Articles from August 2013

August 29, 2013

Free Spirit Kids Toddler Language Cards with Giveaway!

Free Spirit Kids Toddler Language Cards with Giveaway!
Anyone who reads this blog regularly knows how much I love Montessori and early learning. Toddlers are so much more capable of learning than some people give them credit for. And, for toddlers, learning is still fun.  To keep learning exciting, I'm constantly looking for products that help Henry explore the world around him in fun ways. I was thrilled to find Free Spirit Kids , an Etsy Shop that combines Montessori activities and everyday objects into beautiful and fun learning opportunities.  Free Spirit Kids' Toddler Cards  are perfect for little learners everywhere. They come beautifully packaged, are about the size of an index card, and are laminated. The rounded corners, big pictures, and simple font make these cards accessible to even the youngest toddlers. Free Spirit Kids offers these cards in a large variety of topics including farm animals, seasons, kitchen, and gardening.  I was lucky enough to try out the Fruit and Vegetable toddler cards with Henry, and the
August 27, 2013

Minnesota State Fair 2013

Minnesota State Fair 2013
It's State Fair season in  Minnesota! So, time for my annual photo dump. Last year Henry hated the state fair with a passion . Thankfully, this year was a lot different and we had a wonderful time.  I mean, what 2.5 year old doesn't love a day that starts with mini donuts? But, lets just forget his reaction to the Pronto Pups {corn dog}. The horses {read the horses poop} was a huge hit. Actually, poop seemed to be the most exciting part of the day for Henry all around.    Of course I took entirely too many pictures of roosters {and other adorable animals}. And, exactly one picture was taken of me. But, all good things must come to an end, and Henry was ready to go. And with streets this packed, so was I. Until next year, Minnesota State Fair!
August 26, 2013

Letter P Tot School

Letter P Tot School
Over the last two weeks we have focused on the letter P at tot school. Unlike the letter O tot school trays , Henry really enjoyed all the activities for letter P tot school and asked for tot school time much more frequently. Prior to this week, Henry could identify and say the letter P. {Henry is 29 months old} Main Trays  On our first tray was a pattern matching letter P. Here, there were little foam blocks in different shapes and colors that Henry could build a P. I've seen these blocks all over, but we got ours at Michaels. This post contains affiliate links at no cost to you.   This activity was pretty easy for Henry, but he loved it. He would do it over and over again. He was so proud to see the P he had made. On the second tray was a set of P-words that Henry could spell out. Each word and its letters was color coded to help. This activity was harder for Henry and he didn't have the concentration to sit through the whole thing. Howev