On the Menu this September

I have a confession to make: I am absolutely terrible at menu planning lately. I used to love jotting down ideas of what we'd eat for the next few weeks and putting it into execution but ever since we moved to Germany, it's been kind of a chore. I think a big part of it emanates from the fact that even if I had a menu all etched out, I probably would not follow through. Truth is: although I love cooking, it's not been exactly enjoyable in my small uninviting and ill-equipped kitchen (I sometimes wish I had always had the same kitchen and didn't know any better!). Add to the equation little Zahavah and Adrian who seemingly purposely choose this very hour to bicker and instead of a recipe for dinner, we have a recipe for disaster. 

What's for Lunch? - September Menu is Out!

In the end, I decided to change the schedules from last year to allow me to be somewhat "free" an hour before dinner" (4:30-5:30) so I could feed my family more properly for the only meal of the day we all get to share together but also because I am starting to feel the need for some "relaxing" time. Yes, relaxing = cooking! :)

Excited about this new twist, I quickly prepared a menu for the entire month of September minus the week-ends because it's usually a last minute decision as we tend to be out and about. This menu is a lunch menu BUT, what you see listed there is what we ate for dinner the previous day. That's right! Making fresh lunches everyday is time consuming considering everyone in my household expects a "5 star warm meal" and as such, we usually have leftovers from the night before unless of course, there has been miscalculations on my part (read too many second helpings!!!) and we end up having to have the soup of the week or sandwiches. Has there been any complaint about my system? Nope unless the meal from the previous night was previously disliked of course! :)

As you've noticed, our meals always include a protein, and two sides of vegetables unless veggies are included in the dish. In the cases where a grain such as pasta or bread is not listed or part of the dish, slices of whole wheat bread are readily available. For drinks, fat-free milk is served. For dessert, as you can see, fresh fruit is what we prepare. Fruit is, by definition, sweet and my kids love their fruit dessert. They do occasionally have a treat of course but they still need to gobble up their fruit first! :)

I am more than happy to share my menu with all of you interested in having a copy of it. I actually tried to upload my file to a server where everyone could simply download it but without much success I'm afraid. I'm not sure my format will/would download right for non-Macintosh users either honestly. I'm working with a .rtf type of document but I've also scanned it to a friendly jpeg. Of course, my scan didn't grab the fine lines in my table (Technology just loves me, doesn't it?) So anyhow, send me an -mail (sortingsprinkles at gmail dot com) and I'll e-mail you an .rtf or jpeg of the menu if you're interested! By the way, if you are intrigued by some recipes, don't hesitate to ask: I do share! :)

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Today, I'm happily linking up to

 Show-and-Share Saturday, TGIF, Share it Saturday, Mom's Library, The Sunday Showcase, Stress-Free Sunday , Serenity Saturday, Kids in the Kitchen.

If you would like me to link up with you, please don't hesitate to ask, it might take me a week or two, but I generally do!

Recycled Wax "Royal Gems" Crayons

Well it sure has been a while since I last published a post hasn't it? In between field trips, multiple playdates and the enjoyment of the last warm summer days, my time spent at the computer has been cut dramatically but it hasn't prevented me from going shopping for back-to-school basics on one of our rainy days last week. