The Montessori Payoff

I wanted to write a post to record a special moment that happened in our house the other night. 

L has been helping in the kitchen since she was a toddler and has been a Montessori child almost from the start.  Sometimes it has been supremely challenging and exhausting allowing and including her in everyday events such as cooking dinner.  Granted she does not always help. Sometimes she just plain doesn't want to and sometimes I'm just way too tired and don't have the patience but for the most part she does something.

Over the past year I have tried to give her more and more responsibility when making meals.  The other night all of the hard work and perserverence came together.

 

One of L's favourite dishes to eat and help make is soft tacos.  In the past she has grated the cheese and carrots, chopped spinach and put the tortillas on the plate.  Recently I have taught her how to use the can opener and cook the refried beans on the stove.

This specific night I was super tired and just couldn't get my but off the couch to start dinner.  I asked L to get the beans and can opener out. She yelled at me from the kitchen that she's done it and I still didn't feel like getting up.  I asked her to get the carrots and cheese out of the fridge.  All I could hear was angry protests from the kitchen.  I relaxed for a few more minutes.

 

When I finally got my but off the couch and dragged it into the kitchen I was blown away.  L had opend the can and had the beans cooking on the stove.  She'd gotten out the grater and had grated all of the toppings and put them on a plate and had gotten the tortiallas ready.  In a nutshell she had made dinner for herself and her brother ALL BY HERSELF without being asked.  She took the initiative and just did it.

Ahhhh I was soooo proud and so was she!

Toddler Art

It was high time to change the art in LJ's bedroom.  I was excited to try something with both L and LJ this time.

I first found a silhouette of a frog and seahorse on Google images and printed them out.  I cut them out and traced them onto black contact paper.  Once I stuck them on the canvass I let the kids have atter.

 

As I was browsing the Internet I saw a brilliant idea for toddlers and painting.  Instead of having them dip the brush into the paint pot and make a huge mess the idea is to just dab drops of paint all over the canvass for them to paint.

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It worked a treat and LJ really enjoyed painting the canvass with very little mess and stress for mom.

 

L of course chose her own colors and animal for the canvass.

 

After the paint had dried we peeled off the contact paper and were left with beautiful artwork!

LJ loves the new art hanging on his wall and is constantly pointing to his painting and telling me it's a frog!.

I'm rolling down a volcano!!

One of the highlights of our recent trip to Kelowna was getting to visit Mount Boucherie which is an extinct stratovolcano.  L was really looking forward to it and we tried to explain to her ahead of time that it wouldn't look like her idea of a volcano as it was millions of years old and extinct. 

 

On one side of the mountain is this beautiful winery called Mission Hill winery.  L couldn't contain her excitement at be able to visit a real volcano until we got there and then couldn't hide her disappointment!  She couldn't grasp the fact that there was a winery on top of the volcano!!

However she soon got over it when she realised there was a wonderful grassy hill to roll down.

 All we could hear was " Mommy I'm rolling down a volcanoe!"

Here she is doing a cartwheel.  She also did some highland dancing while she was there.  Dancing, cartwheeling and rolling down an extinct volcano can officially be checked off her bucket list lol!

 

One a side note when we arrived we asked the girl booking tours if there was any information about the volcano.  She asked what we would like to know so my dad asked her when it last erupted.  She looked at us seriously and said I think about 60 years ago.  Well that was the end of our questions and my parents and I had a good laugh for the rest of the day!!

 

It was an amazing view and so romantic.  I for one would love to go back there some day sans kids to have a romantic dinner and sample the wine....

Rocks-Classification and the Rock Cycle

Naturally after learning about volcanoes our conversations turned to rocks and their different forms.  The Internet is an amazing thing and I can see why so many people are homeschooling now.  In just a few seconds you can find an infinite amount of information, activities and handouts on any given subject!  Amazing!

 

We started with this cool rock cycle activity.  We grated some different colored crayons into piles.

For the sedimentary rock L layered the colored shavings on top of each other on some tin foil and then folded the sides up into a little package.  We both applied as much pressure as we could.

 



For metamorphic we made a little tin foil boat and L put the shavings into it.  We dipped it into a cup of boiling water for about 10 seconds and then folded up the tin foil again and pressed on it.

