Pillow course

Running out of things to do on a rainy day.  

Why not set up a pillow course. I have always been nervous about the kids getting hurt. I over came that today and here is what fun was had.  

Check out the popcorn :)  

C decided to come and join the fun.

I did have the girls stop and watch while the older kids played. I did not get any pictures of that because I was keeping the younger ones safe.

What indoor gross motor activities have you done that they kids enjoyed?

Montessori Beginnings- outside

While looking for ideas on Montessori outside. I came across North American Montessori Center. They have a post on Outside Play for Preschools . Its worth taking a look.

In the post they talk about how unstructured or lightly supervised play can lead to more aggressive play along with some behavior problems. This is something I have begun to see with C and F.

Do you see that same thing with your little ones? I see it when he has too much free time.
What kinds of things do you do outside?

Montessori Beginnings- Roll the ball

Balls were a favorite for C when he was one.  R has taken a liking to babies and stuffed animals.  However, she recently learned how to throw. It is pretty funny as she throws with her arm off to the side.  C has a great arm and has since he was her age.

What you can do is have them sit across from you with their legs open like a V. Practice rolling the ball back and forth.  We have done this with all of them just make a circle and have everyone open their legs so they are touching the next persons foot. When rolling it around  we talk about sharing and taking turns.  "It is R's turn, T roll it R." "F isn't it nice that they are sharing".  I think this reinforces it when they are pointed out the nice things they do are doing.

  

Dance party

It's hot outside so we stayed this morning and had a dance party. Almost every morning we have a jam out session while listening to Our God by Chris Tomlin. But this morning we brought out the mattress.

Montessori Beginnings- outside

I have been struggling with moving toward the Montessori way of learning because I thought of it as things that to be done mostly inside. We are a very outside family. From the moment they get up to the time I tell them it is time for bed we are outside.

In my teacher mind I am a paper, pencils, sit down way of thinking. (This is not at all how I learn though, or at least how I did when I was younger, I had to teach myself that in college.) In my mother mind lets get out, get dirty, and explore.

So I have sat back and thought about how to put this all together. I need a routine to follow the other one is not working and has not been in a while. We have been using this one:

7:00- 8:00 Drop off, breakfast, free play

8:00 after dad leaves circle time

8:30 outside

10:00 snack

10:15/30 explore: learn

12:00 lunch

nap

snack

outside

5:00 - 5:30 pickup

The only things we skip the explore learn time. Which in my mind would be inside the learning room ( that I still need to post new pictures of ) However we do this, they are outside building things, we take a daily walk, they swim much of the day. They play in the sand box, sand and water table, and dig in the mud. It is just not structured as I would like it to be. But with that I must plan..... So what I am looking for is outside ways of teaching and learning.

This will keep both age groups busy!! On rainy days we will be back inside. So I will need a plan for those. If you plan can you let me know. I would love to see what your plans look like.

Happy planning and playing outside!!!!

What's gonna work? Team work!

Our new schedule/routine has been working nicely, we have made it outside. I have decided not to plan for this outside time just to let it be a free time kinda thing( may need change that).
The older kids get out there are have this look like now what should we do. Almost bored. M had left some ply wood on the ground. I grabbed it and headed to make fort or something.

As they worked the older ones sang together. What's gonna work team work. It was great.

What do you do when the rain finally stops?

Well you go play in all the water of course.

This is their mud bog hole full of water. C is standing in the middle.

F is getting a bowl to move the water. C says to her it's not going to work too many holes.

She was like but look how cool it is.

R is telling C to put the water in here using some words but more gestured. Glad C can pay attention to her wants.

R and T go right to work playing it the water he filled for them.

R and T wanted help getting in the water but then had no trouble doing it themselves.