Lions,Tigers, And Bears, Oh My!

We visited Virginia Beach, Virginia this weekend. We wanted a quick and easy get-away. It's still too cold to go in the water but we hit up the Virginia Zoo. We were all pleasantly surprised at how well everything was manicured and how beautifully the animals were displayed. We let Ava be in charge of what sites we saw first. She enthusiastically chose the Tigers. I took as many pictures as I could when there wasn't a mob of people around the exhibits. Sadly, the Tigers were too far away on a cliff and were asleep. Here are a few pictures from our visit.

Later that evening we decided to go to the beach strip. Ava insisted we go on the beach even though it was dark and she couldn't go into the water. She is much like her dad, she loves the beach!! There was a fog that moved in and I have never seen it like that over the ocean. Ava didn't mind....she ran and danced. On the way back to the parking garage daddy decided to hit up the candy store for some fudge. Ava settled on some ice cream. Yummy!

All my fellow Friends tv show lovers...does this remind you of something?

It's All In The Family

It's such a special thing when an heirloom is passed down from your parents. This heirloom happens to be a jean jacket that was my dads. I often wonder what stories would it tell me if it could talk. I don't have a picture of my dad in the jacket but I have a picture of my brother, myself and both my daughters in it. I hope that they will continue passing this jacket to their children.

Lucy!

My brother, myself, and Ava

Cricket

Not the best picture but Cricket and Me.

I had the popular 80's doll, Cricket! Mom and dad have reminded me that I about wore her tapes out. I would wake up listening to her stories and songs and go to sleep to her talking. Unfortunately I thought doll hair grew back like human hair and I cut most of hers off. (oops!) After having Ava and when she got to the doll stage I asked mom to find her for me. I wanted to pass down the doll to my little girl. Mom kept her in the attic and we took her down a year or so ago. Sadly, she no longer worked. Since I had most of her books and tapes we decided to go on Ebay to see if there were any for sale. Fortunately, there were a few to choose from. Mom made a bid and YAY we got it!! In the package deal we got the Cricket game, the cooking book and utensils, and some extra dress up clothes for her. When we got back from spring vacation the package was waiting on us!

Grandma adding batteries and putting in a tape.

I'm still not sure who was more excited Ava or myself. 

Listening to Cricket talk about going camping. 

Amazed that her mouth and eyes move.

A Montessori Morning

Every time I watch this video I am so eager to share. Dr. Maria Montessori felt that a child should not be filled with facts from a preselected course of studies, but rather to cultivate the child's own natural desire to learn. Which is where the principle, "follow the child" comes into play. Montessori believed that we should educate the whole child. Holistic education is based on the premise that each person finds identity, meaning and purpose in life through connections to the community, to the natural world, and to spiritual values such as compassion and peace.



Here is a another video on what happens in a Montessori classroom for infants and toddlers.

Montessori Space At Home

I'd like to show you how we set up our Montessori room and around our home. I still have a lot of work to do and things I'd like to add to our space. I'm sure once those things are in place I'll update. Hopefully, you'll get some ideas and be able to set up a Montessori mini space or classroom of your own.

I purchased this shelf from amazon. I love the natural looking wood and the fact that it has wheels for easy mobility. On this shelf I have my practical life trays and baskets. You can purchase these trays  and baskets from Montessori Services or hitting up local yard sales and thrift stores. I have grasping, sorting, pouring, scooping and tonging exercises. These exercises should be arranged on the shelf from easy to more difficult beginning left to right. I trade these works out about every 2 weeks and after an initial lesson Ava is allowed to take the work off the shelf as she desires. A typical work cycle is two and a half to three hours before there is a break for outdoor play. Beside this shelf I have care of the environment materials that are from Melissa and Doug which includes a broom, mop, duster, dust-pan and hand brush. This allows Ava to clean up spills and to dust around the house as need be.

This is a picture of the other side of our Montessori room. A child should have a place to do their work. This table and chairs was purchased from Kid Kraft and they are the perfect height and lightweight. For materials that are larger and need more space a floor rug defines their workspace and allows them the opportunity to learn the Montessori principle "freedom within limits." A rug holder is  ideal but you could easily use a tall basket to hold your rugs. I am on the hunt for mine. 

We have an easel purchased from Ikea which is Ava's favorite area in the room. I have child-size aprons to use when she is painting. The 10 drawer organizer beside it has art materials such as markers, crayons, color pencils, chalk, scissors, glue, stickers, paint brushes, paper and coloring books.

This kitchen set isn't necessarily "Montessori" but Ava enjoys playing "kitchen." I purchased this wood stove set from Target. I store all of her "play food" in plastic containers. 

This next shelf I purchased from target and it holds our sensorial, language, math, and cultural materials. 

In our living room Ava enjoys her rocking chair given to her by her titi Maricsa. 

Ava sleeps in a toddler bed which is smaller than a twin size bed. She is able to get on and off without any assistance. She can make up her bed because it's at the perfect height. 

Ava has a reading chair and a bin of books which I switch out periodically.

