I had wanted to take Freida to a petting-zoo all month, for her to see a pre-processed shofar up close - on the ram. Got around to it this weekend, and I guess it worked out well coming after Rosh Hashanah, she really got the point. There's just something so special to me about kids exploring animals; wild or domesticated, zoo, farm, or neighborhood - there seems to be so much innocence and natural compassion in the way children feed, pet, and interact with them...
Being a classroom got me thinking about letters. Be it Aleph-beis or Alphabet, the skill of recognition is integral to education. "Old school, meet new school", is the tagline used for a fabulous new app for kids. I thought once we were already on the Montessori subject, I'd mention the installation of these Montessori apps - to current moms, they're all the rage! Intro to Letters is an app based on the Montessori activity known as Sand Paper Letters, these activities utilize sight, sound, and touch - helping your child learn the letters, as well as the correct method of creating them. Also available is their older release, Intro to Math (which I haven't personally seen, but I'm sure it's just as marvelous!). Something about their overall design is just so visually beautiful. Kudos, Montessorium!
While doodling around yesterday with Freida, I had a lightbulb moment and decided to create a little matching game for today's preschool orientation. You may have read a bit about the Montessori method of shadow/silhouette recognition - it's a bit of a trend at the moment... and the Pre-K kids sure enjoyed it this morning. Here's the mock-up in PDF format for printing. And while it's not very professional (excuse the Sharpie lines), it will keep your tot busy for a bit while you prepare dinner...
PDF file: friedafroo©2010 Rosh Hashana
Gitane Royce and Nisreen Witt are the San Francisco based genius minds behind the new company Modern Playhouse. Their goal was to create a sophisticated, sustainable, and safe playhouse for the outdoors that wasn't too insanely priced. They now have two designs, the Wedge House and the Circle House - featuring clean lines and mod designs. They also produced some furniture and accessories to outfit the interior....
I can partially blame Freida's building infatuation on the fact that her daddy is an architect, but either way this girl is obsessed with stacking/building & demolishing. She's really not bad at it either. She does get frustrated when she discovers one of her designs is not really spatially possible... then she just goes all "king-kong" on the entire operation! : ) Here's a roundup of some of my favorite ways to enhance this classic,timeless, and important manipulative.
Perfect shades of color, for heaps of good looking construction!
We love these blocks! I can't find them available at the moment, you'll have to track 'em down...
These lego-style building blocks are super for underage architects! Easy to grasp, easy to stack.
4. Muji City in a Bag Wooden Blocks $14.00
Awesome geography extras, to use alone as a play-city or to accessorize their man-made structures.
5. Tree Branch Blocks from Romp $40.00
Warm and earthy, these twig-like builders just may be the ticket to get your little tree hugger focused on a very tactile fine-motor-skill activity.
6. City Blocks by artist, Seth Clark $85.00
These detailed city blocks are sure to up the anti on the creativity-turned-playtime factor. Pricey enough to attempt a DIY, which makes a great painting activity along the way...
7. Handmade (with heaps of love!) ModPodged blocks ($-not yet established.)
I made a fabulous set of wooden blocks while I was pregnant with Freida. I'm thinking about making them to custom order... featuring a huge selection of beautiful paper for each of the 6 sides. Just thought I'd give you all the heads-up. They make wonderful baby gifts (for the child's name etc.)...
(possibly in aleph-beis options as well.) Coming Soon! : )
