My Blog
DIY
The Basket of Known Objects
The Basket of Known Objects is one of the most simple and effective Montessori activities for babies. It promotes exploration, language, sensory development and movement... Best of all, it's 100% FREE!!
As its name implies, this activity requires placing 4-6 safe objects that you find around the house into a child-sized basket. It can be introduced around the age of three months, or when you see that your child is beginning to grasp objects. If your baby can sit up against pillows, you can int…
As its name implies, this activity requires placing 4-6 safe objects that you find around the house into a child-sized basket. It can be introduced around the age of three months, or when you see that your child is beginning to grasp objects. If your baby can sit up against pillows, you can int…
Gobbi Tutorial, Part II (Hanging the Gobbi)
To see Part I (Making the Gobbi mobile), click here.
My dear friend Junnifa, who's taking the Assistants to Infancy training, was kind enough to give me guidance and sent me the two pictures that show how to hang the Gobbi mobile. I love her beautiful results! Thanks Junnifa!!! :)
Materials:
First, draw a straight line on a piece of paper or a whiteboard. Line u…
My dear friend Junnifa, who's taking the Assistants to Infancy training, was kind enough to give me guidance and sent me the two pictures that show how to hang the Gobbi mobile. I love her beautiful results! Thanks Junnifa!!! :)
Materials:
- Large piece of paper or whiteboard
- Pencil or marker
- Ruler or straight edge
- Dowel
- More embroidery thread (optional)
First, draw a straight line on a piece of paper or a whiteboard. Line u…
Dog Days of Summer
When Zach was a newborn, we had a hammock set up in our family room/bedroom. I spent several nights dozing with him on that hammock in the fog of early motherhood. We eventually took it down to put up the mobiles, but a few days ago Zach was grumpy, so my husband decided to rock him. Within minutes, our baby was asleep with his hanging wooden ring safely tucked in his hand (check out the toes!!)...
When my husband's younger sister was a baby, she received as a gift a cloth frog that could ass…
When my husband's younger sister was a baby, she received as a gift a cloth frog that could ass…
Texture Beanbags
Zach wants to touch EVERYTHING these days. I have to be careful where I stand when I am holding him, because he'll reach out for anything within arm's length! I've learned to keep the shopping cart in the middle of the aisle after a few near-catastrophes in the juice aisle.
I wanted to capitalize on his interest for tactile experiences, and I could tell he was getting bored with the objects in his activity area and needed new objects to manipulate. A quick dash to the fabric store, four small …
I wanted to capitalize on his interest for tactile experiences, and I could tell he was getting bored with the objects in his activity area and needed new objects to manipulate. A quick dash to the fabric store, four small …
Suggested Color Gradation for the Gobbi
Hi crafty reader! If you're planning on making a Gobbi mobile, I have some info that might come in handy (don't hate me if you already started, because I just got this from a helpful friend who's taking the A to I course! You can always make another one; babies LOVE these mobiles!). Here are the suggested DMC embroidery floss shades for each of the potential Gobbi colors:
Yellow: 745 - 744 - 743 - 972 - 742
Green: 703 - 702 - 701 - 700 - 699
Teal: 3811 - 3766 - 3810 - 3809 - 3808
Blue: 3752 - 827…
Yellow: 745 - 744 - 743 - 972 - 742
Green: 703 - 702 - 701 - 700 - 699
Teal: 3811 - 3766 - 3810 - 3809 - 3808
Blue: 3752 - 827…
Gobbi Tutorial, Part I
Disclaimer: I am NOT what you would call "incredibly crafty" and I'm also pretty bad at writing tutorials (How I successfully wrote 12 Montessori albums, I'll never know). I also haven't taken the Assistants to Infancy training, so if there's a different/better way to do this, please leave your comments below for the benefit of all readers.
A few months ago I wrote about the Gobbi mobile, which is a favorite among babies starting around 8 weeks of age. Several readers have asked me for a tuto…
A few months ago I wrote about the Gobbi mobile, which is a favorite among babies starting around 8 weeks of age. Several readers have asked me for a tuto…
As easy as a ribbon, a bracelet, and a bell
While Zachary observed his Gobbi mobile recently, I realized that from one day to the next he had started moving his arms. These movements weren't the reflexive jerks of a newborn; they seemed to have a different energy and trajectory.
