play dough sculpting

Finn keeps the new art area bustling with activity. Sculpting with play dough was the first art experience that I put on the shelf, knowing that, if we first made the play dough together in the kitchen (I used this recipe, and it's stayed good for three weeks now) then he would be gung-ho to play with it. Here he is after a sculpting session, putting everything away.

And just to disabuse you of the (albeit hilarious) notion that the fairy singing in the background is Patrick, we were listening to Joanna Newsom, an innovative musician and acquaintance of mine from high school.

Finn is free to get out the sculpting kit at any time. Most of the time he puts it away without any reminders, as that was how I presented the activity to him - the putting away was just as interesting as the playing itself. I showed him how to do it a few times, then he took over, with varying degrees of success. What you see in the video is the result of a bit of practice on his part, and a lot of holding back from unnecessary intervention on my part. I think that's pretty much the key - don't intervene unless there is noticeable frustration on the child's part. I blogged a bit about my thoughts on being okay with your child's mistakes here. There are a lot of moments in this video where we adults might be tempted to intervene, which would mean that Finn wouldn't have had the opportunity to troubleshoot or explore on his own. It takes a while, and the road to success is often circuitous, but ultimately standing back and observing (and respecting) a toddler's own process is what allows the child to learn directly from his own experiences.  

Okay, enough Montessori jibber jabber. For those of you interested in setting up your own play dough sculpting kit, here's what you'll need:

- A homemade playdough recipe. The one I used is here, there are also some great versions in First Art , and Jean has her own suggestions for jazzing it up here.

- An air-tight container that is easily opened and closed by a toddler. I used a Good Grips pop container. I've found them to be much easier for little hands to use correctly than a typical tupperware container. We also keep our cat food in one of these and Finn enjoys his daily task of feeding the cats all by himself.

- A storage container for the sculpting tools. Our little "suitcase" was used as an innovative gift wrapping for one of Finn's baby shower gifts, but I recently saw something very similar at Michael's. Again, the key is that it's easily handled by a toddler.

- Sculpting tools. I was very inspired by this article in the Winter issue of Rhythm of the Home. I scrounged around for tools in my own house, then went to a thrift store to see what I could find. As it turns out, Finn's favorite sculpting tools have been a butter knife, a pattern tracing wheel, and some small sticks that I found in my backyard. He also uses the handmade cork stamps.

- A canvas mat. I quickly sewed mine up from a scrap of canvas fabric that I had on hand. I backed it with the left over non-skid rubber rug pad that I used under the Rainbow Rug.

Happy Play-doughing!

finnian and lachlan's studio

Oh, I love this room. I want to spend all day in it. I love the way the sunlight enters in the afternoons, making rainbows dance on the walls as it passes through a prism in the window, eliciting squeals from the toddler as he runs around trying to "catch wainbow."

As with everything, Finn and Lachlan's studio/play room/art room is a work in progress. I'm constantly tweaking this arrangement or that activity on the shelf, like any Montessori-teacher-at-heart would. With Finn as my guide, the set-up gets more efficient, more user-friendly with each passing day. I see this room in a state of constant evolution. Right now, it is designed to fit the needs of a baby and a toddler. Eventually, it will morph into a homeschooling studio/library/art space.

Here you can see the playmat with a mirror for Lachlan, along with a mobile hanger where we will rotate mobiles to maintain his interest.

Currently, the toy shelf houses a few of Finn's things. Once Lachlan starts grasping at objects and moving around, the lower shelf will be dedicated to baby toys, while the higher shelves will contain Finn's toys. (More on the rainbow rug later this week!)

You can also see that I've reserved some shelf space for my stuff. My yarn stash and my child development books can be found there. I've found that having this space for Finn allows me to have just a few more precious moments of knitting time while he's occupied with play or art projects. The basket on top of the shelves contains my current works-in-progress, ready to be picked up at any time.

The bottom shelf of the skinny bookcase is showcasing Finn's rocks and minerals as well as any other finds from our time outside. I guess you would call it a Nature Shelf.

Here's the art area, which deserves a post of its own later in the week.

And finally, since I know you will ask, I'm going to list where I found many of the items you see here. Most of this was accomplished with re-arranging furniture and supplies we already had on hand.

