Friday, February 1, 2013

50 Montessori Activities for 2 Year Olds

Maria Montessori (1870-1952) noticed that young children are naturally drawn to the types of things that allow them to put their sense of order to use. They also have an inner developmental need to gain independence. This certainly seems to be true for most toddlers that I know.

A primary goal of Montessori philosophy is: "Help me to do it myself". We want to encourage children to learn by doing and to incorporate a sense of learning and accomplishment into their everyday tasks and activities. These little guys and gals are so much more capable than we realize!

Many Montessori-inspired activities promote self-sufficiency, have a built-in control of error, appeal to the senses, and/or prepare the finger muscles for holding a pencil for writing. Most importantly, they are geared towards a young child's developmental interests.

In order for us to successfully prepare the environment for learning, it is important that we regularly observe each child for changes in their particular interests and their developmental readiness.  


Here are some of my previous posts on Montessori activities for younger children: 

Montessori for 21 to 22 Month Olds

Montessori for 19 to 20 Month Olds

Montessori for 17 to 18 Month Olds

Montessori for 15 to 16 Month Olds

Montessori-Style Education

The Importance of Nature for Young Children

Throughout the past months, I have continued to introduce R to new Montessori-inspired works and he absolutely loves them. When I set up these activities, they are displayed in an organized and uncluttered way on low shelves that R can easily reach. Everything has a place in which it belongs and R is expected to return his work to the appropriate space. He chooses what he wants to do, and for how long.

Here are some of the activities that R has been working on throughout the past few months. (He is 2 years 4 months old). They are divided into the categories of: creating a sense of order, fine motor development, pre-literacy, math, sensorial, and practical life activities.


Creating a Sense of Order

Matching

   Colors 


   Cars


   Animals


   Landmarks


   Socks




Sorting

   Shades of Color


   Cereal


   Shape Blocks


   Silverware


  Solid Figures (spheres, cylinders, and cubes)




Sequencing

   Knobbed Cylinders (we bought the mini ones for now; they are more affordable)


   Events from Books
 

   Basic Skills Puzzle Cards




Fine Motor Development

Lacing

   Shoe (this big shoe is easier for him to lace than his little shoes)


   Animal Frames


   Jumbo Beads (also used for learning simple patterns)


   Paper Weaving




Pouring

   Water (and wiping up the spills)


   Juice 




Spooning and Transferring


   Stones


   Erasers (could use for Valentine's Day)


   Coins (could use for St. Patrick's Day)


   Chicks (could use for Spring/Easter)


   Beans


  


Cutting

   Real Food (also spreading butter)


   Wooden Food


   Using Scissors




Pre-Literacy

   Letter Matching


   Alphabet Bean Bags (toss and act out something that begins with the phonetic sound)


   Writing (if using the pen is too challenging, fill in the letter with play-doh)




Mathematics

   Spindle Box


   Sandpaper Numbers


   Numbers and Counting Dots




Sensorial

   Feely Bag


   Sound Cylinders


   Mixing Colors (to create new colors)


   Bath Tub Jello (to dig for the hidden animals)


   Sensory Tub




Practical Life

Self Care

   Dressing Basket


   Brushing Hair


   Brushing Teeth


   Putting on Shoes


   Zipping, Snapping, and Buttoning



   Washing Hands





Household Chores

   Cleaning Windows


   Washing Dishes


   Sorting Laundry


   Setting the Table


   Arranging Flowers


   Laying Out his Mat (and rolling it back up)





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Choosing a Montessori Pre-School

R has done an amazing job with his Montessori works at home. Yet, in the past, I was never completely sure about sending him to a Montessori pre-school. I knew that I wanted to send him somewhere that was good match for his personality and learning style. I wanted the teachers to be child-centered and nurturing. I wanted him to gain self-confidence and self-direction. The most important thing is that he is happy and loves being there.

So when we started searching for pre-schools, we considered a wide range of traditional, play-based, and Montessori programs. We found two schools that we like; as in, we could imagine R going there and doing well. We found one school that we seriously love; as in, I want to go to that school myself, befriend the teachers, and delve right in to all of the interesting materials. R's face lights up anytime we talk about that school and he begs me to take him back there. It is a Montessori school. Needless to say, we will be completely crushed if he doesn't get in. We are currently on the waitlist and will find out about our status in March.

Here are some positive things that stood out to me about this school:

1.  Teachers:  Passionate about their students and about Montessori principles. I could already see R bonding with several of them when we were there at the open house.

2.  Core Values:  Each child is taught to develop their own unique personality instead of conforming to the social norms. A child does something because of an inner desire to do it, not because the teacher said so. The program highly values freedom, responsibility, curiosity, thinking outside the box, motivation, concentration, persistence, respect for all living things, manners, discipline, structure without limitations, and actively contributing to society.

3.  Inherent Flexibility:  The children go at their own paces and are never made to feel that they are "behind." The teacher adapts individualized lessons for each child, depending on their learning style, interests, and level of ability.

4.  Classroom Community:  The primary classroom consists of 3 to 6 year olds, which means that the older students act as teachers and mentors for the younger ones. They truly care about, admire, and support each another.

5.  Everything is Child-Sized:  bathrooms, sinks, the materials for children to prepare their own simple snacks, the clean-up supplies, the gardening tools. Each classroom as their own garden and they grow and eat their own vegetables. All of this really fosters a sense of independence and self-confidence.

6.  Nature-based:  Along with a playground, the children are also provided with an abundance of natural materials to explore during recess, such as sticks and logs to build their own forts. They go outside several times throughout the day to work directly with nature.


Here are some drawbacks to consider about a Montessori school:

1.  The children do not play with toys or dress-up for imaginative play.  I believe that this type of play is actually very important for a pre-schooler's development. Since R will only be going to school for a few hours each morning (8:30 to noon) I am not too concerned though, because I know that he will have plenty of time to play during the rest of the afternoon and evening.

2.  The name Montessori was never copyrighted, so any school can use the name Montessori and just do a few simple Montessori-inspired activities as a way of justifying their high tuition. However, you can be sure that it is a true Montessori school if they are affiliated and certified by the AMI or AMS. We made sure to check out the two Montessori schools that we were interested in before we visited them and they were both AMI certified.

You can check out all of the AMI certified schools on the Association Montessori International website.  There are a lot of wonderful options for Montessori in the DC metro area!

Edit: It has been pointed out to me that there are other certification programs, such as CCMA and MACTE, that accredit schools. I am not familiar with these, so I can not personally vouch for whether or not they are reputable, but I would encourage parents to do further research if this is something that they are interested in.

From an educational standpoint... 

Child development research has shown that the most crucial years for brain development occurs during the first 6 years of a child's life. So, pre-school and kindergarten really set the stage. During this time, a person builds the foundation for how they will process and use knowledge that they acquire then and later on in life.


Of course, very few classrooms these days are completely traditional in this sense. Many effective teachers combine some aspects from traditional methods with ideas from various other schools of thought. That is what I did as a 2nd grade teacher, as do most other teachers. This chart solely serves the purpose of contrasting a Montessori classroom with a completely traditional one.

Here is a recent article about the benefits of Montessori education with a focus on famous entrepreneurs who learned how to "think outside the box" at an early age. (This link only lets you read the first few paragraphs, but if you can find the entire article, it is a very interesting read!)

And if you really want to learn more about Montessori philosophy and practice, check out MariaMontessori.com. I really feel like the more that I learn about Montessori, the more I appreciate it and realize that it just makes more sense!






84 comments:

  1. I love all of the pictures of Ryan enjoying the activities! So precious. <3

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  2. Hey, this is great. Can you tell me where you got that box that you have the sorted colors in - first picture under sorting?

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  3. @Karen- Thank you! He really has fun with them!

    @Ali- They are from here:
    http://www.montessorioutlet.com/cgi-bin/item/510300150/search/Montessori%2DOutlet%2DColor%2DTablets%2D%283rd%2DBox%29

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  4. Hi Dana, thank you for sharing this information. Can you tell me where you got the chair/stool (where he is drying the dishes). Thank you, Debora

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  5. @Deborah- I got the Little Partners Learning Tower on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Little-Partners-Learning-Tower-Natural/dp/B001ECHXVC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1363711827&sr=8-1&keywords=learning+tower

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  6. I do not work at a montessori but I do work in a preschool. We are known to be just as caring and as child based as any montessori in our area and our parents all seem to love bringing their kids to us. I think what separates us is that we have special needs at our school and have a therapy gym and therapists come into the classroom to work with the special needs along side the typical developing children. I feel a lot of parents like seeing that. In the long run it creates a better bond with our kids. It also helps them not be as judgmental later on in life. I'm not saying I wouldn't take my child to a montessori school I'm just saying there are other schools out there that some would consider typical that until you are to take a tour of the facility you do not fully know how their program runs and operates. I live in Missouri and do not know anything about any other states or even childcare centers. I know montessori only because of some of the parents who have their older children at a montessori.

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  7. Some great ideas! I can't wait to try them out with my 2 1/2 year old.

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  8. @Nikki- It sounds like you work at a wonderful preschool! I taught 2nd grade for several years at a traditional school, have many friends who are AMAZING teachers (non-Montessori), and my mom (the most nurturing person I have known) worked at a traditional daycare for over 10 years. So, in no way would I ever imply that a program isn't nurturing unless it is Montessori.

    We visited a wide range of preschools in order to find the right fit for Ryan. We saw traditional, play-based, Waldorf, Reggio Emelia, and Montessori. We based our decision on the school itself, the feeling that we got from the teachers, and Ryan's reaction to the environment. Like I mentioned in my post, simply having the word "Montessori" in a school's name is not indicative of a quality program. I also know that most "traditional" teachers incorporate a variety of schools of thought and techniques into their teaching, rather than doing what is on the chart.

    I have actually seen special needs students thrive at Montessori schools, although I'm sure that it wouldn't be a good fit for some of them. Every child is different and every school is different.

    I think that it is amazing how their unique and individual personalities really emerge at this age. I hope that you continue to enjoy working with your preschoolers and that the rest of the year goes smoothly for you!

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  9. @Anonymous- Thank you! I hope that your little one enjoys them too!

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  10. I love all of these ideas! Where did you get the miniature landmarks? My 2 1/2 year old loves architecture and I just know that he would enjoy that activity. :)

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  11. @Mary- Thanks! The landmarks are from Amazon:
    http://www.amazon.com/Safari-Around-World-Figure-Playset/dp/B0081GG6KI
    I hope that your little guy enjoys them!

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  12. I really enjoyed this post and plan to pass it on to my husband. My daughter is 18 months and I've gotten a lot of ideas from your blog. Would you mind sharing some of the resources that you use for inspiration?
    My mother-in-law died of breast cancer three years ago, so your blog is very meaningful to me for a variety of reasons. All my best to you and yours.

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  13. @Alicia- Thank you so much for the comment! I am glad that you found my blog. I will be sure to check yours out too. I am so very sorry to hear about your mother-in-law.

    As far as inspiration, I began learning about the Montessori philosophy through my graduate studies, when we read about all of the different education philosophers. Aside from reading the required textbooks and The Absorbent Mind by Maria Montessori, I went on to gather and read a bunch of Montessori-related books on my own, my favorites being: How to Raise an Amazing Child the Montessori Way by Tim Seldin and Teach Me to Do it Myself by Maja Pitamic (available on Amazon).

    If you are looking for mainly toddler activities, Pinterest has a TON of Montessori ideas from various blogs. I often look at magazines or online stores that sell Montessori materials to get inspiration for things to do with Ryan. If you don’t want to buy much, you can make many of the materials yourself with things that you already have laying around the house, or pick up some things from the dollar store. Some of the website stores are: http://montessori-n-such.com, http://www.montessorioutlet.com, http://www.kidadvance.com, and http://www.alisonsmontessori.com.

    A lot of the Montessori works that I do with Ryan are variations of: matching, sorting, sequencing, lacing, pouring, spooning, transferring, cutting, literacy, math, sensorial, and practical life activities. I just adapt and change them every few weeks, depending on what I have, what I have thought of or been inspired by, and what Ryan is currently interested in. It is nothing formal (I am not a certified Montessori teacher or anything) but I really feel like it makes a huge difference for my son, since he won’t be starting Montessori primary school until September and he has been very eager to do these types of things (especially the independent, practical life ones, you know how toddlers are!)

