Welcome to the May link pack. In the school holidays, I made time to do some reading and do I have a bunch of interesting links for you to check out! Enjoy…
Setting up your spaces Montessori-style
- I love the photos from this Montessori blog – this time from their kitchen set up
- Having trouble using a Montessori floor bed? Some tips from The Full Montessori about using a floor bed here.
- Your arm getting sore? How to hang those lovely but pesky Montessori mobiles
- These IKEA hooks for your entrance
- Didn’t know you could Montessori your bathroom? Well now you do.
- A tour around Eltern vom Mars’s Montessori-friendly home here
- I pinned all these shared rooms
Montessori materials
- Why Montessorians avoid plastic and what to choose instead here
- These beautiful activities for older children – Montessori shelves at 4 years old
- My favourite Montessori aprons to purchase here
- Create movement possibilities like this inside too
- Love this cloud mobile for a baby
- Make your own kinetic sand – here is the recipe
A peek into Montessori classrooms around the world
- Watch this Montessori classroom in action in Austin
- I love this Montessori school in Poissy, France (via How we Montessori)
- In case you missed the last newsletter, my classroom is getting cosy here and an inspiring space down in Possum Creek, Australia
Getting ready for summer
- As the weather warms up, it may be time to read up here on my approach to helping children to use the toilet
- A great list of summer activities so you will never be bored over the summer
- If you like to plan your summer, this post is for you
Some longer reading
- I love Janet Lansbury’s podcast Unruffled. This is also a useful article from her about helping toddlers in social situations. “As much as I believe in offering children opportunities to develop social intelligence experientially and supporting them to explore and experiment with only minimal intervention, I also believe that kids need and deserve our help to behave within the bounds of social rules and mores.”
- Be someone’s rainbow – watch this
- Did you see this new video I made on encouraging creativity for The Big Creative Adventure?
- Listen to this conversation between me and my friend Debbie Reber from the new Tilt Parenting podcast on how to stay calm in difficult situations
- Had enough of noisy toys? This study is not completely conclusive yet, but shows electronic toys for babies may be associated with decreased quantity and quality of language compared to playing with books or traditional toys such as a wooden puzzle, a shape-sorter and a set of rubber blocks.
- Why it’s important to keep creativity open-ended – read this heartbreaking story
- Do you eat together? The importance of the family meal
- And is there too much noise in your house? Read this
Upcoming events
- If you are in Amsterdam and expecting a baby, you’ll want to head to Sprout 2016
- And mark your calendars for our Open Day on Saturday 18 June, 10am – 12 noon
Hope you get to check out these links and get super inspired to add some more Montessori into your homes.
Warmest wishes,
Simone
PS Before you go, if you want to follow my 4-week online workshop to set up your home Montessori-style, you can start today. Click here to sign up.