Today we read my favorite book about the first day of winter, called The Shortest Day:  Celebrating The Winter Solstice.   I love how it told of the different ways the world has celebrated and recorded this particular seasonal change.  The illustrations were beautiful, and there are actual experiments noted in the back, like measuring the length of a shadow like the Chinese did over 3,000 years ago. We were lucky enough to have a dusting of snow, and a snowball fight! We sang the Birthday Celebration song, with a twist ending for today.  If you have a candle and a globe, you can travel while you sing.  Be sure the child only travels 1/4 of the way around the sun, one trip around would be one year. The Earth goes 'round the sun The Earth goes 'round the sun It takes twelve months, fifty-two weeks, three hundred sixty-five days. And now it's winter (we ring a bell, our favorite from the Christmas Tree). Here is a link to a wonderful site about this...

We love this!  Simply squeeze some while shaving cream (we like the pretty scents) onto a tray and add a few drops of gel food coloring.  A fun sensorial experience.  When the shaving cream dried out, it kept its shape, and made lovely colors on the paper. src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4132/4972834400_a736e62039_m.jpg" alt="Artists and Art" /> src="http:>

I realized that I have not posted pictures of our little classroom yet.  We do not have all of the typical Montessori materials, yet we have what we need as this room is not our child's only school experience.  The collection will build over time, I'm making new things every week.  It is very different from school, as the classroom areas are mixed, yet ordered.  This is was is out every day, but I often pull out items for special occasions or unit studies.  View from the child's level view from my height This is where we keep puzzles, and our sets basket Under this couch we keep the movable alphabet (so the tots don't tear it apart).  I keep special books out, relative to the time of year on the ottoman.  Looks like I left my water on the floor...

The one thing all Montessorians have in common is that they "Follow The Child" in their teaching and in their parenting. Just recently, I was happy I listened to my instincts and followed my child.  One of my tots is terrified of man dressed as Santa.  Happy from a distance, a wave at the mall has her enchanted.  However, she snuggled in tight to Daddy when it was her turn.  I know many parents that would have her 'toughen up' and just sit for the picture.  I do not feel for my child that is was worth it.  Little Sarah was just as happy to wave from afar, and our listening to her request saved her the stress of being frightened for a simple photograph.  She is still talking about how amazing it was for Santa to wave to her!  That was one parenting moment where I followed my child.  On the way home, we were both thankful that we knew enough to let her be.  How about you? Feel free to comment here and share your Follow The Chil...

Award Rules : 1. Thank the person who gave you this award.  Thank you, Leann at Montessori Tidbits ! 2. Share 7 things about yourself. 3. Pass the award along to 10 bloggers who you have recently discovered and who you think are fantastic for whatever reason! (in no particular order…) 4. Contact the bloggers you’ve picked and let them know about the award. 7 things about myself I love my new school so much I keep pinching myself, is this real? If one more stranger asks me about my twins, I may pass them a pamphlet on zygosity. I get so much stress relief from making new materials, there goes yoga! I should probably get back into yoga. My children are so different from one another, it is such a gift. I want Santa to bring me a laminator, really- I've been good all year. I'm thankful for my parents, the best babysitters in the world. And now passing it on.... Twig And Toadstool   The Adventures of Bear   My Delicious Ambiguity   Littlest Birds Studio  ...

I feel that no words are necessary here :)

This is exciting.  Montesssori Print Shop is hosting a giveway at their site!  Simply comment at the link for a chance to get a pdf worth $300. Click Here:  Montessori Print Shop Giveaway

Update:  This post as been featured on Living Montessori Now!! We were so excited to have some Christmas items on our shelves this week!  The first thing she did is ask for a photo with her shelf.  I love Friday afternoons, because big sis and I are alone (and snuggling) while the twins are napping.  The top is a baster transfer, with water.  Color wheel watercolor transfer, link below.  Montessori Pink level word work, with our new movable alphabet.  Such focused work! The color wheel work is free!  Visit the blog,  Mama Jenn. After naps, Bean showed the tots what was new.  We found snowflake transfer, water squeezing, and a new open and close activity- full of holiday cheer!! Happy to be linked up with:

