**I will be unplugged for a whole week! (Check out The UnWired Mom.) I have scheduled posts this week, but I wanted to let you know that if you post a new comment, I will not be able to approve it until next Saturday! Thanks for visiting, and I hope you spend some time unplugged…
practical life skills: food preparation
John loves to help with the tenderizing the meat :) He also stirs the granola and shucks the corn! He is our little helper and working alongside us helps him feel very independent!
a mirror is fun
{wordless wednesday}
practical life skills: their own makeup bag
If I’m going out, I curl my eyelashes and wear mascara. I’ve never been a full-face makeup kind of girl, but I feel good if I’m wearing mascara. This routine can sometimes present challenges when you have two little ones and the older one sometimes likes to get a little aggressive with the younger. I…
practical life skills: cutting fruit with knife
{This post may contain affiliate links, please see my disclosure policy.} The essence of independence is to be able to do something for one’s self. Maria Montessori Lately, I have been giving my son his little knife with his meal. I feel bad that he had to ask for it so many times. I use one, after…
transfer beans with strainer
We did another very simple practical life activity involving transferring this week. I gave John a strainer and two stainless bowls, one with water and kidney beans. His job was to strain the beans into the empty bowl. I asked him to bring the tray to his small table in the kitchen, for an added…
water transfer with sponge
This is such a simple activity. You don’t have to buy anything new! All you need are two bowls and a sponge. We used a little one, but a bigger one might work better because more water can be transferred at once. He is strengthening his hand muscles and also concentrating on keeping the water…
making noodle necklaces
I thought that my son couldn’t participate in this age-old classic. Stringing noodles with yarn. But I just realized (duh!) — they make gluten-free noodles! (He is highly allergic to touching gluten.) We have cooked some gluten-free angel hair pasta for him before, but I just found these awesome “bigger” rigatoni noodles at the store….
Guest Post at Life with Moore Babies: Outdoor Water Play
I am honored to have a guest blog post at Life with Moore Babies today! Ashley blogs about educating and mothering — particularly focusing on strong-willed children and hands-on learning. Check her blog out — you will love it! Here is a link to my guest post: Outdoor Water Play is Learning Time My post…
Teaching practical life skills – just give the kid a real glass!
My husband has lost it, and so have I, over our son’s huge sippy cup falling off the table, on the table, falling off the couch, hitting things, banging into toys. These things were made to be bulletproof (well they are spill-proof, after all). Anyways, I was perusing the Montessori Services site to update my…
What is Montessori? Tea pot water play!
I am trying my hand at defining some of the activities we are already doing at home. And I am initiating more of these activities according to the below (shortened by me) principles of Montessori. I was confused by Montessori at first. But 1plus1plus1equals1 and Counting Coconuts both make it seem less intimidating, and more…