    I hope that your daughter enjoys the activities!

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  14. Thank you for compiling such a comprehensive list of activities/pictures. It is inspiring seeing how much your son seems to enjoy it! I have a 16 month old and we are starting to do a lot of Montessori activities at home. He also went to a Montessori nursery for half a year, and I love how calm and assured he is becoming.
    I blog at http://whenthediaperleaks.com

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  15. @oddlyaware- Thanks for the comment! I will check out your blog too!

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  16. This is SO great! I have twins about your son's age that will love this stuff! A few questions--
    Where did you get the Animals and the flashcards that correspond?
    Where did you get the Zipping, Snapping, and Buttoning 'things'? (don't know what else to call them :) )

    Can't wait to try all of these out ASAP!

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  17. Me encantó, gracias! Tantas ideas accesibles para el aprovechamientos de nuestros chiquitos. Enhorabuena!!!

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  18. all activities r really v important for the development of a child nd v useful for mental growth .

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  19. @Trisha- I got the Zipping, Snapping, and Buttoning frames at: http://montessori-n-such.com/detail.aspx?ID=3358 (I'm not sure why they are a different color now though).

    @Zoryleen Maldonado and @tabassum zaidi- Thank you for stopping by and checking out the activities!

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  20. @Trisha- Ooops, sorry I didn't answer the first part of your question. The animals were from Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Safari-695004-LTD-Wild-Toob/dp/B000BNEOS0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1371247360&sr=8-1&keywords=safari+toob and for the cards, I just printed off pictures of animals and glued them onto index cards. I hope that your twins have fun with these!

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  21. Found you on Pinterest. Great list, but it just made me feel even more of failure as a mom :( Could you suggest some activities that will keep him occupied by himself? I am in school full time (at night) and work a part time job from home so most of the day (at exception of when I feed him, change, etc.) I cannot be with him. It is imperative I do my work, and as much as I'd like to say to H*ll with it all, my situation doesn't allow me. I'm not trying to be a sh*ty mom, I promise, but I can't tend to him like he wants to :(

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  22. This post was literally life changing...i was already using montessori techniques without realising...simply because to me it made sense and suited my 18month olds inquisitive and independant nature. All of these activities are amazing...very inspirational! Thank you :-) Sarah

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  23. @Stephanie- Oh, please don't feel like a failure as a mom at all! It sounds like you have a lot on your plate and are still doing everything you can for your child. That is something to be proud of!

    Many of these activities can be done by a toddler on their own. If you set a bunch of them up on shelves that are low to the ground (within the toddler's reach) he/she can go at their own pace, spending as little or as long as they want to on each activity. If the child becomes really absorbed in a certain activity, it may keep him/her occupied for a long time, and you can be getting some of your work done at the same time.

    Another thing to keep in mind is that children learn so much each day just by living and experimenting with the world around them. You don't have to directly teach them things... they will pick up a lot on their own.

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  24. @Sarah- I am so glad that you found my post! I know exactly what you mean... I feel like Montessori just makes sense! Hope that you 18 month old enjoys the activities. =)

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  25. Hi, this was a great post and your little boy is SUPER cute! Thanks for posting. Just wanted to mention to you, I remember some concern from medical professionals about one of my kids when they sat with their legs in a "w" shape. I noticed that your little boy sits that way a lot. I can't remember exactly what the concern was about (something developmental, of course), but thought you might want to check into it. Keep up the great inspiration!

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  26. @Marcy- I had never heard of "W" sitting before, but thank you for bringing it to my attention! Apparently, too much of it can lead to long-term negative effects on muscles/joints of the back, hips, knees, and feet. =( I will be sure to bring it up to the pediatrician at our next check-up, and in the meantime, try to encourage R to sit in the "magic five" (aka "criss cross applesauce") instead. Whew! The things you learn being a parent! =)

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  27. This article is SOO helpful. We do Montessori pre-school which has been great for our daughter (2.5 yr). I want to do Montessori at home but am searching for activities--I have little creativity, so this info is great! Thanks so much.