The Rainbow Rug: handmade with recycled t-shirt supplies from Green at Heart.

The Reading Canopy: handmade by sewing a 108" x 54" silk to a circular hand-quilting hoop (like an embroidery hoop, only huge!), adding lengths of hemp twine to the hoop, then attaching them to a sling ring. Another (square) piece of white silk was draped over this contraption, and we used fishing wire to hang it from a hook in the ceiling. The large floor pillow and faux lambskin were scavenged from elsewhere in the house. I'd like to eventually replace the pillow with a handmade bean bag chair.

Baskets: I find most of my baskets at the thrift store, but have a few from a local fair trade store that are handmade in Ghana (the colorful ones.) I've also seen similar ones for sale at Whole Foods.

Silks: These really are SO versitile in play - Finn uses them for everything, from peek-a-boo to putting his animals down for a "nap." We found ours from Birch Leaf Designs, a family-run business.

The Barn: This was Finn's Christmas gift from us, from Nova Natural. We also have the doll bed from Nova Natural - it was used as a prop in my new book!

Baby Play Mat: I'm not sure if this is the version we have (we've had ours since Finn was born) but it's a similar, thin, foam crib mattress from IKEA.  The clear mobile hanger is from Michael Olaf. The mirror is just one of those cheap closet mirrors turned on its side that we scavenged from the oh-so-full-of-treasures attic. (You never know what you'll find in an old rental house!)

Bookcase: The IKEA Expidit, relocated from our bedroom.

Chalkboard: Handmade by Patrick. We'd like to eventually find an old, wooden frame for it. The galvanized metal bucket hanging from the hook is from our time in Mexico, but you should be able to find something similar at Montessori Services (although not nearly as cheap, I'm afraid!) The bucket contains chalk and an eraser, and I drape a damp washcloth from the hook as well for Finn to use to wipe off his chalky hands.

Red shelving: From my old sewing studio, this was originally purchased on the cheap at an unfinished furniture store. This shelf is where I display art activities for Finn. Currently, you can see the supplies for play dough sculpting.

Art Table: This was our big purchase for the room, and it's certainly worth it. I was going to steal Patrick's desk from him and cut off the legs, but when he found out, he suggested this alternative. Harumph. The old desk would have looked so cool. But anyhow, this table is of excellent quality, is just the right height for little ones, and can easily fit two children at work. We ordered the 24" x 48" table with 18" table legs.

Mama and son print: A gift from the lovely Regina of Creative Kismet - it's called "I Will Help You Grow," and it means a lot to me for obvious reasons.

Paper dispenser/roll: We found ours locally, but if you live near an IKEA, you can get one for a very reasonable price. Too bad they don't offer shipping for those items!

Marker holder: I'll tell you more about this later, but Finn and I made ours following the instructions in First Art .

Tabletop Easel: This is something I've had for quite a while, but I think they still sell a version at Michael Olaf.

That should do it! Let me know if you have any other questions and I'll try to amend this resource list. I'll be doing a whole week of posts about this space - I even have a video to share with you tomorrow of Finn in action! I hope you enjoyed the tour.

 

books for toddlers

At any given time in our house, there are around ten books on active rotation in various spots - the coffee table, a basket next to the potty in Finn's room, a few in the book sling, and a few on a small shelf. All are easily accesible to little hands. The rest we keep on a shelf in a closet, waiting for their turn in the rotation.

I've had a lot of questions from other parents about what kind of books I would recommend for babies and toddlers. I've put off answering that question until now because I honestly had no clue if my own Montessori philosophy was in sync with toddler tastes or not.

Finn has made his literary preferences known. I thought I'd share them with you.

For the most part, I'm somewhat surprised that his interests are very much in sync with what we learn in Montessori training courses. He loves books about real animals, people, and objects. He prefers books that are beautifully photographed or illustrated over cartoonish books with very "loud" and busy illustrations. He adores being able to name objects that he recognizes from his daily life.

There are a few notable exceptions to this "keep-things-real" Montessori approach (which I am more than happy to oblige, being somewhat influenced by the imaginative Waldorf philosophy, too). He can't get enough of nursery rhymes, nonsensical though they may be. He loves the cadence of the language, and the subtle bouncing and knee tapping that I can't help but add when I read them aloud. In general, we both enjoy children's books that are beautifully illustrated which also contain rhythmical, lovely prose, regardless of their roots - fantastical or reality-based, we welcome them into our home.