I mentioned this to my husband, so he decided to hold out a rattle near Zach's right arm to see what would happen. Zach flung out his arm repeatedly while keeping his eyes fixed on the rattle, and several times struck the toy, causing it to chime happily.
This d…
I mentioned this to my husband, so he decided to hold out a rattle near Zach's right arm to see what would happen. Zach flung out his arm repeatedly while keeping his eyes fixed on the rattle, and several times struck the toy, causing it to chime happily.
This d…
Topponcino Tutorial
I'm very much a "fly by the seat of your pants" type of sewer, so I unfortunately don't have a pattern or very precise measurements for the topponcino. However, I can share with you how I made it and you can check out the pictures of my topponcino, in case you want to make your own.
Materials:
Materials:
- muslin fabric (or other thin cotton fabric) for topponcino
- soft cotton fabric for cover
- cotton batting
- embroidery thread
- sewing machine (or needle and thread)
Categories
- Uncategorized (111)
- Montessori Materials (30)
- development of senses (2)
- home environment (9)
- infancy (3)
- babies (60)
- birth (5)
- birthing (3)
- early childhood development (68)
- home birth (4)
- montessori (154)
- natural birth (4)
- childhood developoment (3)
- infants (24)
- newborns (7)
- parenting (93)
- Sleep (9)
- DIY (8)
- sewing (1)
- adhd (1)
- medication (1)
- psychology (2)
- interior design (3)
- crafts (7)
- education (38)
- montessori method (96)
- parents (29)
- biology (2)
- child psychology (3)
- children (61)
- michael olaf (1)
- montessori education (50)
- Science (12)
- sensitive periods (2)
- teachers (8)
- teaching (18)
- eating (10)
- food (11)
- independence (27)
- nursing (2)
- self-esteem (8)
- weaning (8)
- alternative education (7)
- early childhood education (23)
- observation (3)
- pre-school (7)
- school (5)
- culture (2)
- society (1)
- elementary education (22)
- grades (2)
- learning (6)
- public education (1)
- testing (1)
- traditional education (3)
- bedtime (2)
- kindergarten (1)
- maria montessori (29)
- finances (1)
- financial education (1)
- money (2)
- positive discipline (9)
- brain development (3)
- breastfeeding (2)
- diet (2)
- formula (3)
- Jaramillo soup (1)
- malnutrition (2)
- nutrition (5)
- pharmaceutical companies (1)
- third world countries (1)
- bottle-feeding (1)
- cooking (7)
- jaramiilo soup (1)
- sopa jaramillo (1)
- freedom (2)
- praise (1)
- responsibility (3)
- rewards (1)
- success (2)
- trust (1)
- playroom (1)
- toys (9)
- books (3)
- child development (5)
- parent education (4)
- reading (5)
- concentration (5)
- floor bed (5)
- sleeping (1)
- feeding (2)
- meals (2)
- c-section (3)
- critical thinking skills (2)
- fear (1)
- feeding solids (1)
- helicopter parents (1)
- vaccinating (1)
- vaccination (1)
- crafting (3)
- gobbi (3)
- handiwork (1)
- mobiles (3)
- sensorial (3)
- tutorial (1)
- midwifery (3)
- midwives (2)
- motherhood (8)
- embroidery (1)
- gobbi mobile (1)
- baby einstein (1)
- baby gear (1)
- educational DVD (1)
- enrichment classes (1)
- Mozart effect (1)
- Pamela Paul (1)
- parenting experts (1)
- Parenting Inc. (1)
- problem-solving (3)
- television (4)
- toy industry (1)
- silverware (1)
- spoon (1)
- beanbags (1)
- kids (6)
- birth education (2)
- infant mortality rates (1)
- labor (1)
- maternal mortality rates (1)
- pregnancy (1)
- vbac (1)
- montessori blogs (20)
- writing (6)
- movement (7)
- will power (1)
- repurposing (1)
- crawling (3)
- development (3)