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  28. @Lori Baber- Thank you for commenting! That is great that your daughter has been enjoying her Montessori pre-school. Ryan starts his in a few weeks! I hope that your daughter enjoys the home activities as well. =)

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  29. Hi Dana,
    Another one who found you via Pinterest! And another Mum looking to incorporate Montessori into our at home play. Thank you for sharing your amazing activities. I've already implemented some and popped a link to your blog from mine...
    http://stayathometerritory.blogspot.com
    Keep up the great work!
    Sarah

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  30. @Sarah- Thank you for mentioning me! I look forward to reading your blog... it looks great!

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  31. So many great ideas!!! I am so inspired now!

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  32. I love the Montessori concept but I find it so sad that it has been gone so far from its original concept for creating independence for underprivileged children and now has become some of the most expensive schools you can send your children to

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  33. @Olabisi Ogunleye and @Lauren Miller- Thank you!

    @Anonymous- I agree. I wish that Montessori education was available for everyone, not just those who can afford it. I am hoping that many parents will decide to try out some of these activities with their children in their own homes.

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  34. Where did you get your figurines for the landmark matching activity?
    Love your activities!

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  35. @Miriam Edwards- Thanks! I got them off Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Safari-Around-World-Figure-Playset/dp/B0081GG6KI/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1382236979&sr=8-2&keywords=toob+landmark

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  36. I am so thankful to have found your blog through Pinterest! I have struggled to come up with activities for my son. Some of these things I already do which makes me happy but it also allows me to see where I am lacking. Please keep sharing and the ideas coming. I want to really teach him myself and really be in the "present" with him everyday instead of the other million things I constantly have on my list. Thanks a bunch!!!

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  37. @Amber W.- I'm glad that you found the activities useful! Thanks for reading!

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  38. Do you sit with him and do each activity with him- my DD is 26 m and seems to show no interest in sorting, colour matching etc. Maybe she is just not developmentally ready- she is bright but a bit speech delayed. I donèt believe in forcing things on little ones before they are ready! I can just imagine most of these activities getting scattered about and making a huge mess for mummy to pick up :o(. And how do you find the time and brain power to set these up ;o)
    With an 11 m old and another on the way, I donèt always have the time or energy to plan, purchase and set up such intricate activities. We will be homeschooling however, so I had better get my act together soon! I feel a bit guilty when I see things like this...!

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  39. @Dove- Please don't even feel guilty for a minute... you are planning on homeschooling your children and that is so wonderful! If your daughter doesn't show an interest in these yet, then I would just follow her lead and wait until she is ready. Maybe there are other types of activities that you could introduce to her in the meantime. Montessori is all about encouraging children to do things at their own pace and according to their own interests. I actually keep Ryan's Montessori works on shelves in a completely separate area from his playroom because I don't want them to get mixed up with his toys either. As far as finding the time to plan, just start slow with preparing a couple of activities, and then go from there! I definitely don't have much planning time lately either. The good thing is that you can save all of the activities for your second child too! =)

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    1. I just wanted to update that a few months after I wrote this comment (so my DD would have been about your son's age in the picture) she became much more interested in these sort of activites. It's amazing how quickly their brains shift and mature. Anyway, she is now 3 and loves learning. My son is now 22 months and he would be more interested in these sort of activites already. I can't wait to see how my 5 month matures and fits into the picture. As you brought out, each child is unique and precious in their own way!

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  40. Thank you for sharing these wonderful activities! So excited to try them with my little one (he will be 2 next month). Where did you buy the materials for the Letter Matching activity? I haven't been able to find them on the websites you listed in another response...

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  41. @Anonymous- I hope that your little guy enjoys the activities! For the letter matching, I used magnetic letters from Amazon and sandpaper letters from Etsy. Here are the links:

    http://www.amazon.com/Learning-Resources-Magnetic-Uppercase-40-Piece/dp/B00004WKR7/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1390361335&sr=8-5&keywords=magnetic+letters

    http://www.etsy.com/listing/61504166/sandpaper-letters-uppercase-mounted-on?ref=sr_gallery_3&ga_search_query=sandpaper+letters&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_ship_to=US&ga_search_type=all

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  42. Thank you so much for the information, and congratulations!

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  43. Wonderful list!! Im wondering where you got the cars matching game?