 

To make the igneous rock we once again put the shavings in a little boat but this time L stirred them around until they were completely melted.  We then folded up the tin foil and put it in the freezer for a couple of minutes.

These were the results.  A truly effective way to demonstrate the rock cycle.  Thank you to all of those bloggers that share their brilliant ideas!



 

While we were perusing our local book store I stumbled upon an absolute gem.  I found pamphlet called A Field Guide to the Identification of Pebbles all about the pebbles on Vancouver Island.  It has pictures of all of the different rocks and their classifications.  It is brilliant!

 

We took a stroll to the beach and collected our specimens.

 Once we got home L classified them using the pamphlet.  She also did the Mohs scratch test on some of them with a screwdriver to check hardness. 

 On our travels this summer we were lucky enough to visit a wonderful rock and gem shop with little caves that held gems that L could pick out and put in a little bag.  She was able to match them to the card that came along with them.

 I think a rock tumbler is now on the birthday list!!

Magazine bead necklaces-the perfect gift!

L was invited to a friends birthday a few weeks ago and we were trying to think of a present we could make.  We came up with these beads made of magazines.

Super easy to make we just cut long triangles from different pages from a magazine, rolled them tightly around a wooden skewer and glued the ends.  It took L a couple of tries to get them right and then she was a bead making machine!

 After the beads were finished I covered them in Modge Podge to make them sturdier and give them a bit of a glossy look.  We left them on toothpicks and let them dry in the sun.

L found a necklace shell on the beach with a hole in the top and threaded the beads onto some cord.

 Here is L modelling the finished product.  We also made one for her auntie's birthday and are hoping to make matching ones for ourselves.  We have been combing the beach for more necklace shells.

Making a fairy house in the fairy woods

One of the things on L's summer to do list was to build a fairy house with mommy.  We started collecting items for the house at the beginning of the summer and we planned a day when Granny could look after LJ for the morning.

 

We had a beautiful morning so we packed up our snacks and some fairy house materials.  Once we got to the fairy woods we had to find just the perfect spot.  Not too close to the path but close enough that hikers with sharp eyes could spot something magical.

Here is our fairy house nestled against a tree.

 Some easy chairs with a little coffee table on the first floor along with a table for entertaining outside.

 A lovely shell bed with soft moss and a leaf blanket to keep warm.  A little ladder to climb up, of course they could just fly!

 L putting in the final touches.  She was very concerned with making them a dancing ring off to the left as well as a bathroom which is on the far right in the next picture.

 It's hard to see but if you look closely to the left of the ladder there is even a little swing for them to enjoy.

It's been several weeks since we made this fairy house and we only returned to see how it was doing a few days ago with some friends.  To our delight it looks as if someone had been playing with it.  Of course it could have been the fairies!!

Volcanoes

Learning about volcanoes is always super fun!  We read several books from the library as well as watching eruptions on Youtube.  We talked about how volcanoes are formed and what causes them to erupt.  It was also important to discuss how they affect people and how we are safe and are not anywhere close to any active volcanoes.

 

Then came the fun bit.  L had already done the baking soda and vinegar science experiment at school so she was familiar with the reaction.  She hadn't done it in a model volcano before though!

We found instructions on how to make this model volcano at Storm the Castle. 

 

First you take a normal cardboard box and cut it down so the sides are just high enough to contain the eruption.  We left a high volcano sized bit at the back to paint the sky onto.

We used the leftover bits of cardboard and some scrunched up plastic bags to make the skeleton of the volcano.

I almost forgot the most clever bit.  Cut a hole in the bottom of the box the size of the bottle you are going to use.  This way you can fill the bottle up first and place the volcano on to of it.  Cover it in a plastic bag and place it in the skeleton for the next bit.

 

 Next we used paper mache (just flour and water) to glue strips of newspaper on and form our volcano.  L hates getting her hands gooey so I ended up putting most of the pieces on.  We used a hairdryer to speed up the drying process but still left it for a day.

 After painting it with acrylic paint we were ready to go.

 This was a big event so L invited some friends over to watch.   She mixed baking soda, dish soap and red food coloring in the bottle and placed the volcano over it.  Then she poured the vinegar in.

Soooooo exciting!!!  The first few times we did this our bottle was not high enough and the foam just went inside the volcano.  It took several tries to get it just right and we used up all of the vinegar and baking soda!

