The Kavanaugh Report

I have spring on my mind! This week we are finally getting above freezing temperatures here in Minnesota and it feels like spring is right around the corner {and I hope that's true!} But, its reminding me that Easter really is right around the corner. And, with that, it's time to start thinking about Easter baskets for Montessori babies, toddlers and preschoolers . 

An important part of a Montessori environment is having an orderly and prepared space. The phrase "a place for everything and everything in its place" is often used. This means that toys and materials should be neatly placed on shelves instead of thrown into a toy box or bin. But, it also means that each tray should be neatly organized and accessible.  This doesn't just make your environment look neat and organized, but it actually entices a child to the materials themselves. By having everything neat and organized, a toddler can see the material, and easily remove it from the shelf. It can also give clues to the toddler about what should be done with the toy or material.  This post contains affiliate links at no cost to you. When I first started Montessori, I believed that throwing everything onto a tray was good enough. However, over time I've come to realize it's more nuanced than that. Here are some considerations that I make when presenting ma...

As of yesterday, Nora is officially 20 months old. I can't believe she is getting so close to 2. As she gets older, I wanted to share some of her favorite toys over the past few months.  This post contains affiliate links at no cost to you. {Left to Right; Top to Bottom} Stacking Cone Ikea Shape Sorter Schliech Mama and Baby Cows -- for free play and for object-to-object matching Grimm's Nesting Boxes Animal finger puppets Ring Stacker Circle Size Puzzle { similar } Ring Counting -- used for color sorting not for counting, only one of each color used Animal Puzzle { similar } -- this is vintage Melissa and Doug Beads on Pegs puzzle Simple Shape Sorter Bean Bags Vehicles around town { UPS , USPS , Taxi } Xylophone Anatomically Correct Dolls { Boy , Girl } Stacking Cups -- we have several versions of these so just depends which we have out  You'll notice that many of the toys have been featured before at some point or another. Much like I don...

We live in a fast world. I can order food online and have it delivered to me an a matter of minutes all without ever interacting with anyone. It's that fast. In a matter of seconds I can look up any information I've ever wanted or needed to know. 

I'm always looking for fun and engaging Montessori friendly toys for my children. Finding the right materials for an environment can be a challenge and there's something fun about that! These 30+ Awesome Montessori friendly magnet toys fit the bill.   With Henry's 5th birthday right around the corner, I was surprised to find so many excellent ways to explore magnets! While some of these would be perfect for older kids, many even a younger toddler like Nora could enjoy!  This post contains affiliate links at no cost to you. Building Toys   Imaginets Magna-Tiles   -- a hands down favorite in our house!  Magformers Guidecraft Better Builders   -- another popular choice with my kids, even toddlers can build with these.  Brio First Magnetic Blocks Tegu Blocks  -- we have these, but I have to be honest, they are not well loved. They are not easy to build with and a bit limiting. But, many Montessori parents like t...

Yesterday, I shared some pictures and our daily rhythm and routine . And, while it really does look like an average day, I still feel like it's just a little too perfect. I don't want to be the blogger that only shows the perfection, because that's not real.  Because even in a Montessori home, toddlers crawl on tables. And kids run around wild and throw things. All while being at different stages of being undressed.  And, the carpet sweeper gets opened up and 1,000,000 quinoa scatter on your newly vacuumed floor. And, your kids play with lightsabers and Batman dolls. It all happens to me.  Just like there are times I lose my cool, and there are times when I just want to sit around. Or I look around my house and every material and toy is scattered around. Nothing is perfect here, no one is perfect. But, still, life is great.  If you liked this post, don't miss: Imperfect Montessori Morning

I get asked a lot for a schedule of our day. How we structure our homeschool time, our playtime and regular life. This isn't an easy question for me to answer, because the answer is always the same but different -- I follow the child. I don't force any specific list of activities on my children or force them to pick certain materials. I prepare the environment and let their interests lead.  However, we do have a rhythm or routine that we generally stick to. Maria Montessori identified that the ideal work periods for children should be three hours long. So, I try to structure my day in three hour chunks. While my kids aren't "working" in a classroom per se the whole time, this does provide enough structure for us all. This post contains affiliate links at no cost to you. So, I thought I would share our typical routine with examples from a random day. Just a note about the pictures -- I don't think they accurately reflect how much I am working, play...

In the Montessori approach, it is important that children have the opportunity to be as independent as possible. We carefully prepare the environment so that it is accessible for even the youngest children.  "Tag to the toes, hands in the holes and FLIP!"  This post contains affiliate links at no cost to you. However, we don't stop there. We give babies, toddlers and older kids the tools they need to be independent. Sometimes that a child sized chair , and sometimes it's a new way to put on a coat by themselves -- like with the Montessori coat flip . Most often, however, it's the space and time they need to pursue their interests independently.  The Montessori coat flip was something I was introduced to many years ago when my niece went to daycare. I had all but forgotten about it until I read How to Raise an Amazing Child the Montessori Way . At the time, Henry already knew how to put his coat on, so it's just a trick I've been sitting on until No...

Nora is getting to the age where she is starting to be ready for matching work. She is starting to make connections about the world around her. We've dabbled with matching work before, but she wasn't quite ready. Now, as she really enters the sensitive period for order, I've noticed a real interest and Montessori toddler classification cards are a great place to start. She's also picking up words left and right as she expands her vocabulary.  This post contains affiliate links at no cost to you. In the Montessori approach, classification cards are used as the first step in the matching series for toddlers. These cards have only pictures on them of related groups of objects. This is pre-matching work so these cards have no matches and no words. They are simply used to introduce the objects to toddlers giving them the exact vocabulary for the items. It introduces the concept of categories and that things go together.  These cards are really simpl...