Science 4 Kids has great information from gardening to recycling. Careful! Earthworms Underfoot explains how earthworms adapt to weather and different soils.

What makes flowers exhibit different colors? Cracking Nature’s Color-Code for Flowers has the answers.
There are three basic pigments.
Flavonoids make red.
Carotenoids produce yellow and orange.
Chlorophyll gives plants their green color.

“By mixing and matching these three pigments,” says Griesbach, “an endless array of colors can be created.”

I was raised in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. It was a very easy going, kid oriented place to live. Homeschooling seems to be accepted as a good way to educate your children. I am happy to see how open the community is to home education.

During my early years as a Montessori teacher the head directress was a child psychologist. She explained that fantasy was a part of a child’s creativity, but there were aspects of fantasy and lying that could become a problem. If a child continued to live in a fantasy world after a certain age and stage of development it could be a subject of concern. This article explains the various stages of a child’s play and fantasy.

Montessori classrooms have small rugs, trays, and placemats as individual learning areas. When a child lays out a rug, the teacher and other children know that this is the child’s personal working space. At home everyone needs personal space even if it is a place mat at the table or a rug on the floor.

The three hour work cycle is a common element in working not only for children, but for adults. Chrildren work up to the 3 hour work cycle as they mature.

Montessori encouraged cooperative activities for children. Outdoor games can be played with a team spirit by playing with partners instead of individuals competing against each other.

Board games can become an adventure of cooperation when children play in teams. Instead of a winner, the people who finish first can use their turn to help the other teams finish the game.

Who would think that we live in a society in which our children are considered a fair target by multi billion dollar industries? Overview of the Commercialization of Childhood by Susan Linn, Ed. D. gives examples how are children are targeted by industry to sell goods. Web advertising, giving cool kids products to influence their peer group, and advertising on public televison are just a few of the marketing tools.
She mentions how advertisers send messages to children to nag their parents to buy their product.
When you consider how children absorb information during the preschool years (Montessori), I understand why many parents have removed televisions from their homes.

I am sure that babies are born with personality traits. This baby temperment quiz gives you insight to your baby’s needs. It’s very Montessori to understand and observe your baby.