Top Montessori at home activities

Geometry Love- Montessori Materials for Geometric Shape Work

You could have estimated following yesterday's post, that we have been doing a lot of geometric contour work around here! We've been using the Geo Strips (number 3.) and I'm frequently asked about them. So I Have compiled a quick list of another geometric shape construction sticks and pieces that may be helpful for a Montessori home or classroom!
1. Learning Advantage Linking GeoStix (Australia here).
2. Learning Resources Geometric Shapes Construction Set (similar Australia here).
3. Geo Strips (Australia here) (you are able to see Otis using the Geo Strips in this place).
4. Wikki Stix Basic Shapes Creative Entertaining Kit.
5. Learning Resources Transparent Anglegs (the Anglegs come in different sizes too!).
6. Montessori Geometric Stick Stuff (Australia here) (I adore this picture from Westside Montessori School of the Montessori Geometric Stick work, with a simple description).

Montessori Sea Shell Activities You'll Love!

My kids adore actions that include natural materials. Where there's something for them to hold, feel, touch. Where there is something that is interesting, with fascinating little details. Today I am featuring some Montessori Shell Actions whom I understand you will adore. Above and below is a shell sorting task that I presented to Otis this week.
The Shell Poster (left in top picture) is from Montessori Materials and the Univalve/Bivalve sheet is from Montessori for Everyone.
Cleaning a large shell - This is an excellent notion, nearly all of our shells are unclean and could do with an excellent scrub! Fitting shells to cards - Apprendre avec des coquillages at Les ateliers de Céleste Pédagogie Montessori et instruction biologique. Another example of fitting shells to cards are available at Les aventures chez nounou Marie. I believe they are using the lovely shell set and matching cards from Michael Olaf! The cards hold the name of the shell which introduces the language element and allows the parent or caregiver to provide the little one together with the right terminology. This really is from one of my favorite nature tables (which contained lots of shells) where Otis is making depressions with the shells into sand. I recall one of Caspar's favorite actions when he first started in his Cycle One classroom (in Canberra as a three-year old) was a tray with many different types of shells as well as a simple magnifying glass. There is something particular about sea shells!

Using Scales and Balance Buckets

Below are some other Montessori and Inquiry-Based learning thoughts that I adore. These actions are also really simple to put together. Our scales were around $15, or you could use kitchen scales, and we only use stuff we already have at home! So many of these examples use natural materials but I also enjoy the notion of using standard size blocks (#8) where the blocks are of equivalent weight. I adore the sensory table for younger children (#6). I presume I'll attempt a set up like #3 next, where the child has a variety of substances to weigh and record - it seems fantastic for some additional mathematics and literacy abilities!
1. Balance bucket with loose parts at How we Montessori (on our shelves here).
2. Maths In the Playground with An notion on Tuesday.
3. Magnet Trays and Scale Weighing at Learning Cente of Dundee Omaha, Nebraska
4. Drop Inspired Weighing Action with Balance Scales at Montessori from the Heart.
5. General Math Provocations at Welcome to Primary.
6. Balance Scales in the Sensory Table at An Regular Story.
7. Equilibrium scales at How we Montessori.
8. Investigating Measurement Through Play - Mass at Suzie's Home Education Notions.

Alphabet Puzzle Tote

Do you have an Alphabet Puzzle or Moveable Alphabet at home? If so, this really is a really enjoyable activity that augments knowledge on the shapes and sort of letters. I wouldn't do this in a way to teach kids their letters or to examine them but to augment their knowledge. I'd contain letters they are assured with alongside letters they may be fighting with. Select the letters from the Alphabet Puzzle (or Moveable Alphabet) and put these in the Mystery Tote with no child seeing. Encourage the kid over to take a seat at a work mat or table. Encourage the child to set one or both hands in the bag and one at a time, without glancing, identify which letter they're holding.
The notion is the fact that through touch the child forms a graphic of the letter in their thoughts. If they are able to remember the sound of the letter it can help increase their link between the sound and also the shape and type of the letter. As an extension, in case you have comprised vowels and consonants you can also invite the little one to generate some words with the letters they've identified.
Above Otis puts his hand in the Enigma Bag and feels for a letter. He's identified this as a 'w'. The Mystery Bag is one of our favourite stuff which we have used many times over time. Otis used his first Mystery Bag as a toddler with a couple family things in it. It really heightens their sense of touch. Our Mystery Bag is a straightforward silk lined, drawstring bag. I generally be sure it remains to around five items in the tote. These posts reveal some of the ways in which we've used the Mystery Bag (or Mystery Box). With all activities at home, I attempt to keep it engaging and lighthearted. In the event you give this a go I hope you enjoy!

Child care in the home

Playdough - Four Ways

Otis is five and loves playdough now more than ever. I've written occasionally about how we use playdough, always with different things and in various colours, textures and smells. Adding essential oils to playdough is vital. Here are four methods we're now reveling playdough.
1. Alphabet Stamps. This really is a wonderful early literacy task, recalling it is best to start with lower case letters.
2. Other Stamps. We've got lots of stamps at home so there is always lots for the boys to choose from. Above are some hand carved stamps I picked up at a market, they are extremely detailed. I've likewise wiped down our Melissa and Doug stamps and these work really nicely with the playdough too!
3. Gumnuts and Sticks. I really like combining natural materials with playdough. Feathers, shells and pinecones may also lead to creative play with playdough. We don't have these chewing gum nuts in our neighbourhood so I ordered them through The Natural ReSourcer, they make the cutest small caps or hats.
4. Galaxy Dough!! I first read about Galaxy Dough at Fairy Dust Teaching. It is only black playdough with a lot of glitter blended through. It ends up all dark and sparkly - just like the galaxy. Otis was amazed! It's interesting to play with as it's so different to all of our other playdough. They frequently have a lot of different shades of food colouring which may make a pleasant change from the normal colours you see in playdough. We could make a group of playdough all in exactly the same colour but in different colors - lovely! We use playdough and Alphabet Stamps from Joyful Hands Happy Heart. I am hoping you've appreciated this little peek into our playdough play!

Geoboard - Three Ways

Otis has been home from school for the last three days, so we've pulled out a couple of new actions! Above is a standard geoboard together with the additional twist of using grid paper. The kid draws shapes on the paper subsequently makes the shapes on the geoboard. When using the geoboard Otis typically makes random contours and occasionally creates a picture or minor scene. Above he is using a transparent geoboard on the light table. I made Otis this natural geoboard - inspired through this post at Fairy Dust Teaching. I really like how this is just a little rustic and gets the child think only a little differently about making the shapes. It seems somewhat more brilliant too!