Category: blog

As a Second Choice, Grandparents Can Love Long-Distance Connections

As grandparents who live away from our two young grandchildren, maintaining a long-distance family connection is very important to us—and it can also be challenging for all. Knowing how busy both their family’s and our schedules are, finding a moment to connect with our grandchildren often falls into a small and spontaneous window of time.

Practical Life Lessons Can Be Shared by Grandparents Too!

✨As grandparents, our home is not set up with day-to-day activities for our young grandchildren. However, when our grandchildren visit, we have age-appropriate toys, games, puzzles and books organized for them in a few of our home cabinets. We also have Montessori-at-home practical life materials ready to use as learning tools. These materials include everyday kitchen

Thoughtfully Designed Home Spaces Are Attractive to the Child

During an interview with American interior designer Thom Filicia, columnist Marni Jameson shared this insightful perspective: “We all stop seeing ourselves and our homes honestly, and can benefit from outside experts who have good taste and a keen eye to help us see what we don’t.” From my experience, this rings true when creating children’s

Preparing for Change? When Less Can Offer More Growth

Preparing for change takes thoughtful intention and planning. In his book, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Eric Carle describes a caterpillar preparing for their significant change ahead: “On Saturday, he ate through one piece of chocolate cake, one ice-cream cone, one pickle, … and one slice of watermelon.” And, no surprise here, “That night he had

Toddler Art Activities and Practical Life Skills

Since they are naturally drawn to hands-on exploration, early art activities are especially attractive to the toddler. This attraction encourages the gathering of important information through touch. As Dr. Montessori discovered, “The human hand allows the mind to reveal itself.” Toddler Art Benefits: The benefits of learning through art are many. To begin with, engaging

Toddler’s Multisensory Learning and Exploration with New Foods

Most often, toddlers are eager to try new activities. Typically, they are “all in” when invited to participate. With boundless enthusiasm for learning, the young child tends to explore with all their developing senses and abilities. Because of this, it’s not uncommon for a toddler to want to explore an activity by tasting and “mouthing”

Toddlers Love an Invitation to Paint …

Toddler painting is layered with practical life learning experiences and more!  When an invitation to paint is offered to the toddler, it is almost always received with great enthusiasm. And as an activity, it become a great opportunity for layers of learning. With a little advance thought, painting as an activity can include practical life, sensorial,

Order Can Be Found in a Toddler’s Play Space

“Order is one of the needs of life which, when it is satisfied, produces a real happiness.” ~ Maria Montessori* Beyond creating beautiful aesthetics, a prepared play space contains specific toys and materials that meet the child’s developmental abilities. Attractive and edited toy shelves and baskets along with open floor spaces can make movement, play

Exploring with Their Senses, Toddlers Love Sensory Learning Activities

Without effort, Toddlers work unconsciously to refine their senses each day. Especially when outdoors, toddlers innately lead with their senses as they explore and discover the world around them. The opportunities for sensorial experiences during a walk are abundant; e.g., “The gate is smooth. Would you like to touch it?” After asking, I guided him

“I Spy with My Little Eye” Opportunities for Language and Learning

“Play gives children a chance to practice what they are learning.” Fred Rogers Outdoor play time is an important part of our day. Here in the South Carolina Lowcountry, the weather in April typically means we spend more of our day outside playing and learning. Lucky for us, there is no better classroom for children