After all of the excitement had died down I gave L this sheet to label all of the parts of the volcano and color.  At the moment it is proudly displayed on her bulletin board.  Once she is ready she will paste it into her science journal.

We are going to Kelowna British Columbia in a few weeks for a short trip and there is an extinct volcano there called Mount Boucherie that we are going to visit. 

 

So what becomes of all of this lava??  Next up rocks......

Volcanoes and the layers of the earth

One of the first things on L's summer to do list was volcanoes.  I figured before we dove in and made a cool volcano erupt we needed to go a little deeper and learn about the layers of the earth.

 

First we watched a Youtube video of a song about the layers of the earth which L found quite catchy and easy to pick up.  We also looked at several diagrams in books and on the Internet.

Once she understood the different layers we made our own model out of modelling clay.

 

L started by rolling a small red ball of clay to represent the inner core.  She then proceeded to roll out a different color for each layer and cover the  ball with them with a little help from me.  It's important not to squish them too much and takes a little finesse.  We tried to make each layer approximately the width it should be in proportion to the other layers but we only had so much clay.

 The final layers were the water and then the continents.

 Once she had held the world in her hands we took a sharp knife and sliced it in half. 

 She was tickled pink that she had a made a real model of all of the layers of the earth and showed it to everyone she saw.

I found it a very effective way of demonstrating how the layers work.

She then wrote up what she'd done in her science journal.

 

A few day later we just happened on a documentary I think it was on the National Geographic channel all about going down through the different layers of the earth.  It was fascinating and perfect timing. 

Now on to volcanoes.....

L Update

Poor L has been totally neglected on this blog since Little J came along.  I felt it was high time for an update!  Now that she is home for the summer we are making up for lost time and doing tons of activities together.

I really miss her while she is at school and am so thankful for the summers.

 

L has finished her primary Montessori programme and in September is going to be starting the Montessori elementary programme.  This took some serious soul searching for my husband and I as the school is a 45 minute drive away as well as a continued expense.  In the end we had no choice she is a Montessori child through and through.  She has such a joy and thirst for learning and knowledge that we want to encourage and foster.  The Montessori elementary programme is the obvious choice and we are so lucky that there is a programme available for her to attend.

  

I can really see an obvious transition from the 3-6 plane of development to the 6-9.  L is becoming so much more aware of her environment and the world in general.  She is full of questions such as " How did the first person get here?"  Yup she is so ready for elementary.

 

I am constantly amazed at what she has learned at school.  She knows all of her triangles and angles and is always pointing them out in every day life.  The other day she was naming the types of triangles and their angles of the pieces of cantaloupe she was eating for dessert.
Another thing she has accomplished that has blown my mind has been learning every single country on the map!!!  That's right.  At her school they learn the continents and countries by using puzzle maps.  Once they can identify all of the countries of a continent they get to paint it and then label them.  She managed to complete all of them.  I have taken pictures of all of the maps and am going to make a photo book atlas for her as a keepsake.

Her school has a set of bells which she has worked with since day one.  She has progressed passed matching and grading them onto to composition and her ear is amazing.  She can pick out songs on different instruments and play them by ear.

L has always loved words and began speaking and reading at an early age.  She is now confidently reading chapter books on her own.

Something that always seems to take me aback for some reason is her total support and genuine joy of her classmates accomplishments.  She is not competitive and all of the children in her school are so supportive of each other.  The teachers have really done a wonderful job of creating a peaceful, loving and genuine environment.

In many ways L is a pretty average 5 year old who is excitable, full of energy, challenging, sometimes whiny and can be supremely messy and unorganised.  However it is unmistakable when you meet her that she has a spark and something special about her.  Part of this spark has been fostered by Montessori and I can't say enough about how much of an amazing influence the Montessori method has had on L and on our family.

A couple examples of things that make her stand out as a Montessori child are:

When her Granny came back from Hawaii and gave her a bag of shells with a shell book the first thing she did was take them all out and classify them.

She loves to demonstrate works to her brother, rolls out a mat for him and when he tries to reach for them she says "hands in your lap"

Here she has turned Little J's dressing activity into a folding work.

While making cupcakes for Little J's birthday she says hey this one looks like Djibouti! Of course I said Ja what?  Her response: You know mommy the country in Africa. 