  Metal Insets Area General~ Language Specific~ Motor Preparation Materials ¶   Two trays of geometric shapes ¶   Ten metal insets and frames ¶   Tray ¶   Three pencils ¶   Metal Inset Paper Aims Direct~ Development of eye hand coordination To gain mastery over control of small movements Develop control of a pencil Develop a geometric sense Stimulate artistic sensibilities Develop ability to a plan a design Indirect~ Preparation for writing Indirect preparation for geometry Preparation ¶   Chalkboard activities ¶   Practical life and sensorial activities   Age First year Montessori student   Presentation of Lesson ¶   Choose tray, three pencils, paper, and metal inset frame and bring to table ¶   1.  Trace the inset holding the inset with sub dominant hand, stopping at the point in which you began (2 o’clock) ¶   Use both sides of the paper ¶   2.  Draw lines inside top to bottom and then left to right ...

Our time has been very spontaneous around here!  They say, "I want to work."  And off we go!!  This may be my longest post this year! The tots are loving matching these days.  This work is really for big sis (thus the appeal) for initial sounds, but we find a good purpose for picture to picture matching.  I love watching them work together. I took this photo while playing I Spy with Bean.  She likes playing this in the car, too!  Makes the trip to ballet a little more purposeful!   Pictured here, we did this for the initial sounds /h/, /r/, and /m/.  Below is the lesson, from my album.  I Spy With My Little Eye Area General~  Language Specific~  Oral/Auditory Development Materials 3 little objects Container Aims Direct~  To enjoy the sounds of our language.  To become aware that words are composed of sounds.  To listen for the sounds in words. Indirect~  To hear the component sounds of words ...

I have been reading a ton of Reggio books lately, and my favorite idea for my home is showing the child's art in a beautiful way.  It is helping with the refrigerator clutter, too!  The first photo's frames are from IKEA, and there is no glass!  The second photo shows an art hanger from Land of Nod.  They love their art gallery!!!

I just love this. I'm always on the hunt for inexpensive, quality toys and materials. Teaching and mothering, I don't always have the time to make everything from scratch.  The girls all went right to this. This Etsy shop is Waldorf based, the items are lovely.  I asked for an extra bowl for Montessori Transferring. Here is the link; Blackbeary Mountain

We are opting for some hokey holiday art!  Hey, we live in Massachusetts not far from where the Pilgrims had the first thanksgiving.  We HAVE to make hand turkeys, right? The girls got a huge kick out of painting on their own hands, and it was so fun to get messy!  We worked right on the kitchen floor for easy clean up.  The photos tell the story....

This is the remainder of the insets I purchased from Discount School Supply . I saw that they came in three sizes and put them together for this sorting work for sensorial. She is sorting the color, the shape, and the size. The labels read: Small, Medium, Large. Red, yellow, blue. More labels with the shape's name will come out later on. When laid out, it was so beautiful. She liked how long it was, showing that it was even longer than her body in this photo. Here is the link to my original post with Metal Insets :)

I had some alone time with my twin tots this weekend, and we had some serious fun!!  We must have 20 paintings while I was making dinner Saturday.  Here is what the set up looked like, and how Sarah created.

One of my favorite things within Montessori is the built in control of error.  For my little tots, it's most prevalent now in Practical Life.  They adore anything involving water, as all little ones do, so the pull towards water pouring is strong.  The control of error for water pouring is water on the tray (or in the picture here, on the floor, on the sleeves, on the table).  The key here is to teach the lesson carefully. Also, keep in mind that exploration happens and spills are okay and need to be handled with love, care, and kindness.  Teaching the child how to handle their own messes effectively is one of the main aims of practical life. From my album.............. NAME OF ACTIVITY:  WATER POURING AREA General:       Practical Life Specific:        Physical Skills- Pouring MATERIALS:   Tray   2 glass pitchers of equal size   Colored water (on left, filled ¼ way)   Litt...