- executive functions (3)
- strollers (1)
- toddlers (41)
- walking (1)
- adolescents (1)
- play (5)
- teenagers (1)
- work (4)
- google (1)
- Practical Life (25)
- home life (2)
- kitchen (1)
- pre-schoolers (13)
- sharing (1)
- waldorf (1)
- language (3)
- doctors (1)
- gynecology (1)
- medical school (1)
- ob-gyn (1)
- obstetrics (1)
- women (2)
- genius (1)
- cloth diapers (1)
- diapers (1)
- disposable diapers (1)
- potty training (6)
- toileting (4)
- Language Development (13)
- montessori activities (13)
- coordination (2)
- developmental milestone (1)
- RIE (6)
- stroller toys (1)
- alfie kohn (1)
- mistakes (1)
- schools (2)
- cultural diversity (1)
- toilet training (2)
- control (1)
- halloween (1)
- care takers (1)
- grandparents (1)
- nannies (1)
- childhood nutrition (1)
- dairy alternatives (1)
- health (1)
- seed mik (1)
- sesame milk (1)
- veganism (1)
- vegetarian (1)
- vegetarian food (1)
- communication (2)
- magda gerber (1)
- change (2)
- impulse control (1)
- limits (2)
- mealtimes (1)
- growing up (1)
- terrible twos (2)
- absorbent mind (1)
- sequences (1)
- wonder weeks (1)
- creativity (1)
- fantasy (1)
- imagination (3)
- reality (1)
- prepared environment (2)
- Technology (1)
- bathrooms (1)
- EC (1)
- elimination communication (2)
- routine (1)
- socialization (1)
- ego (1)
- montessori approach (18)
- students (1)
- free-range parenting (2)
- human tendencies (1)
- elementary school (4)
- history (5)
- discipline (3)
- self-control (2)
- nursery (1)
- cooking with kids (7)
- development of the senses (1)
- senses (2)
- time (2)
- consequences (1)
- baking (2)
- awareness (1)
- buddhism (2)
- mothering (1)
- now (1)
- parenthood (7)
- personal growth (2)
- rat race (1)
- spiritual growth (1)
- working mom (1)
- travel (1)
- travell with toddlers (1)
- throwing (1)
- holidays (2)
- art (2)
- artwork (1)
- food preparation (2)
- picky eater (2)
- toddler (1)
- cursive (1)
- Montessori Theory (27)
- On Parenting (31)
- Social and Emotional Learning (19)
- dopamine (1)
- Dr. Steven Hughes (1)
- motivation (1)
- banana bread (1)
- recipes (1)
- pi day (1)
- chores (2)
- entitlement (3)
- homeschool (14)
- preschool (3)
- summer (1)
- unschooling (5)
- botany (2)
- Favorite Books (8)
- compassionate parenting (4)
- education for peace (2)
- nonviolent communication (1)
- peace (2)
- emotional intelligence (3)
- manners (1)
- sensory processing disorder (1)
- mainstream media (1)
- star wars (1)
- violence (1)
- crochet (1)
- brene brown (2)
- depression (1)
- empathy (2)
- postpartum depression (1)
- self-regulation (2)
- fractions (1)
- math (3)
- astronomy (2)
- literature (1)
- 6 - 12 (15)
- Cosmic Education (9)
- Theory and Practice (9)
- Nature (3)
- flow (1)
- life (1)
- ocean (1)
- philosophy (1)
- self-care (1)
- walking meditation (1)
- 3 - 6 (5)
- Siblings (2)
- literacy (1)
- mindfulness (1)
- yoga (1)
- childhood development (4)
- compassion (1)
- accountability (1)
- organization (1)
- homeschooling (12)
- SAHM (1)
- self-growth (1)
- vulnerability (1)
- attachment (1)
- behavioral challenges (1)
- anxiety (1)
- museums (1)
- bubbles (1)
- fluid dynamics (1)
- STEM (1)
- Math and Geometry (2)
- geometry (1)
- democracy (1)
- equality (1)
- fatherhood (1)
- feminism (1)
- gender roles (1)
- gloria steinem (1)
- marriage (1)
- men (1)
- grit (1)
- growth mindset (1)
- hiking (1)
- natureschool (1)
- resilience (1)
- chemistry (1)
- elementary (4)
- montessori elementary (3)
- storytelling (2)
- brainstorming (1)
- rivalry (1)
- grammar (1)