Are you looking for a gift for a three-year-old? There are a lot of gift ideas here. I hope you find this list helpful! Scooter (AU here) - three is a great time to start scootering if your child hasn't already. This is the same scooter we have and still use at five years. Screw Board - promotes fine motor skills, coordination, concentration and focus. Silk Streamer - I like this for playing outside with the wind; we've given it as a gift many times. Children's Measuring Tape - for exploring length and math concepts at home. Children's Stop Watch... Read more →

My youngest recently turned five, and just before his birthday, I panicked because I couldn't think of a suitable gift. So I made a list of his favourites and some wish list items to help for his birthday and Christmas. If you have a four or five-year old I hope find this list useful!! Children's Yoga Mat & Yoga Flash Cards - we love this yoga mat and cards from Mindful & Co Kids; you can use the code MINDFULFRIENDS20 at checkout for 20% off your order! Check out the different mats, we have and the Nature Print. Colour Change... Read more →

If you live anywhere near me, you've probably had to deal with mould this year. While we haven't been affected by floods we've had a lot of rain and moisture in the air. We also use a lot of toys in the bath, which are more susceptible to mould. I usually clean our Schleich and other model animals with warm soapy water but this time I needed something more serious. How do you clean your children's toys and what do you do with mould? Our Squigz also had mould on them. I've read a lot of suggestions to clean toys... Read more →

Do you have an interest in early childhood literacy or just love good children's books? As an aspiring children's librarian, I'm always looking for new and relevant children's books. As a parent, I'm looking for ways to engage my children with books and ways to extend the learning from those books through art. I've seen book subscriptions before, especially for babies and toddlers, but none have been like the BookieBundle Subscription (AU). This is our first subscription box and.. wow, I loved it. There is so much more to the subscription box than you initially see. It's not just for... Read more →

This is the first in a new series about mindfulness with kids. I want to share some practical, easy and fun ways to bring little pockets of quiet, calm and focus into your life and the lives of your children. Today we are starting with children's yoga. Yoga is one of my favourite mindfulness activities. I've attended yoga classes throughout my life, in all different life stages it's been there for me. My three children are very active with sport so they enjoy the physical aspect of yoga. It's a way for them to physically slow down and listen to... Read more →

This week Sydney experienced a flood emergency. Families are displaced, rained in or have simply spent the week indoors to stay dry. So I've tried to post the easiest, the most engaging activity I could think of that would appeal to a wide range of children. It's also Plastic Free July so I've tried to set this activity up without using plastics. All of the materials for this activity I've found around our home. Above Otto (4yrs) is using our plastic-free Playdough Station. I created it as a surprise, knowing that he would love it even more if it was... Read more →

Are you looking for ideas or inspiration for your Montessori home? I love taking a peek into other family homes but I don't love scrolling through social media. Today I've picked out a few gems that I hope you'll enjoy! This is a wonderful example of an infant movement area incorporating a weaning table, low shelves with age-appropriate materials, a mirror, a movement mat and a butterfly mobile. The highlight for me is the artwork at the child's level just above the weaning table. Perfection! 😘 This is an infant area for a five-month-old. Low shelves, age-appropriate materials, engaging low... Read more →

My four-year-old is obsessed with addition. Out of nowhere, he will start quizzing me "what's 4 plus 4?" and before I can answer "what's 3 plus 5?". If your child attends a Montessori school they may use the Montessori Addition Strip Board. And there are tons of ways we can practice addition in everyday life. We can practice addition with our children when shopping "we have two oranges, if we get two more how many do we have?", when putting away the shopping, when washing, playing shops, playing with blocks, on nature walks and so much more. Addition is a... Read more →

We've been playing with a new wooden marble run (AU here). It's a fantastic marble run that is recommended for children 36months+. As soon as we unpacked it I was taken back by the play guide. It is way too advanced for my child and too advanced for most children under the age of 7-10yrs. It made me think about how with play, we often set our children up for failure. This play guide is not developmentally appropriate for my child. Although it shows young children in the photographs. If we as adults build the marble run as shown in... Read more →

Are you looking for free or low-cost science materials for your children to use at home? Last year we discovered the Spark! and Little Spark! Discovery Boxes (AU). The Spark! Discovery Boxes are for children 8-12 years+, and the Little Spark! Discovery Boxes are for children 3-5 years+. At our local Libraries (Randwick, NSW) the Spark! Discovery Boxes can be loaned using our standard library card (free). The Little Spark! Discovery Boxes require a Toy Library membership (low-cost, free for those with relevant concession cards). But check with your local library first for their conditions, if they don't have any... Read more →

If you have a lot of model animals at home, this might be a fantastic sorting activity for you to try! Sorting Nocturnal and Diurnal Animals. We can use whatever model animals we have at home, plastic, wooden or stuffed animals, we use mostly Schleich. I made up and printed two labels, one for Nocturnal (night-time) and one for Diurnal (day-time). We could also add or discuss Crepuscular animals (mainly active at dawn and dusk). The child simply sorts the animals into the two categories. For younger children, we could use fewer animals and for older children, we could add... Read more →

In Montessori classrooms and homes, children often use real materials, real glassware, real utensils, real knives, real hammers and saws. The children are in a prepared environment that includes caregivers who provide supervision and support. We ensure the children are given the skills to gradually over time use real materials in a safe and age-appropriate way. We may provide alternative or safer versions like a knife with a rounded tip - but it's still a real knife. I've previously used a real hot glue gun with my children at four years. I've closely supervised and no one has got hurt.... Read more →

We are at the end of a 7-day isolation period. Staying at home and not being able to go out means I've been preparing more activities than usual for my preschooler! I've raided our art cupboard and art books to put together a few new art trays. These activities are generally appropriate for children 3-5 years old. These activities allow the child to focus on one activity or one skill at a time. The art trays can be used: to introduce a new skill. to introduce new materials. on the kitchen table for the children to work on after breakfast.... Read more →

Late last year I saw these little red bricks being played with at Hedge Cottage. The bricks looked fabulous. They are like real bricks just smaller, what a wonderful way to introduce building and construction to a young child! Our house and many houses in our neighbourhood are made of red brick, as are many fences and driveways. The little bricks are available with mortar to build permanent structures. As I was using them with my preschooler, I didn't want to use the mortar and our construction is temporary. Initially, I presented the bricks in a basket. To renew interest... Read more →

We are mid-way through a 7-day isolation period and my preschooler has been desperate for some new activities. It's also been rainy so my mind goes straight to art. I've raided our art cupboard and put together a few new art activities! These activities allow the child to focus on one activity or one skill at a time. The art trays can be used: to introduce a new skill. to introduce new materials. on the kitchen table for the children to work on after breakfast. after preschool/daycare/school alongside a healthy snack to relax and decompress. in the afternoon while the... Read more →