Learning shapes, montessori activity for a toddler.

Some weeks ago, I proposed to my toddler to learn shapes. This activity comes to my mind, once I have seen he is learning shapes at the nursery and I thought, that it is a great moment to make this task easier for me and for him by repeating these at home. As well, I was looking for some interactive video on youtube as he could make association with all the knowledge he got during few days. Looking now, I want to say that I am very proud of my son and his quick ability to recognize all the basic shapes.

Steps we took for learning shapes:

1. Nursery activities

2. Montessori games with matching shapes. (these games he used to play from 1 year)

3. Emoticon made from cut paper

4. Making crafts from shapes. In our case circles.

My toddler was very happy once he saw the usefulness of shapes and how many crafts can be done from them. Discover shapes with toddler,  it's too much fun.

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Inside activity for a rainy day. Boys love cars.

On a rainy day it is most difficult to keep quiet a toddler, who enjoy running, skipping an playing football. One thing is true, all boys are the same, and all of them love to play with cars. In my last days of pregnancy I thought that it would be a great idea to make my toddler a high-way and parking for his little cars. As well, I thought that it is a great idea to remember him the rules of a traffic light.

I think we've done a great job together, and my toddler enjoyed playing with his cars.

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Montessori weekend. Montessori activities for toddlers.

I am on maternity leave now, so I have more time to dedicate to my toddler and make him some interesting and montessori activities.

1. Crafting activities - this activity was inspired from quiet books ( I was thinking in doing one for my toddler, but I decided to see if he would like something like this). He liked my imitation of quiet book, but he wasn't engaged too much in this activity, I mean that he played as much as 10 minutes and not hours as I have seen in comments of quiet books.

2. Car play. My kiddo loves cars, I suppose that all boys love plaing with cars, even girls nowadays. The idea was to play with big ones and small ones, differentiate the forms and colors of each one. And how one can help another one in case of emergency.

3. Montessori truck from ikea. Great toy for moving pieces of different shapes, colors and learn how magnet is working.

From all 3 activities that we have done on weekend, last 2 my toddler enjoyed most. I always prefer diy activities like first one, and it is true that he always enjoyed more, but not on this weekend. I suppose that it is matter of his desires, sometimes he enjoys diy and sometimes bought ones.

Enjoy your weekend!

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Week #3: 5 Great Outdoor Activities that Encourage us to Play with Our Kids

When we were still living in South Africa, I bought a life-saving book, written by Dawn Isaac, titled “101 Things For Kids To Do Outside“. Not only did this book offer us ideas for hours of fun and constructive activities, it also saved my life (read sanity) during those LONG holidays.

Now we’re in the twilight of our first Michigan Winter – worlds apart from where we were a year ago! And I must confess that I cannot wait for the snow to melt and the newness of Spring to arrive… So we can again get down and do some of the “101 things for kids to do outside“. There are so many great ideas in this book, but I’ve decided to share my 5 favorite ones with you:

1. A “Potion” Lab

A Potion Lab

This is such an exciting playtime activity. Set up a table in your garden, with a waterproof table cloth. You will need many containers of different shapes and sizes. A funnel, jugs, tweezers, anything that might be found (and is safe) in a science lab. As Dawn writes… “After all dragon’s blood and giant’s snot call for some very careful handling”.

Next is food coloring mixed with water, and for a fizzy experience add some bicarbonate of soda before splashing in a little vinegar. She also suggests a few more exciting ingredients, such as: glitter, poster paint, flour, rice and vegetable oil, (give these some creative names ie: unicorn tears, etc.).

The possibilities are endless :)

2. Rustle up a Bird Feast

Bird Feast

I love this idea for Spring and Summer. One sure way to get the birds into your garden!

You will need: cut-off branches, large plant pot, bricks or stones, soil or sand, garden wire, unsalted and un-buttered popcorn, apples, orange halves, lard (rendered fat), flour, oats and birdseed.

If you don’t have a large tree to hang your creations from, you can build your own tree using the plant pot, sand, cut off branches and bricks. Use unsalted and un-buttered popcorn and thread onto the garden wire to make “nibble rings”. You can also thread apple slices onto the garden wire for a fruity treat. Slice up the oranges into rings, make a mixture out of the lard, flour, oats and birdseed fill the rings  and thread onto the wire (exact proportions in the book).

You can hang these from your made tree or from a tree in your garden. Colorful and pretty!

3. Setting Up Camp

Setting Up Camp

I cannot wait to get camping! Our kids are finally at the age where they can appreciate what it’s all about! I think making the frame is the most difficult, but once it is done you can throw over any blanket and decorate to your own desire. You can lay a blanket down on the floor inside, pack a picnic and whala!

4. Create a Paving Stone Gallery

Paving Art

I’ve been doing this with my kids since they could hold a piece of chalk! I think people would see our driveway as a collection of beautiful artworks! The possibilities here are endless. You could use chalk, powder paint, homemade paint and brushes. Let the creative juices flow! The best part about this activity is that you can hose it down when done… I choose to let the artwork linger!

5. Last but not least “Start a mini vegetable garden”

Garden

This is just gorgeous! Nothing like planting seeds, letting our children watch them grow and then EAT the Produce!! You can prettify or separate the garden by adding seashells or stones. You can use an old bucket, wheelbarrow, wooden crate or baby bath! The kids just love getting dirty!

OKAY!

I just HAVE to add one more favorite! This is for my youngest son! He is OBSESSED with wildlife, especially lions!

6. Building a mini Rockery!

Rock Garden

Collect some rocks, stones, and green vegetation… then build a little rockery structure in the corner of  your garden. Bring out some animals and there you have it! You can change this to a fairy garden, etc!

HOURS OF PLAY AHEAD!