In our kitchen we have a cabinet dedicated to just Ava and Lucy's food-preparation utensils and dishes. I purchased the bins from Walmart and Big Lots. This allows Ava to get what she needs for snack, lunch and dinner. 

If you would like to make your own Montessori space start with a mini space. You could start with one shelf and rotate materials. Here is a video with a sample mini space. Here are a few pictures to give you some other ideas on creating your Montessori space. Shelving should be at your child's eye level. A Montessori room should be light and airy without too many distractions. Anything hanging on the wall should be at your child's eye level.

Love this space from Counting Coconuts.

Great space from Imagine Our Life.

From The Kavanaugh Report.

Here are a few ideas for snack preparation and storage. Snacks should be easily accessible and open for whenever a child feels the need to eat. All cups and bowls should be made out of glass or porcelain. This allows the child to practice carrying things that are breakable carefully. Some fresh flowers on the snack table allows your child to enjoy his/her beautiful environment.  

From C Joy Reed.

From How We Montessori.

From Natural Beach Living.

From Ever Clever Mom.

Ideas for a bedroom. Many families start their child off with a floor bed like the one in this picture.  The idea behind a floor bed is to align with Montessori principles: a child should have freedom of movement, and should be able to move independently around his childproofed room. A toddler bed or a crib that converts into a toddler bed is the next best thing. Toys should be limited and displayed at the child's level and not thrown into a trunk or some other toy storage container. Any wall hangings should be at a child's eye level. 

From Sew Liberated.

Here are some ideas for a reading corner. Books should be displayed in such a way that is easily accessible. Allowing the cover to be shown makes it easier for a child to choose which book he/she wants. You should only place a few out at a time and rotate them out. 

From The Free Child.

From Sew Liberated.

From Social Cafe Mag.

Care Of Self

The Practical Life area in a Montessori classroom is made up of care of self, care of the environment and grace and courtesy. Montessori believed that we should never do anything for a child that they can do themselves. We should create a prepared environment that caters to our child's needs and more importantly their independence. This post will be dedicated to ideas on how to help your child with practical life activities and gaining their independence. I'd like to give you a glimpse of how I teach these practical life skills in our home. Let's begin with "care of self" lessons.

Since most counters whether in the kitchen or bathroom are made for adults a must have is a stepping stool or learning towers and fun pods which are a little more expensive. These are handy for when a child needs to wash their hands, brush their teeth or when they are helping you prepare their snack or lunch. Depending on how high your counters are you may have to find a stool with 2 steps rather than one. It's also important to make sure they have skid resistance to prevent any injuries. A few examples of these are:

Once your child is ready for potty training I'd invest in a small potty. This allows the child to get on and off by themselves. Most children find it easier to "go" when their feet are firmly planted on the ground. You also need to have a basket/bin nearby with clean underwear/panties and a hamper to place soiled clothing incase an accident occurs. If you have enough room for a small stool, please include this. This allows your child to have a place to sit to change soiled clothing and it's easier for a child to put on their under garments and get into a standing position once their legs are in the correct holes. 

Photo borrowed from breadandrosesparenting.com

Another setup you should put together is a toothbrushing and hair brush/combing station. Find a simple tray to place these items on and within reach of your child when he/she is standing on a stool. This way they have everything they need right together and makes for an easier morning or bedtime routine.

I have found that the best way to get your child interested in the getting dressed process is to get them involved as much as possible. For Ava, I will take out two or three outfits and hang them where she can see them and let her choose each evening what she wants to wear the next day. A child should have options but not so many that they are overwhelmed. You can put a few different baskets or bins with socks, underwear, colder weather (mittens, hats, scarves) and Ava has one with her umbrella and dance bag. I have her shoes downstairs on a shelf for easy access. Another great way for your child to find clothing items on their own are picture labels. I found these picture labels and they are on my to-do list. You can do whatever works for your family but keep "independence" in the back of your mind when creating these spaces for your little ones. I'm going to post a few ideas below:

Picture borrowed from vibrantwanderings.com

Getting dressed can be a bit tricky for a toddler. A few tips I picked up from my training is that when zipping a jacket or buttoning a shirt you should do it standing behind your child. This allows your child to see the placement of where there hands should be when they give it a go. Another tip I've found useful is sitting on a small stool or chair when getting dressed makes it easier especially while putting on socks and shoes or their bottoms. The last tip is "simplified clothing." We want our children to be successful and today's cute clothing seems to be the most difficult. Shirts without buttons that can easily slip over your child's head and "elastic" on their pants or shorts are much easier to start out with than buttons or snaps. Velcro straps on shoes or slip ons will allow your child to feel successful early on. In the event your child has already mastered elastic Montessori created dressing frames to allow your child ample practice with buttons, zippers, snaps, and bow tying etc. If your child feels a little overwhelmed I have found that sometimes I need to help Ava get started or give a lesson again and have her finish. (example: put one sock on and have your child put the other on) Encouragement is key! Here is a video from Montessori Moms of a little girl taking her shoes off to put on house shoes and hanging her jacket up on child sized coat hanger. Love this!