Toddler Ideas Tuesday: April 29nd, 2014

Welcome back to Toddler Idea Tuesdays! Have you been busy with your young children?

We just finished a unit on Planes, Trains and Automobiles for Poppins Book Nook. Our focus was on planes. I decided to bring out some related Montessori type, fine-motor activities for Hannah and Harold.

So, bring on the clouds...

Spooning "Clouds"

Size Order "Clouds" with Counting

"Cloud" Counting

(One-to-one)

Now onto:

Toddler Idea Tuesday Features

1- Jennifer from Reviews, Chews and How-tos shared Devishly Good Eggs. 

2- Jennifer also shared her craft tutorial for Easter/Springtime Candy Holders made out of toilet paper tubes.

3- Jennifer from Hint Mama shared how to turn "Mommy Getting Ready Time" into an activity.

What sort of activities do you do with your toddler? Do you have some favorite activities you would like to share? I invite you to link up below. I will be pinning posts on my Toddler Ideas board and I would love to feature some of the activities each week from what is linked up. Please know I may share a picture from your post and link back to it, along with sharing how we used your idea in our toddler time. By linking up you are giving me permission to use a picture from your post. I will ALWAYS give credit and link back. Additionally, if you choose to try out any of the ideas with your toddler, please make sure you give credit where credit is due.

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Reorganizing Montessori/Online Montessori Training Opportunity

Nicole over at One Hook Wonder hosts both Montessori Monday and Toddler Tuesday,  As I usually post about both girls together I will just link up to Montessori Monday as usual.

I have been changing up the shelf again because the girls have not been interested in the activities.  I was chatting with the lady who is the head teacher over at the Montessori where I worked.  I was trying to remember some of the different practical life and math work they have on the shelves.  I also found some more baskets at the thrift shop.  Still waiting on them to get some trays, but we are making do with what we can find.

Here is what is on our shelves now:

(Spooning pompoms, placing toothpicks in the shaker jar,

bottles and lids)
]

(Pasta pouring, One to one transferring with a 

strawberry huller)

The girls were really excited to use the pouring

(Amelia had been pouring the macaroni that was in the

spooning, so I figured I better get the pouring up.) 

 It took me so long to find some small pitchers.

Spooning (not new, just changed up)

Opening and closing jars and lids

This was their first time unrolling and rolling a mat.

Transferring objects/One to one corresponding

using the strawberry huller

Lesson on waiting your turn, respect and concentration

Not the correct way to put them back in the bowl,

but I had to take a picture!

This is our version of the movable alphabet.  I found the letters over at  Montessori Materials for free (I found the link at the Mommy Teach Me website) and printed them and contact papered them several months ago.  Then I cut slots in the egg carton to store them.  I cut a big piece of blue poster board down into 2 3/4 inch by 6 inch rectangles and wrote 3 letter phonetic words down.  We are only now getting them out and using them.  Tabitha has been so interested in forming/sounding out words.  

I am also very excited to share with you a Pre-primary Montessori training program for "teachers" of 2-6 year olds that I discovered at  Early Childhood Resources Portfolio .  It is a two year program that starts in August and the cost is $10 a month/or $150.00 if you pay in advance for the entire training.  The instructor, Karen Tyler, is very flexible. Here is a description of the training from her website:

World Wide Montessori Online course is for all the
teachers/parents that are trying to implement the
Montessori Method in their classrooms/home schools.
My objective is to help provide a working knowledge for
these wonderful people who find themselves in a
situation where they can't attend formal training at this
time.  By no means are my lessons to replace a
credentialed Montessori Teacher Training School.
However, upon finishing my 24 month course you will
receive a Certificate of Completion.  

 For further details, please visit Karen’s A Montessori Marketplace website and email any other question directly to her at Karen@aMontessoriMarketplace.com. Remember to state the subject as “Inquiry for August 2010 Session”.

Montessori Time

Well the girls used the Montessori materials sporadically this week. The one that held their attention the longest was the heart picks:

Sorry the pictures are a bit dark.

Here they are using the spooning with cotton balls. The cotton balls were what we used at the Montessori I worked at, with the toddlers.

Yes, she tended to use her hands to put the cotton balls on the spoon.

Tabitha seemed to enjoy working with tonging with the hearts. Unfortunately, the tongs came up missing and Amelia tore some of the mini cupcake liners off. Without being able to find the tongs I didn't worry about replacing the papers. Here are a couple of pictures from when it did get used.

She also seemed to enjoy the matching heart shapes activity I found at Carissa's site.

Tabitha also decided to try some tracing, all on her own. I looked over and she had taken one of the foam hearts and was tracing it.

For more Montessori activities head over to One Hook Wonder