She seems so much older than she really is and sometimes I realise because of this we expect a lot of her.  I am constantly reminded when I see other non Montessori children just how much we expect of her and how much she does around the house and for herself.

At the beginning of the summer we made a list of things we would both like to do together.  We have already accomplished many of them which I am excited to share.

Of course this description is just the tip of the iceberg of our special girl.  As I look back on those first posts I realise how far she has come.  It has taken a bit for me to get over the fact that she is changing from a little girl into a big girl and I am excited to see what her next phase of development holds!



Mini terrariums for teachers gifts

Trying to think of a year end gift for L's teachers is always tricky.  I want L to be able to make the gifts so they are more personal.  This year we decided to make mini terrariums.

 

I found these wonderful glass hanging candle holders that were perfect.

 

 First L added some colored stones left over from the fish bowl for drainage.

 

She then put in a layer of potting soil.

 

Next a bit of moss from the garden as well as some small succulents.

 

She also added tiny ladybugs in each one which are super cute!

 

Super easy yet beautiful!  I wish I'd got another container for us!

 

 

 



Elephant art for Baby J's room

Baby J's room was long overdue for some new artwork.  L and I had some time this weekend so we tried out this cool project from Art Projects for Kids.  This is a fantastic site which we've done several projects from in the past.

A step by step tutorial is given on how to draw the elephant.  The tutorial is for watercolours but we used canvass and acrylic paint.

 

They turned out even better than I'd hoped.

 

 

 

This is L's.  She did everything herself except for the black outline.  She said she wanted there to be grass and sky.  I just love how it turned out.  It could be an illustration in a children's book.

 

 

This is mine.  I'm not sure why he turned out so serious looking!

This was a very easy yet effective art project that didn't take too long to do.  Thank you Art Projects for Kids!

The antics of Mr. Jingle

 This is Mr. Jingle.  He has come to our house this year to make sure we are getting ready for Christmas and having a fun time doing it!  During the day he sits up on the mantle but at night he gets up to all kinds of mischief.....

 

 

This little guy has been a super fun addition to our Christmas preparation and excitement.  L has been searching for him first thing when she wakes up.  I think he will be making another visit next Christmas season!

Some of our Christmas/Advent crafts and activities

The last couple of years I documented every day of our advent activities but I've found this year I just simply don't have the time!  Instead I've decided to just record some of our favourite crafts and activities.

On the first day of December L started off her advent calendar with a bang.  I was super excited to finally be able to take her to the Nutcracker Ballet this year.  I've wanted to take her for ages but it was just way too expensive for us.  This year a local dance school put on the whole production with professional dancers in the lead rolls.  It was spectacular and also fit our budget.  L didn't move for the whole thing and her eyes were glued to the stage taking it all in!  A definite early highlight.

 

We've also been crafting up a storm.  I wanted to make special ornaments for L and Baby J this year and found this adorable one for Baby J on the website Atelier Pippilotta.  She makes the cutest things!  I just love how it turned out.  So soft and gentle yet still masculine.  Perfect for baby's first Christmas.

 

 We've also been making a ton of these cute felt Christmas trees.  I found the idea from on Julia Crossland Art.  She uses thick felt but we just used cheap felt from the Dollar store and double up each color.  Now that L has learnt to sew they make the perfect presents for teachers and family from her.  We have a little Christmas tree assembly line going!

 Our Christmas nature scene.  This year we decided to add some gnomes and some cute little wooden penguins that Santa brought me last year.  L's favourite part is skating the skater around the tin foil pond and making marks on the "ice".

 Another advent activity was to make some Christmas art for Baby J's room.  We recycled the black and white star canvases and painted them with red and green.  L did the red one and I did the green one.  We just glued colored strips of construction paper onto the canvass and then put some jewel sticker on for ornaments.  I love how simple yet effective they are.  I found the idea on Pintrest somewhere but I'm afraid the reference got lost in the Pintrest black hole!  If this was your original idea please let me know and I will credit you!!

 

L also received How The Grinch Stole Christmas one day for her advent calendar and she loves it.  She loves having different people read it to her and reading it herself!

 

Another advent activity was to decorate the gnome home for Christmas this year.  I will have pictures soon!