The Kavanaugh Report

Celebrating holidays with your baby can be so fun and exciting. I've really enjoyed creating traditions around holidays and seeing the festivities through the eyes of my new babies. As a Montessori family, we want to include even our littlest members in the celebrations with some simple gifts when appropriate. For Easter, this includes a small basket of gifts, just like my older kids get. 

The mind opens up in the most incredible ways during the elementary years. Suddenly our small little people have all these big questions, thoughts, and abilities. Maria Montessori tells us that this period is so unique for the capacity that elementary children have for learning. They need new stimulation and crave abstract information. But in an age where every bit of information is at our fingertips, how do we give elementary aged kids the information they need without doing too much? Or should we just info dump on them at their given questions? 

It's hard for me to believe that my youngest little Montessori baby is already 2-years-old. The years fly by faster with each child and by the 5th, the years are barely a blink. But, even if I can't believe it, my Montessori baby is solidly a Montessori toddler now. Entering the 2-year-old year is just such an exciting time. Our days are predictable, her language is exploding, and we have a lot of fun together. 

Valentines Day is right around the corner and that means I'm adding a couple of things to our Montessori art shelves to celebrate. While adding seasonal work to your Montessori home can be super fun, it doesn't have to be super complicated. Since giving cards at Valentine's Day is super popular, I wanted to add something for Ted to be able to make some cards for friends or family. So I decided on some simple stencil painting work.  This simple work is perfect for preschoolers for encouraging fine motor skills, multiple steps and a little precision without being too difficult to clean up. Plus some great opportunities for social emotional learning as we make and give something simple and beautiful to others.  Make a Montessori Friendly Valentine with Stencil Painting Like I said these are super simple! A tiny bit of preparation on your part and your kids will be making tons of great cards in no time. To make these you'll need:  Tray : Use an easily cleanable tray that ca