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  44. @Anonymous- I actually made that one! I just took pictures of my son's matchbox cars, resized the files, and printed them out on sheets.

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  45. Great list, awesome blog, thank you

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  46. Dana... You are beautifully awesome! I've just discovered your blog in my search for Montessori start-up activities, as I begin the process of homeschooling my 22-month old, who may well be smarter than me by the age of 5 since he has surpassed my capacity for teaching a toddler - what do you do when your not-quite-two year old knows the alphabet, numbers to 100, colors, shapes, animals, fruits and veggies, sounds the letters make, basic anatomy, some of the skeleton, not to mention the various things he does to help with cleaning... Right! You find a way to teach them the best way you can and then research and read and worry that you'll do it all wrong... Then you find awesome bloggers who do the kinds of things you've been researching and thinking about doing and while you're at it, you discover that this homeschooling thing isn't the only thing that's stressing you out... While scanning through your many activities, I noticed the other posts with cute pictures on the right side of my screen. I read your "breast cancer at 26" post, which really connected with me. My mother starts chemo this Friday and I try to keep her positive and we generally don't talk about her treatment in a negative way... We joke, we talk about other things, she makes morbid jokes but she doesn't want to talk about the hard stuff that's coming and maybe doesn't know all the little irritations that come with chemo. She doesn't want us to think about it or worry about her and, really, she avoids talking about it unless she has an appointment coming up so, though it's not always the thing that is right there in the front of my thoughts, her battle with cancer is always there nagging in the back of my mind. I want to do more for her but I don't know what to do because she refuses to ask for anything... Then, I saw your chemo care package idea and decided that I will be putting one together for her tomorrow. I can't thank you enough for this blog - you're helping my mom, me, and my son in so many ways and I'm so happy I found your site! I look forward to following your story.

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  47. Where did you get the wooden boxes for spindles and for the color sorting squares?

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  48. @Keri- Wow, it sounds like you have a very special little guy on your hands! That is amazing that he understands ALL of that stuff at only 2 years old! One of the great things about Montessori is that it allows each child to learn at their own speed. I hope that you were able to find some interesting and fun ways to challenge your son!

    I am so very, very sorry to hear that your mom needs to start chemo. I'm glad that you found the chemo care package useful and I'm sure that your mom will appreciate you taking the time to put it together for her. I know firsthand how difficult it is to watch your mom go through this (my mom did chemo for 3 years, the last year being the same year that I had chemo) so please do not hesitate to email me if you want to talk about everything: Dana520 at aol dot com. Thank you for reaching out to me through your message. I will be praying for your mom and your family!

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  49. @Lauren Saglimbene- The wooden boxes actually came with the sets.
    http://montessori-n-such.com/detail.aspx?ID=510
    http://montessori-n-such.com/detail.aspx?ID=1187

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  50. Thanks for the info! Where did you get the scissors?

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  51. Thanks for the awesome ideas and links! I am trying to incorporate more Montessori methods at home with my kids so will find this all invaluable. Thanks again, Julia.

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  52. My son just turned two, it's not too late to get him started on Montessori correct? I'm worried about not catching his attention or him not understanding any of what I'm trying to show him (For example, if he doesn't see the connection between the toy horse and the image of the horse on the flashcard. Or placing the matching socks together. Or not sorting the color shades correctly.) I know it's going to take some time for him to fully comprehend everything. What would you suggest to get him started? I don't want to overwhelm him with something he's not ready for and risk him turning it away for good. He's extremely smart, and months before he turned two he was helping me load and unload our dishwasher, "fold and put away" clothes, sweep, mop and even vacuum. He has the potential, but like I said, I do not want to overwhelm him too quickly. Any suggestions? I'm a single mother, so I know I'm probably not able to afford a tutor or tuition for a Montessori school.

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  53. I will have to try these out with my little boy. I think that he would really like a lot of these. He is really clever so I am sure he will have fun.

    Alena | http://www.threebearsacres.com

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  54. @Paola- Thanks! I'm sorry, but I don't remember exactly where I got the scissors. I'm sure that any type of child safety scissors would work though!

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  55. @Julia- That is great! Thanks for your comment!

