Buggin' Out!

So, this is the best $2.00 I've spent all summer (Dollar Store bug catcher with bowl tongs)!

We're getting lots of use out of it. We found these two  by our hostas. Easy to scoop them since they were 'pre-occupied'...yeesh!

I like to 'opportunity teach'. When an opportunity comes up, I try to expand upon it by grabbing relevant/matching items- right on the spot. I really don't plan these types of things in advance. Heck, this entire activity (including bug catch time), was just under an hour..then done. 

When we caught these dragonflies, I did a Google image search on  free dragonfly print outs.
This took little time, 5 minutes to find/print.We looked at our live specimens with a magnifying glass, compared/contrasted and colored.

I then found her two relevant puzzles and we played with those- spending a bit more time on the dragonflies in the puzzles (more comparing with the two live specimens).

We love the Melissa and Doug magnet puzzle. She has to use her hand/eye coordination to manipulate the magnet net to scoop each insect up.

Last week we found this furry lil' guy and did the same thing.Here's a collection of our photos on our caterpillar (now in the cocoon stage)!

p.s. I know the title of this post isn't really accurate (bugs verses insects), but I couldn't resist.

Montessori Knock-Off (Hammer Time!)

Song stuck in your head now? Go Hammer, Yo Hammer, MC Hammer...it's Hammer time!
Yea, so...this isn't about that song or MC Hammer (as cool as they both were).

I've received so many nice emails about this Montessori Knock-Off series (thank you!!).  I'm going to keep posting ideas until I run out of them. :)

Hammering is great for hand/eye coordination, it's under Practical Life in the Montessori learning approach. You can buy a hammer/clay set that looks like this from Montessori Supply for $60:

While that wooden hammer setup is nice, it's a bit pricey. I made my version for $4.

I used a dense Styrofoam cube from a local craft store ($3.99), my husbands golf tees (shhh...) and a play hammer (free).

Amazingly, you can use each  hole multiple times after you've sunk a tee in & there's no shredding or dust from this (plus you have 6 big sides to work with). I think by the time all 6 sides are exhausted, she'll be developmentally past it and ready to move on (aka: bored with it).

I personally like this method better because the tot has to hold the cube still while hitting the nail in - takes lots of concentration and coordination to do that!

You can also use clay to make your own. Here's one from United Montessori that I liked. It's using play dough in an air tight container (click link for instructions):

You could also easily make your own variation of this using golf tees as well (the real nails made me a bit nervous).

Go Hammer!

Montessori Knock-Off (Pincer Grip)

Practical Life is my favorite category under Montessori method, so much fun! 

A few days ago, under this category, we worked on fine motor skills- specifically  'pincer grip'. Pincer grip is the ability to pick up/manipulate objects using index finger and thumb. This helps the ability to hold a pencil/write.

Since we don't have a Montessori peg board (expensive), I found this cheap travel lite-brite that teaches the same thing (plus color sorting) . It was $1, it's safe (battery operated) and it's fun to see light up! I think this will get a few more years of use over a simple peg board too! 
 

It took my girl a few rounds of practicing (and some frustration) before she had it mastered. Now, this has become her favorite thing to do near bedtime.

Another thing we worked with were a pair of tongs. We had cherries that needed to be washed before snack time, so we used those. The activity was to transfer the cherries from the bowl of water to the dry bowl, using the tongs. This was a bit of a struggle for her, but after several attempts she was able to get a couple (she was so excited!).

This tong exercise was a bit easier for her, since we used cotton balls (they stick together making large clumps).  I keep this in our master bath (keeps her busy for a few minutes while I shower). She transfers the cotton balls around between each compartment.

If you read this bog, by now you know my affinity for buying things on the cheap for stuff like this. This hawaii wood bowl was only $1.50 at a thrift store (SEE, SEE!)

And you can buy one for $40 plus s/h from Ebay.

Your local thrift stores have all sorts of sectioned bowls & trays for cheap (and baskets too). No need to buy them from a Montessori supply.

There are so many great resources available online showing you how to develop and strengthen pincer grasp via different activities/games. Here's a great list by  Therapy Street Kids:

Pinch strengthening and control  

• Tongs, tweezers, connected chop sticks, strawberry hullers: use these to pick up small objects for sorting, such as beads, marbles, beans, pompoms and cotton balls.
  
• corn cob holders, toothpicks or large push pins (thumb tacks): Place a picture over a sheet of craft foam or cork board (or trivet). Then use the push pin or corn cob prongs to punch holes along the lines of a picture. Hold it up to let the light shine through.
  