The big shocker? Finn LOVES books about motor vehicles. Umm, hello? Have you seen our car, little boy? We are not a family that obsesses about cars, judging from the broken door handle and the logo that has fallen off the back. Not to mention the turquiose, purple, and gray interior straight out of the 80's. Where did this obsession come from? Sheesh.

**One more note about books before I get started on the list: we do not limit his books to board books that can be put in the mouth and whipped about without falling apart. His stash includes grown up photography books and books with paper pages. Every child is certainly different when it comes to their interactions with books, but from the beginning, we've been very clear with Finn that books do not belong in his mouth. It is, perhaps, the first "limit" we put on him as an older baby. There was a time when he was about a year old when he tested this limit and I temporarily removed the books from his reach. In a few days, the books returned without fanfare, and he hasn't tried to put a book in his mouth since. Perhaps another reason why he treats books with respect is that he is mimicking how I treat books: I try to exaggerate being careful with them, turning their pages slowly, and return them to their spot with a certain amount of reverence. Maybe he's just gentle with books, but in case his attitude is generated by his home environment rather than his own personality, I thought it might be helpful to share our strategy.**

Reference Books These books are collections of real images or illustrations that are categorized. At first, we would point to an image and talk about it. Then, Finn started pointing to the images he was curious about and we would name the object. Now, he tries to say the names of the objects himself.

L'imagier du Père Castor - In French, but easy to use because of the clear illustrations. Illustrations fall under various categories from daily life, from fruit and furniture to motorized vehicles and clothing.

First 100 Animals

First Animal Encyclopedia

Books about Daily Life and Animals

Bird Songs: 250 North American Birds in Song

Pelle's New Suit

The Philharmonic Gets Dressed

All in a Day

Tools

Get Dressed

Wash Up

Yo Vivo Aqui

Mama's Milk

Pancakes, Pancakes!

Be My Neighbor

General Favorites

Cat

Dog

Mama, Do You Love Me?

Stone Soup

Hush Little Baby

A Giraffe and a Half

On the Day You Were Born

My First Truck Board Book

People

Have You Seen My Cat?

Global Babies

Carry me

My Very First Mother Goose

Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes

Wynken, Blynken, and Nod

Over Under in the Garden

Seasonal (Autumn)

It's Fall

Autumn

Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf

I hope you find some books here that will become favorites in your own family. This is just a short list, and it's limited to what we have in our own house, so I'll try to ammend it in the future to include books that we add to our collection. Happy reading!

finn's corner

This past week, Finn came down with a case of the blahs and a fever. Not surprising, given the change of seasons, but it required a slowing down of sorts around here. (And cancelling our trip to Mexico, which we were certainly looking forward to, but the last thing you want to be doing with a sick toddler is international travel!)

So slow down we did. I think the most I accomplished last week, other than getting food on the table and getting an excellent upper body workout from carrying Finn all the time, was put up this little shelf. And to be honest, Patrick really did all the work. I gave him orders from the sidelines.

The shelf is the finishing touch to what I lovingly refer to as "Finn's Corner."  You're probably tired of seeing this this spot by now, but truly, it's the heart of Finn's practical, day-to-day experiences in our family. There's lots of activity in this corner, from serving water to sweeping, mopping, and wiping up spills. It's where I store a few much-used art materials (beeswax crayons and watercolor supplies) as well as where Finn polishes wood and plays with playdoh and has other encounters with art.

From left to right on the peg shelf (found at Little Colorado): a Mama-made apron from my free pattern; a "wipe-up cloth" which is easy to make - take an old towel, hem the edges, and attach a ribbon loop for easy hanging; his rainbow broom; and his mop. The apron is a new addition to this kitchen/living space. He adores it, and loves that he has his very own now, just like his Mama. We put on aprons when we're baking, washing the dishes, or polishing wood.