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  56. @Beaudene132- It sounds like your son is very intelligent. I would suggest that you follow his lead, allowing him to choose the activities that are the most interesting to him. You could start by preparing some of the more basic activities that I listed in the links below. When you see that he has mastered those, go on to prepare some of the more advanced activities. Feel free to ignore the ages (I only wrote those as a guideline) and just do whatever your son is ready for!

    http://danaspinkribbon.blogspot.com/2012/02/montessori-for-15-to-16-month-olds.html
    http://danaspinkribbon.blogspot.com/2012/04/montessori-for-17-to-18-month-olds.html
    http://danaspinkribbon.blogspot.com/2012/06/montessori-for-19-to-20-month-olds.html
    http://danaspinkribbon.blogspot.com/2012/07/montessori-for-21-to-22-month-olds.html

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  57. Is your son really two in these pictures? My son is in montessori now (he's 2 at the end of August) and these seem like they would be challenging for him...but maybe I just don't know what he does all day (true). I was in Montessori myself, but not that young (4 maybe?). Anyway, thanks for this. I wonder if my son will not want a similar home space like he has at school...

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  58. hi
    the chair in the washing dishes section, could you please post several pictures of it?.. I haven't seen this chair in Egypt yet and i would love my carpenter to do it. thanks a mil

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  59. Where did you get that stool in the picture of washing dishes? I love that it is adjustable!

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  60. This is the optimal age for learning language. Don't be shy about speaking to your child in another language!! or having someone else teach all of the activities in a second language.

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  61. I just stumbled upon your blog tonight! I'm so excited to use some of your great ideas!!!Thank you so much for sharing. I really appreciate it:)

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  62. Wow, this was such a comprehensive collection of ideas - thanks so much for taking the time to put together and share it with all of us!

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  63. @Becca Campbell- Yes, Ryan was 2 years old in all of the pictures, and most of the activities were just challenging enough for him at this age. Some skills were a little difficult (for example, the spindle box, buttoning, and lacing) and while he worked on them at age 2, he really didn't do them easily until he was almost 3. However, every child is different and I'm sure that there are some children who can do things much earlier than Ryan, and some children who do them much later. Montessori is all about following the individual child and letting them go at their own pace. It doesn't matter what the other children are doing, just focus on what your child is personally ready for and interested in!

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  64. @Lobna Hammam and @Brenbren- Here is the link (with additional pictures) to the Little Partners Learning Tower that my son is using to reach the sink to wash dishes. At age 4, he still loves climbing in it so that he can reach the counter to help with meal prep, etc.

    http://www.amazon.com/Little-Partners-LP00401-Learning-Natural/dp/B001ECHXVC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1415592672&sr=8-1&keywords=learning+tower

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  65. @Anonymous- Oh I wish that I knew another language that I could teach my son! He does learn a little French at his school.

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  66. @Lisa Healy- Thanks! I'm so glad that you found it useful! :-)

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  67. Awesome pictures! Good ideas. I really like a lot of these. He is really clever so I am sure he will have fun. Thanks for sharing keep up with good work.

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  68. where did you get the alphabet cards to trace?

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    1. I can't seem to remember where I found those. I'm guessing that I picked them up at a random store while I was out, since I can't find them online. Maybe you could use something like this as an alternative?http://lanieslittlelearners.blogspot.com/2013/07/alphabet-tracing-cards.html

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  69. where did you get the alphabet tracing cards?

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  70. Execuse me!
    Where can i buy the scissor? It is so cute and useful for my kids? Thanks.

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    1. I found the scissors on Amazon:

      http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003CUUS84/ref=asc_df_B003CUUS844178547?smid=A3SBDOAENTRT1F&tag=shopz0d-20&ascsubtag=shopzilla_mp_1415-20;14570287654301117249110070301008005&linkCode=df0&creative=395129&creativeASIN=B003CUUS84

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  71. this is a great place for ideas do you know where you got the write on wipe off abc cards thank you

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    1. I don't remember where I picked them up. I'm so sorry. Maybe try something like this instead? http://lanieslittlelearners.blogspot.com/2013/07/alphabet-tracing-cards.html

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  72. Love the pictures posted, this is a good post and would be happy to try out some of the activities stated for my children also.

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