• place coins or bingo chips in narrow slots; a piggy bank is perfect, Connect Four game
  
• eye droppers: make colorful dribble art creations by placing drops of colored water on a paper towel or coffee filter
  
• spinning tops
  
• geoboards: make shapes and letters using rubber bands on geoboards
  
• pick-up sticks, Jenga, Don't Spill the Beanswind up toys
  
• pegboard activities
• Tiddly winks games, Ants in the Pants
  
• Tong games: Operation, Crocodile Dentist, Bedbugs
  
• Ziploc bags: encourage using fingertips to press and seal
  
• Buttoning, snapping
  
• pop beads
  
• stringing beads
  
• peel stamps and stickers
  
• crumple small bits of tissue paper using fingertips, dip in glue and paste onto a paper plate or paper to make a flower bouquet
  
• tear small pieces of paper with finger tips and paste them onto a sheet of paper to make a picture
  
• Push a toothpick point into a Styrofoam tray or plate, or in aluminum foil placed over craft foam or cork board to make a picture.
  
• Dress up dolls: requires a surprising amount of hand strength and endurance
• Clothespins (open them and clamp them around edge of bowl)
  

Montessori Knock-Off (Sand Play)

This is an update/addition to my previous post Montessori Knock-Off, which listed other ways to create Montessori type learning activities on the cheap  (or free).

Here's another one we did recently (outside). Sand play!

A tray to keep the spills 'contained', dollar store funnels, small strainer, see-thru Tupperware container, small container to pour with & SAND.  You can use just about any containers you have really, as long as they are see-thru.

We also used our  'root viewer' to play with (the test tube looking thingies in the wooden holder).

You get the idea from the pictures on how this was used. This was a 30 minute activity and it left her wanting more when playtime was over. She was fascinated with the disappearing sand and the process of transferring it on her own.

To start her off, I demonstrate an action for her. Then I ask her to try it on her own and congratulate/encourage when she does. I then let her continue play without any instruction, unless she asks for help.

It was fun to watch her figure out different things on her own and variations of what we did together.

Now BEWARE, there's a reason  we did this activity outside. So, it turns out...the tray doesn't actually contain all the spills.

Montessori Knock-Off

I admire aspects of the Montessori approach of 'teaching' and I love to follow a long with developmental milestones via a few other resources as well.

Montessori kits are expensive, (you know- all the trays and manipulative matertial). So, I've decided to create my own 'knock off' versions via thrift store (or use stuff I already have). You save a TON of money and the end result is the same!

Thrift store chip and dip plate ($1.29) with melon baller (.29 cents) and marbles from Chinese Checkers game ($.99).  Buy a Montessori kit like this online and spend $20. Seriously.
Great for fine motor, transfer and sorting.

Thrift store tray ($1.29), spoon or small tongs (free/home), mini ice cube tray (.29 cents) and grab bag of plastic beads (.99). Same thing, Montessori supply places sell these trays and materials for much more.

Thrift store wood needlepoint looms ($1.00). Size order recognition, learning to color within the circle, trace circle.

Slotted spoon/strainer, sand (could also use corn mean or whatever), buried bugs (bugs were a thrift store game find/new!). Dig and transferr buried items to container. So far,she is not light with shaking the sand through the spoon - it gets flipped in the air sometimes (the price of learning- right?).

Here, she gives the bugs a bath (getting the sand off of them). Using an old unwanted cake pan, nail brush and small bowl. She can sit and do this for 20 minutes. Big hit!

A tray, small pitcher and small bowl. Transferring water, sponging up any spills. Next to 'bug bath', this is her favorite activity. Would be better with TWO small pitchers or creamers (on the list to find, but we used what we had on hand this day).

Game pieces used as counting manipulative (thrift store games .99 cents each). All the games were barely used or new- plus, we can play the actual board games when she's older.

You can use unwanted cookie pans (this was ours and in bad shape, so I repurposed it). Using dollar store magnetic numbers and letters, this is a great way to teach order. Also, the pieces don't get lost, they stick to the pan!

We are working on smelling bottles/cards now...a long with a few other Montessori type knock-offs! I will post as we go.