Polishing wood is the first Care of the Environment Montessori-style activity that I've set up for him. Up until now, he's just been offered the opportunity to mimick us in our everyday cleaning and cooking activities. This little tray is a very simple set-up, perfect for a toddler who has a lot of beautiful, unfinished wood in his life, from wooden toys to wooden plates. Polishing wood with beeswax (I recommend this stuff) is a safe, easy, and fun way for him to contribute to the care and beautification of his home environment.

I put the soft beeswax in a tiny jam jar, the kind you might see if you go out to brunch at a nice-ish restaurant. I always unabashedly throw a few extra jam jars in my bag when I see them - they're so useful for helping little ones with portion control. I also use them in art activities. They're especially good for storing homemade paste for collage.

The teensy-weensy spoon is about the size of Finn's thumb, and also helps put a natural limit on how much beeswax is appropriate to use. I found it at Montessori Services while I was still teaching.

Finally, the cloth is from a stash I made for my classroom - 10 cm x 10 cm squares of flannel sewn with right sides together. Leave a small opening for turning it right side out, then topstitch along all edges, closing the opening. I have ten of these that I store on his play kitchen shelf; if one cloth gets very dirty, there's a laundry basket on the floor where Finn can place it (as well as dirty clean-up cloths) and then he can find a replacement from the stash on the shelf.

To present the wood polishing activity, I showed Finn how to get one scoop of beeswax from the jar and use his finger to place the wax on a wooden object. I used my index finger to work the wax into the wood, then sat in silence while it soaked in a bit. Finally, I used the flannel cloth to buff the wood, then returned the object and the tray to their respective spots. Eventually, I'll show him how to polish larger items, such as his play kitchen and shelving.

It was an instant hit with the 17 month-old, and I'm sorry I have no pictures to prove it. When it came time to take a few pictures for this post, my little model was running some errands with his Daddy. But you know what? It's hard to take pictures of a wiggly toddler in a low-light setting. All you would have seen would have been a blur of motion, anyway.

The slowing down stops as soon as the toddler feels better. You know how it goes!

 

quenching thirst, montessori style

"Wawa. Wawa! WAWA! WAAAWAAA!" It's amazing how quickly a small human can go from realizing he's slightly thirsty to absolutely dying of dehydration. I've counted - twenty seconds. It's so nice to be able to offer an immediate solution to his thirst when we're at home. At the first utterance of "wawa," all I have to say is, "Would you like to serve yourself some water?" And he gets this big ol' grin, does a little dance of excitement, and heads to the kitchen to pour himself a glass of water.

When he's done, he says "ahhh!" then likely serves himself another sip. At times, he will be so enamored with the process that he serves me some water, too. When he's ready to move on to another activity, he sets his glass in the bowl to the right of the water spigot, where it will stay until he's thirsty once again.

And yes, at other times, he'll just push down the lever and watch, transfixed, as the water drips into the basin below. No worries - the cats will appreciate a replenishing of what has become their new watering hole.

A few spills are part of the deal, and that's where this pint-sized mop comes in handy. He loves mopping up just as much as he loves serving the water. (The broom is another favorite "toy." He sweeps so often, that we're considering changing his nickname from "Sweet Pea" to "Sweepee.")

I know what you're thinking. "This woman is loopy. A real glass! Free access to water! What a nut she must be."

My Montessori teacher training gave me the idea for this. Such a set-up, however, does take some courage to set up. Because no matter how brave you are, and how confident you are in your child's ability to learn to do things proficiently when given the opportunity to practice such skills, you will run into some majorly raised eyebrows along the way. Perhaps the eyebrows of a husband, an aunt, or a grandmother - and let's not forget your OWN inner raised eyebrow, which is how you'll feel about this water serving activity after you've just shown your toddler how it works.

There will be water. There will be lots of drinking. There will be spills. The exuberant child just needs to work the excitement of the newness of it out of his system, then things become normalized. Within a week, Finn had practiced the movements enough that they had become noticeably more controlled and graceful. He was able to synchronize the pushing down of the spigot with the correct placement of the glass underneath it. It was amazing to watch, really - a testament to the importance of mistake-making in the process of mastering a skill. It's something I think of often, how we, as parents, are often nervous about letting our child make mistakes. I am no exception - I have to consciously step back and let go of my perfectionism and just let the learning process unfold. My own attitude toward mistakes is also something I'm mindful of watching - I do my best to assign neutral emotions to them, treating them as a matter-of-fact part of life, even treating them with some interest: "Oh, look! You tipped the glass over and the milk spilled on the floor. Let's go get the clean-up cloth to wipe that up. Would you like to wipe?"