I hope you enjoyed this post, I, for one, am feeling really positive about Spring! If you have any new ideas please comment below!

There is nothing more therapeutic than getting outdoors, with the sun on your skin! It is definitely a must when you are a mama! Once the kids are into their activities and you have spent some one on one time with them, you can sit and watch them play with a cuppa tea or a glass of wine!  Your choice, your delight!

Dawn has activities for every season, she has written a second book “101 Things For Kids To Do On a Rainy Day”

Some rules:

Always ask an adult
Never eat what you make…
All photo’s and ideas credited to Dawn Isaac, Will Heap (Photography), and the book: “101 Things For Kids To Do Outside”. #LOVE  http://www.amazon.com/dp/1770857117/.

Please visit Dawn’s website  http://www.dawn-isaac.com/

With love

One Messy Mama

x

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Mallorca - an island to discover on winter and summer with your toddler

Travel is always a good idea, and with small ones even better. How about an island, and discover its´ beauties with a toddler? We thought that even if it is cold and it is winter a little trip to Mallorca will be a good idea for us. Even though we found a great deal to go with all the family, I mean with our lovely grandparents. A big company is interesting, a lot of fun, and quite much more time for me and my husband, as our kid were in a good hands.

We went to Mallorca for a New Years´Eve, and stayed for a few days later on the island. Apart of the idea to meet New Year on the beach, which was the best one, we also enjoyed medieval architecture in the North and beach beauties in the South of Mallorca. Our toddler was happy about the trip, and all this because:
1. he adores to fly, every time when he sees an airplane he asks us for flying with it
2. like his parents he loves new places, new apartment and changes
3. there were grandparents, and he loves them and were playing a lot in the evenings, as his parents were too busy with planing the next day journey

This doesn´t mean that we had no tantrums and difficult moments, with a toddler these things happen on a daily basis as something normal :). It´s just a question of managing these tantrums correctly. I will write an article on this something later, but now I would like to share with you some tips while travelling with a toddler.

Tips for traveling by plane:

1. take a flight early in the morning or late in the evening, or even better at midday when your kid has his sleeping hours. Even if our kid enjoys planes and flights as our, if the flight lasts more than 1 hour, it is complicated to keep him calm on his seat in the plane.

2. take big toys, small toys will be through away and it will be difficult to manage to have them at the end of the flight

3. take snacks, I prefer different fruits, something easy and healthy to eat, milk, water, juice, all in small packs, to be easier to use.

4. Dry and wet wipes, clothes.

Tips for traveling to an island:

Which is the difference you will ask? Yes, there is. To travel to an island it is very different compared to a big city. In a big city you do not need to rent a car, as all main sightseeing are very closed to each other and well communicated by public transport, on an island, you have to walk a lot and to move by car, as public transport usually goes where is more population. That is why we decided to rent a car, a big one and to discover the island.

1. Rent a car
2. Take your car seat for your toddler. We had a bad experience in Tenerife, because we´ve rented the car chair, and our kid at the end of our trip didn´t want to sit there, as his back was hurting him and he could not sleep. Imagine how many tantrums and cryings we had in the car. In Mallorca we took our car seat, and there where no questions on where our kid is sitting, as well he slept well during our journeys. Ask the company you will fly with, about the permit of taking pushchair and car seat, as a lot of them has the option to take both. You won´t regret.
3. Take a pushchair, you will walk a lot, and of course your toddler will get tired.
4. Manage your stopovers, to eat, sightseeing and other reasons, think firstly on your toddler. Be sure that you can make a stopover everywhere you go, as a toddler asks for a stopover very often.
5. Have a lot of snacks with you in a car and water, juice in this case is not preferred, as they asks for a toilet much more times.
6. Toys -  very appreciated the one that is mostly wished by your kid, we had a little car that it is his preference wherever we go and a flash/CD with the songs we are used to listen in the car/home. Singing in the car is always fun, and your kid will love to sing with you.
7. A great mood for travelling

I think too many information in just a post, I won´t bother you more, here you go with some lovely pictures of Mallorca.

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Christmas activities for toddlers.

Quite late post on the things we have done on Christmas Day, but as I have a lot of things to share with you, and the pleasure to write another post of the day, I want to share our experience on the Montessori things we´ve done on that magic days of Christmas. I hope these ideas will be useful for you for the next year or for the future. Any comments are very welcome.

I thought about activities that would entertain my toddler and would help me to motivate him to stay away of youtube, the only thing that I am aware and I think it gets more complicated to restrict him once he grows.

The idea was to prepare: a Christmas tree, Santa Claus, a wreath and an unusual toy for Christmas tree. All these things were prepared from recicled things.

Christmas tree.

For this toy we needed: green watercolor, pompoms-little ones, and sticks of ice creams.

First step was to color into green all parts of Christmas tree. I think that my kid enjoyed this part more than any other thing of preparations.

Santa Claus

For this I needed: toilet paper, red color paper, scissors, glue, removing makeup discs, white stickers

Wreath for Christmas Tree

This was the easiest thing to do for me, and quite complicated for my toddler as this require a lot of patience.

I needed:  different colors paper, scissors and glue.

A toy for Christmas tree

I needed: pompoms, toilet paper tube, yellow color spray, glue.

Very easy thing to do for our kid, he enjoyed working with pompoms and glue.

Christmas Tree

1st Christmas Tree

I needed: colored paper, pompoms, glue, scissors

2nd Christmas Tree

I needed: paper, pompoms, glue, scissors, watercolors

As it was mentioned before all these activities are screen free activities. From my experience once the toddler grows up the task to keep him away of tv and other screen free activities is very complicated.

P.S. Be aware once you propose your toddler such activities, as I have used some dangerous utilities, and it is very important to make use of these very accurate and let your toddler to work with them less and only in your presence.

Enjoy your free time with your kid.

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