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Montessori Friendly Tips for Outdoor Toddler Exploration

I've mentioned this several times, but over the last few years we have made a much more conscious effort to get outside in all types of weather. Yes, that even means in Minnesota's long winters. But, in the winter there just isn't as much to explore here. The world is covered in ice and snow and pretty much that's it. But, now that Spring is really here, our world is far more exciting. From insects and flowers, to vegetable gardens and (gross) dog poop - even our immediate yard is a complete wonder for Teddy.  Being outside with an active young toddler can be a little hectic. There's so much to explore! There's so much you could taste! But, not everything is safe. And we can't prepare the outdoor environment in the same way we can prepare the indoors to remove all danger. So it really becomes a balancing act between a child's safety and their drive and need to explore the environment.  Montessori friendly tips for outdoor toddler exploration Get on your
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Montessori Toddler Activity - Going for A Walk

We have a construction site close to our house this summer. The city is tearing up some streets and one very close to us happens to be on the schedule. But, they started several blocks away from where we live. Theodore knows about the construction and is pretty happy to say the least. A few days ago, we went outside to play. I assumed we would stay in our yard, but decided I would follow Teddy's lead. 
At 19-months, Teddy was determined to find the trucks at the construction site. I quietly followed him and we ended up walking many many blocks for over an hour. I never once picked him up. He didn't complain or whine. We had a genuinely wonderful time. 

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Maria Montessori never intended for children to be inside working at little tables from things on a shelf their entire day. No, she expected that. children would have access to the indoors and the outdoors and would be able to follow their own natural drive when it comes to bei…
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Shelf Help Ep. 50 - Montessori and RIE®️ for Infants and Young Toddlers

RIE®️ is a respectful childcare method created by Magda Gerber. With it's emphasis on intentional caregiving and predictable environments RIE®️ is beautiful. In this week's episode, Nicole and Amy discuss RIE®️ and how its principles are similar and different to Montessori for infants and toddlers. We share our experiences with RIE®️, which parts speak most to us, and which parts we find challenging. 
This post contains affiliate links at no cost to you. Show Notes...RIE.orgYour Self-Confident BabyObject Permanence BoxBox with Bins2 Minute Montessori - Sticks into ShakerRAD Children's FurnitureRISE ChildNicole's InstagramAmy's Instagram Thanks for joining me for today's podcast! If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, share and leave a review in your favorite podcast app.
If you are interested in finding Shelf Help in a podcast app, it is available on Apple | Spotify | Stitcher | Google. 
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Alternatives to Montessori Trinomial Cube

Every week, Gus' Montessori school sends us a few pictures of him working at school. Lately these pictures have included a picture of Gus working on the Montessori trinomial cube. If you aren't familiar, the trinomial cube is a material that mixes both sensorial and math impressions. In Children's House, it's mostly a sensorial work that gives the impression for mathematics later on. 
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The trinomial cube itself is made of different cubes in different colors and shapes that need to be placed back in a box in a very specific order. The trinomial cube comes after the binomial cube which is a smaller, simpler material.  What's amazing about both the binomial and trinomial cubes is that they represent algebraic equations and will be brought back into the child's life in late elementary school as they are being introduced to the specific mathematical concepts. It's a very cool way to prepare a child for abstract…
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Color Exploration in the Preschool Years

Toddlers and preschoolers approach the world differently. Even though we tend to think of them as similar, they aren’t the same. Toddlers have an unconscious absorbent mind and walk through the world soaking up everything around them. Preschoolers have a conscious absorbent mind and are driven to manipulate and refine their understanding of their environment.

Gus is squarely in the preschool years now. He’s constantly challenging himself to refine, learn, and grow. When it comes to learning about colors, he no longer needs to know basics like “yellow” and “red” but has moved on to refining colors to things like “buttercup” and “rust.” He’s moving into a new relationship with colors seeing them as a spectrum with many shades.
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In order to support this exploration, I've made sure to have some opportunities in our environment for deeper exploration with colors. Since Gus does go to Montessori school, I want to be careful not to just …
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Shelf Help Ep. 49 - Montessori Bedrooms!

Montessori bedrooms can look and feel a lot of different ways depending on a family's space. In this episode, Nicole and Amy talk about how they have used Montessori to create their children's sleeping spaces. They explore the qualities that are important to find in Montessori bedrooms. Finally, they address some of the challenges of creating a bedroom space including sharing rooms and what toys to have in the bedroom.  Show Notes...Shelf Help Episode 3 - Floor Beds and Art MuseumsBaby Proofing with a Montessori Floor BedThe Movement Area verses the Sleep Space  Thanks for joining me for today's podcast! If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, share and leave a review in your favorite podcast app.
If you are interested in finding Shelf Help in a podcast app, it is available on Apple | Spotify | Stitcher | Google. 
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Activities to Support the Montessori Fourth Great Lesson

I've said this before but one of my favorite parts about homeschooling this year and having the kids home more has been incorporating the Great Lessons into our home life. Cosmic education is just the most amazing part of the Montessori method in the elementary years. Giving children the "big context" of why and how the universe came to be is literally what is missing from many (if not all) traditional elementary programs. Finally, truly bringing these lessons to life in our home and given me the confidence to continue this tradition long after life returns to normal (and likely everyone returns to in-school, in-person learning.)  The Montessori fourth great lesson is the history of writing. The lesson starts way back in ancient Egypt and tells the story of how the Phoenicians helped to influence the creation of written language which eventually led to the Roman alphabet and the letters we use (in our home) today. 
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I…
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