I do hope that Finn picks up on this attitude - this embracing of mistakes. It's really what I believe is the foundation of a positive relationship with learning. A book that discusses this concept and how it relates to parenting is Easy to Love, Difficult to Discipline. It's a very helpful read.

A few notes about setting up a water station:

• It's essential that your water cooler be secured in place. Ours fit perfectly between two shelves and is wedged in there quite well (although not so tightly that I can't remove it for cleaning and filling.)
• The glasses we have for Finn are these. They come in a set of six, and that's been plenty for us. Obviousy, he reuses his glass. If you have more than one child, you might consider a different colored little bowl for each of them, for sanitary purposes.
• Another word about the glasses: it's good to note that Finn has been using these, or other similar enamelware cups, since he started drinking liquids other than breastmilk. At first we would help him bring the cup to his mouth and tilt it for him. Eventually he transitioned seamlessly into drinking from a cup at the dinner table. So he's already had a good deal of practice with this. If you're looking to transition a child who has been using a sippy cup, I would give plenty of time for the child to work with just the small, open-topped glass first before introducing the water serving station.
• The enamelware basins I have set up here are from Michael Olaf.
• The shelf is a single playstand with the awning removed.

I'll try to answer any more questions in the comments!

a toddler-friendly house

It's no surprise that our house has undergone some changes since Finn started walking. Given my personal penchant for rearranging furniture and constantly tweaking our home to make it more livable, I really embrace the opportunity to create interesting and safe spaces for Finn to explore and enjoy. I hope you enjoy the tour!

Our music room/dining room is set up for Mama and Daddy, as well as Finn. The set of drums, which I found at our local fair trade store, are from India. Each drum rotates on a donut cushion, which makes it easy to angle them to better accommodate Finn's small stature. On the other side of Finn, which you can't see in this picture, is a basket containing a handful of interesting percussion instruments which I switch out periodically: bells, a triangle, a maraca, and a wooden egg shaker.

The dining room features a child-sized rocker and a handmade book sling for larger picture books.

You can find the tutorial for making a book sling at Penny Carnival.

Another view of our living room reveals the little potty station, well equipped with a basket containing wipes and a few books. (A note about how EC is going ... we're currently experiencing a lack of interest in the potty. Ever since Finn started walking, he's been less concerned with signaling to use the potty, and that's cool (and also quite normal for EC-ers!) He still sits down a few times a day to read books with us, and we still catch most number 2's because that happens somewhat predictably upon waking, but for now, potty time is on the back burner!)

Here's yet another nook for Finn - a tiny bookshelf that holds a few books (including the talented Melissa Crowe's felt baby book featured in my book!), as well as his baby doll, a music box that was mine when I was little, and a basket containing two sandpaper letters which are from fellow Montessorian Polliwog 77. Finn loves carrying them around. I figure that I'll just casually introduce some letter sounds to him as a game. Just this morning, Finn walked over, picked up the "f", rubbed his finger over it, and said "ffffffffffff."

Here's the nature cabinet - a bit sparse at the moment, but we do have a few duck and geese feathers on display, as well as some interesting seed pods and a summery drawing. The chair is from the Michael Olaf 0-3 catalog, The Joyful Child.

And here's the heart of the home - the place we spend the most time - the kitchen. It's certainly where we put most of our resources - both money and sweat (notice the new blue walls? Much brighter than the former dark orange look.) Thanks to a generous refund check from the IRS, we were able to purchase the most gorgeous cherry play kitchen by Camden Rose. It matches the Camden Rose shelf/play stand that we've had for a while. Finn loves it in here - whether it's opening and closing his kitchen doors and putting things in or taking them out or playing with bubbles in the little sink, he always finds something of interest - which is important for the big people in the house, because we like cooking and baking, and it's pretty difficult to get anything done with a baby hanging on your leg. The toddler-sized table and chair are also from Michael Olaf.

