and the area around the table always needs sweeping. When we lived in the UK we would often use our Ikea Flisat table for sand and water outside. When it rained I would bring it inside or put it under our door table setting. It held up for over a year. But eventually it got a... Read more →

I've spent hours searching for a new yoga mat for Otto. He has been using his brother's yoga mat but it's time he has one of his own. It needs to be cute, grippy, tough, comfortable and hopefully biodegradable. Is that possible? What you do think of these options? Moon Child and Rainbow Yoga Mat by Sunchild Yogi - 100% natural tree rubber base with microsuede top, eco-friendly, biodegradable and recyclable, free of PVC, latex, silicone, phthalates, chlorine, and odour. Printed Kids Yoga Mats at Mindful & Co Kids - This is the Sweet Print. Made with 100% recycled tree... Read more →

The weather here has been gorgeous. We've had plenty of rain but also lots of wonderful sunshine! ☀️Otto and I have been spending most mornings in our garden or on our back deck doing a little planting. Yesterday we were out there for four hours. Here are four garden and planting trays that we have been using and loving! Seed Planting Tray. Above is one of my all time favourite gardening trays, a simple seed planting activity. We are using terracotta pots (there are three on the tray, but as they are stacked you can't see them all). I cannot... Read more →