A Give-away!

Just wanted to make sure you knew about the book I'm giving away at my other blog! Click HERE to see what I'm up to and to enter! You have until Sunday night . . . :)

Recycling jars

Okay, I have another video for you, and I promised I tried to edit it, but just couldn't quite figure it out. So, if you are really interested, set aside four or so minutes and take a peek. (and I'm so glad you thought Carolina was as cute as I think she is in the last video! Thanks for all your comments! :)

Side note: I obviously should have thought about how I looked before I taped myself. Right after this video, we headed to the Y (for obvious reasons - ha!), therefore I have a slicked back ponytail and no make-up. Don't hold my appearance against me . . . You will see that this is a "one shot" deal - once your child sees it, you really can't do it again, at least not for several months. Soooo . . . there was no retaking the video or it wouldn't be real. :)

This is a good "assessment" of sorts to see how your child is cognitively thinking. I remembered this little activity after Carolina "sorted" all my recycling all over the kitchen for me. What a helper! ha!

Here's what you need: two brown paper bags; two jars, one thin and tall (I used an empty spice jar), and one wider (I used a jelly jar I think); and marbles or some other like object. This is important: fill up the tall, thin jar with the objects and then DOUBLE the amount. You will understand once you watch the video. . .

Here's why you should do it: The technical term is "Conservation of Number" - If they are able to understand that the number is the same in spite of the visual differences once the jars are removed, then "conservation of number" has been mastered.

Here's how you do it: Place the jars in the bags without your child seeing the jars. (In their minds the jars are the same size and shape) The glass jars add a nice "clink" and interest to the activity. . .

Okay, now watch the little video and we'll chat at the end.

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Alright, so he got a little bored during the whole process, but then I did, too, making sure each marble went into the jar. :) He was confident that they were the same all along, but when I pulled them out, he wasn't so sure after all. (But I think he did question himself trying to decide.)

Notice I didn't tell him, "Of course they were the same because you said it the entire time", but I let him prove and discover on his own by counting that they were indeed the same. This is an important step because it solidifies in a concrete way what he saw and then believed once the jars were revealed.

Go through your recycling and try this out! :)

She makes her Momtessori debut!!

Well, I figured it was about time that Carolina debuted on the old blog! ha! She has been getting into my cabinets and playing with my muffin tins the past few weeks . . . so I decided to "make" her an activity!

Here's what you need: a muffin tin, twelve like objects (I used these fun, sparkly, soft, colorful pom-poms that I had on hand) and a bowl to hold the objects.

Here's why you should do it: It helps increase concentration and coordination and teaches one-to-one correspondence. (and toddlers love repetition so your kiddo might do it over and over and over and over again and you might get ten minutes peace - just change out the objects periodically!)

Here's how you do it: Watch this little video . . . what you see is what you get! I just laid it in front of her for the first time and she went to town! (and notice how she is "counting". ha!)

We're on pins and needles around here!

I had my sewing stuff out the other day and I remembered this simple activity from my Practical Life training. Yes, a two or three year old can handle this if you teach them properly. Pins were on my shelf in my classroom and three year olds (some two at the very beginning of the year) would do this!

Here's what you need: a shaker of some sort (salt shaker, Parmesan shaker, etc.), a pincushion, and the exact number of pins that correspond to the holes.

Here's why you should do it: To help increase concentration levels, fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination.

Here's how you do it: Place the pincushion with pins on the left and the shaker on the right. (pre-reading skills . . . left to right!) Insert the pins into the shaker holes.

Voila!

And then stick the pins back into the pincushion! Repeat as long as your child is interested!!

Here are some other alternatives: Use the "fancy" toothpicks instead of pins or put wooden skewers, plastic stirrers, or those little plastic swords (like for cocktails, maybe?) into a Parmesan shaker that has bigger holes.