His other favorite kitchen activities include playing with the real "play" phone, exploring garlic bulbs and other fresh produce, and playing with the saucepans, lids, and serving spoons, which are available to him in one of the low cabinets. Oh - and I just thought I'd show you one of my favorite details of the space - the fabric bird on a branch curtain rod.

His absolute favorite kitchen activity, however, is hanging out in his Learning Tower and helping us wash dishes or fruits and veggies. His tower was a birthday gift from his grandparents, aunt, and great aunt and uncle. Although they're not shown in this picture, we like to keep the "gaps" in the side and back closed off with a few bungee cords until he's a bit bigger and more steady on his feet. Also, if he's working with a lot of water, we'll drape the "floor" of the tower with a towel to keep things from getting slippery. It's made kitchen work so much more fun, for all involved!

And here's the little fellow in his room ... which hasn't changed much. I just rotate out the activities on the shelf and he's happy as a clam - always something to do.

Right now, this opening and closing basket keeps his interest. (These little woven baskets are perfect for little hands and for holding interesting "toys" like shells, stones, and blocks. I found mine fair-trade at our local Whole Foods market. They are made in Ghana.)

Here's the potty station in his room, outfitted with books, of course!

And here's novel toddler space - my sewing studio! Inspired by Anna Maria, I made some changes in order to welcome Finn into this space. No toys are necessary here - just some spools of thread, a basket of scraps, and some interesting notions in a small cabinet that opens and closes, along a few books.

Embroidery thread is fascinating.

Here's an invaluable gadget that allows me to safely keep my sewing machine, serger, and computer plugged in - it's called a Lectralock.

I'm still not able to get much work done with Finn in here with me, as he's constantly asking to read books together. How can I say no to that request?

It's nice to have a home that all of us can enjoy, and that allows Finn to explore freely without me worrying about safety issues or off-limits, adult-only spaces. We're here together all day, every day, and we love it!

teach in mexico

I recently received an email from my dear friend in Mexico, letting me know that the Montessori school where I taught for three years is in the precarious predicament of being without a teacher for the upcoming school year. It really is an amazing, one-room school - a school unlike any I've ever visited in the US (much better, in other words!). If you have a passion for Montessori education, are interested in working with children of humble backgrounds, and would be interested in living and working in Mexico for the next few years, please be in contact with Adriana as soon as possible! Also, please forward this announcement to anyone you think might be interested in a truly genuine, truly beautiful Montessori experience. Here's the job posting I wrote back when I was there, and we were searching for my replacement:

CASA DE NIÑOS RAKARA

We invite an AMI-trained primary guide to teach in the mountains of rural northern Mexico. Interested candidates must have a passion for Montessori philosophy. The position provides the opportunity to work with children of few economic resources and with the indigenous population. Some knowledge of Spanish, or a willingness to learn, is necessary. Interested guides should email their resumes and a letter introducing themselves to Adriana de la Vega at [email protected].

The school's blog can be found here: www.montessoricreel.blogspot.com

Here are just a few of my favorite photos from my time in Mexico - enjoy!

a laundry list of firsts

The first birthday, the first steps, and the first trip to the ocean. Lots of firsts in this past week, I tell you! I can barely keep up. He's also started using sign language in the past few weeks- just really blossomed in his ability to communicate, which blows my mind. Our attitude toward teaching Finn sign language has been very lackadaisical. We signed to him occasionally, but more often than not I was confounded as to how to go about signing when I always had either a baby in hand or something else (probably food.) No matter, he picked up on it anyway. The day he figured out the sign for "more," he was off and gesticulating like crazy.  We use this book, and also make use of an online ASL dictionary.

His signs to date include: more, music, all done, hungry/food, water, outside, mama's milk, open, potty, book, squirrel, and I think I saw him try "bird" this morning. The amazing thing? These pretty much sum up his interests at this point in life. And really, if all we could say was "outside", "music", and "more", wouldn't we live a fantastic existence? I think so! His spoken words include cat, the occasional "mama", he woofs whenever he hears or sees a dog, and I swear I heard him say "bubble" yesterday (another favorite activity, thanks to his Mima, Bubble Blower Extraordinaire.) He's also become quite the comedian. His stand up routine currently includes faking a sneeze, much to his delight (and the delight of those around him, of course!) I wonder where he gets that funny gene:

I have this sense of the days whirling past me. Things have been busy here with family visiting and a few deadlines for some other fun projects. It's like I want to yell "stop!" and freeze things for a while, take the time to absorb all of these changes in my little boy. I love watching him master new skills and become excited by the marvelous world around him, but I think a slow week is needed. A week where we can toss out the ridiculous to-do lists in our adult heads and watch a baby become a toddler. Much more important than to-do lists, don't you think?

