Outdoor Games

July 2nd, 2009

I remember playing Kick the Can, Spud and other great outdoor games as a child. The long summer days were perfect for hours of fun with my friends. Sometimes outdoor games can get a little rough, so I would have adults play too.

Here are some links that may give you some ideas for outdoor games:
Kids Games
Racing Games
Inside and Outside Games
Relay Games
More Relay Games

Keep in mind the ages of the children participating, their skill level and most of all, consider safety first.
Happy playing!

Sidewalk Chalk Art

June 26th, 2009

Chris Dunmire has a 10 step plan to get your child ready to create beautiful sidewalk art. You can find a recipe for sidewalk chalk here.

How to Introduce Playdough

June 19th, 2009

In Montessori classrooms you introduce everything to your students. We introduced playdough to the children very similar to this. Grab some playdough, roll it into a snake. Coil the snake into a circle. Make a pancake. It’s great therapy!

Super Cool Doll Furniture

June 18th, 2009

I wish I could make this furniture for myself! How to Make Styrofoam Egg Carton Doll Furniture has great directions and photos for this fun doll furniture.

Egg Carton Art

June 18th, 2009

Egg Carton Critters has some cute ideas for your recycled egg cartons.
Here are some more links-
Egg Carton Animals
Egg Carton Animal Disguises
Crazy Crawlers
Egg Carton Lady Bugs (Lady Birds)
Egg Carton Crab
Egg Carton Snake
Egg Carton Allegator
Egg Carton Ant
Egg Carton Tulips
Egg Carton Flower Wreath
Egg Carton Daffodil
Egg Carton Flowers

Summer Projects

June 17th, 2009

These are some fun summer projects and games for your children.

California

June 17th, 2009

I’m back from California. The weather was beautiful and the Pacific Ocean was a spectacular sight for a land-locked person! We went to Santa Barbara for my niece’s graduation and celebrated my mother’s 83rd birthday. Life is good.

Free Moon Reading Cards

June 11th, 2009

Anytime is a great time to observe the phases of the moon. Here are some free Montessori reading cards of the moon phases.

Free Summer Concerts

June 2nd, 2009

Colorado Springs is a great place to find free concerts. Here is a list of local, free concerts for the summer of 2009.
Check out your local message board or paper to find free concerts for a summer of musical joy.
(I love outdoor concerts because you can bring your kids and dog!)

Free Planet Reading Science Cards

May 29th, 2009

These free Montessori nomenclature cards have beautiful graphics of our 8 major planets.

Montessori Tackle Box

May 27th, 2009

Using a tackle box with lots of Montessori materials is the way to go. It’s compact and so easy to use.
Check out Teaching from a Tackle Box for a great deal.

More Montessori Fraction Fun

May 25th, 2009

Here is another newsletter with printouts for fraction fun the Montessori way!

Drink Your Tea

May 20th, 2009

I love to drink herbal and green tea. Sipping tea all day keeps my energy level up. I found this article about Dr. Braverman’s research interesting. Herbs, spices and tea help keep you slim, young and your brain and body functioning. I don’t use salt, but spices when I cook. Garlic, onion and a small pinch of cayenne makes your food very tasty.
Cheers!

Fraction Wall

May 18th, 2009

You can make a hands-on fraction wall using box shaped containers. Tape together the sections before covering them with paper. Make the sections proportional to the amount of fractions you are using. The whole number will be the largest section. Here is a lesson about the fraction wall. There is a picture of the wall made from paper.

Big and Small Free Printout

May 17th, 2009

Montessori uses the pink tower to teach vocabulary about size. Here is a free printout to help your child learn about size.

Astro Mike

May 13th, 2009

Astro Mike is twittering about his mission in space. Check out his daily updates. It’s the next best thing to being there.

Montessori and Self-Control

May 11th, 2009

One of the virtues of Montessori education is the development of self-control. The “marshmallow” experiment of the late 60’s found some interesting facts about self control.
1. Children who had good environments had better self-control.
2. Later in life, self-control aided with success in school more than I.Q.
3. Self-control can be taught to preschool children.
Read more at Don’t the secret of self-control.

Animal Sounds

May 10th, 2009

If you want to hear what sounds different animals actually make, there are samples available at Cornell’s Macauley Library. I have been listening to house finches, raccoons, mourning doves and robins. It’s a great way to listen to nature with your children and recognized the call of wildlife around you.

Happy Mother’s Day

May 9th, 2009

Happy Mother’s Day! It doesn’t matter if you have children or not, we all have a Mom inside of us.

Big Bigger Biggest

May 5th, 2009

Here is a free printout for Montessori nomenclature and 3 part cards teaching concepts of size. Use the 3 period lesson to teach new concepts.