"We cannot know the consequences of suppressing a child's spontaneity when he is just beginning to be active. We may even suffocate life itself. That humanity which is revealed in all its intellectual splendor during the sweet and tender age of childhood should be respected with a kind of religious veneration. It is like the sun which appears at dawn or a flower just beginning to bloom. Education cannot be effective unless it helps a child to open up himself to life.” Maria Montessori

Tarnished Reputation

A procrastinated project no more...woot-woot!



BEFORE: Tarnished Silver

These particular silver pieces have been tarnishing away for the last 8+ years...needless to say, I haven't been caring for them. I wore them constantly when they were all shiny, but when they started to dazzle less, I moved on. Heartless!

Well, it's also kinda because I had a baby & wearing necklaces and dangly earrings didn't work out for us. Time to clean 'em up & wear them once again.

I wanted to find something cheap (free), non-abrasive and without the scary chemicals.

So I found this science trick that some antique dealers and jewelers use too.

Supplies you need:
tin foil
container
baking soda
salt
hot water

Line dish with aluminum foil.

Put your silver pieces on the aluminum.

Heat enough water (almost boiling) to fill the container and cover whatever you place on foil. 

Mix about 1/2 cup of baking soda with the hot water in a large, heat-proof measuring cup.

Pour over your items.  Sprinkle in a teaspoon of salt.

DO NOT use this method for jewelry that has precious stones.

The aluminum with the other stuff will trigger a chemical reaction. You will smell rotten eggs (sulphur...P-U!)...so don't hang over it with your mouth open.  Yum.

You might even notice fine flakes of sulphur floating in the water. Let sit for a few minutes, flip over jewelry/stir and let sit a couple more minutes.

Remove and rinse with soap & water, dry off. Repeat if needed.

All shiny & new again! *insert cheesy 80's love song, 'Almost Paradise'.


BEFORE - AFTER

Did you know that many companies will not disclose the chemicals they use in their cleaning products? Say what? NY is making it a law for companies to disclose this info, yet some still refuse. Scared? You should be.

Did you know there are legitimate studies that have linked household cleaning products to serious health problems?

Read this story on MSNBC. Yike. chloroform, benzene and formaldehyde?! Hey, but your counters are clean...so, um...

If you can't afford the 'green cleaners', then you can easily make your own. You can get your house just as clean with baking soda & vinegar. If you want to sterilize, use hydrogen peroxide (click the link for info).

You can jazz up with fresh lemon or essential oils if you want  your cleaning products to smell. I personally love lavender when cleaning and also essential orange oil (a few drops is all it takes).

For EASY, CHEAP natural cleaning recipes, check out these resources (click links):

Earth Easy. This site has many tips and easy recipes for any cleaning project!

Eco-Cycle, another great list.

  Good article by Earth Justice on this topic as well. 

Happy cleaning everyone (if this is even possible?)! 

Do you use green or homemade cleaners? What is your favorite? Comment & share!

Textsure You Wanna Do this?

If you can't handle messy...do not read this post!

Art is a great way to engage with your child. Today, we learned about textures. With paint, lots of permanent paint.

You can really use just about anything for texture painting. Potato (we used one whole and then cut it in half), sponges, bubble wrap, rim of plastic cup, an assortment of brushes, plastic bags, bristle blocks, combs...you get the idea. Here's what we used...

I took a large archival canvas (30x40), but any size canvas or even paper will do.

I sectioned off my canvas so that only one panel could be painted on. My idea is that she'll paint a new panel each year for the next 5 years. I think it will be interesting to see how her painting style develops each year - each panel  dated & all together on one canvas.

I used acrylic paint because I want to preserve on canvas. I offered her one color of paint at a time and one texture instrument at a time. We sat right down on our hardwood floors (yep, I'm a rebel) and went to town.

Totally not kidding when I mentioned the 'messy part'. But hey, is it really art if it isn't a bit messy?

When my girl was an infant, I covered her butt and hands with watercolors and made imprints on watercolor paper...when she was a bit older, I painted her feet and helped her walk walk across canvas that I had previously painted a solid color. I love to get her hand prints often on her artwork, even if it's just her way to sign and date it on the back.

There are so many neat ideas - don't be afraid to get messy!

A simple & quick cleanup (if you do it right away). Fill the sink with a lil' water and see what color the water turns as you're washing the paint from hands.

My favorite sources for toddler art ideas: The Library & talking to art teachers!

Also, The Toddler Busy Book (I found this at a thrift store, but it's on Amazon too!) and The Big Messy Art Book!

I also love the Artful Parent blog. They have so many great art ideas for kids, check them out!

If you want a REAL adventure, host a toddler painting party!!