What is encouraging you to throw out your to-do lists this week?

in pursuit of Nature, small-style

For adults, Nature is big. Mountain big. Ocean big. It's an adventure one has to seek out - a remote hiking trail, a backpacking weekend, an event that requires a lot of planning, and perhaps a lot of gear. I've gotten hung up on this before - immobilized by the immensity of the task of getting out into Nature. When I let this happen, I forget that, for children especially, Nature is small. It's personal, intimate - a caterpillar crawling along a blade of grass, a ladybug that perches on your shoulder, the feeling of mud squishing between your toes. "Small Nature" is always accessible, anywhere. And it's this kind of familiar, day-to-day contact with Nature that makes a big impact on little people.

We've been talking about pitching our tent in our backyard and trying to sleep outside with Finn. We're also in the midst of creating a nature playscape that we hope to have finished by his first birthday (in less a month - hard to believe!) Today, I though I'd share with you some of my favorite resources for bringing children into contact with Nature.

An excellent (and free) jumping-off point is Green Hearts' Parents' Guide to Nature Play . The booklet explains the many developmental benefits of nature play and gives parents some concrete ideas. I also found Green Hearts' 25 Easy Nature Play Ideas For Preschool Yards to be a great resource for setting up our own backyard.

As far as books go, I can highly recommend Nature's Playground: Activities, Crafts, and Games to Encourage Children to Get Outdoors and Coyote's Guide to Connecting with Nature .

Nature's Playground is a phenomenal resource, as it provides so many ideas and activities to jump start the entire family's interest in (and enjoyment of) nature. I'd say that it's geared toward families with children preschool-aged and above, and most of the activities appeal to a broad age range of children, making it perfect choice for families.

I love that the book is organized by the four seasons - each seasonal chapter provides a wealth of ideas and tips pertinent to that particular season. The one downside of the book (for those of us in the US) is that it is published out of the UK, meaning that some of the plants and insects referenced aren't available for observation. That said, I think that, no matter your geography or climate, the book should be useful (with the exception of the Winter chapter for those living in, say, Florida.)

Coyote's Guide provides a depth and breadth to nature play/education that you won't find in Nature's Playground. My copy is dog-eared and full of highlighted passages because I think it's so awesome. Coyote's Guide is all about how to become a nature mentor for children, and it will have you wanting to become an amateur naturalist yourself (they do offer a training program, if you're interested - I've actually been thinking about doing this with Finn, once he's six or seven.) If you're a homeschooling family, you'll want to pick it up for sure!

If you have favorite resources for nature play/nature education, please feel free to share them in the comments for all to read.

Happy weekending!

sandpaper letters

The Montessori teacher in me just had a mini freak-out. Check these out:

Photo by Polliwog77

They're stylish. They're handmade. They're affordable. You can buy them through etsy here.

I know there are strong opinions about what makes a good sandpaper letter in the Montessori community. Having trained in the ultra-purist AMI camp, there was a time when I believed that cursive letters were the only way to go, because cursive letters are more easily differentiated, whereas children can get hung up on the graphic similarities of the circle-and-line-ness of the print p, d, q, a, etc. I cut out my own set of cursive letters from sandpaper, which I'll make into a set one of these days. (I even made a complete moveable alphabet in cursive for my classroom in Mexico.) But that said, I totally see the argument for introducing children to print letters first. We live in a world of print (and, as Patrick argues, he never reads or writes in cursive, so why should that be the first thing that Finn learns, if the whole point of Montessori education is to help the child adapt to his specific cultural environment?) How do I argue with that? Plus, these letters are so darn cool looking. Patrick wins.

Oh, and did you see that the beautiful set of Waldorf alphabet cards is now available in English? Swoon. I think I just fainted from letter loveliness.

Here's a link to a tutorial on how to make your own sandpaper letters, along with a bit about what they are and how to use them.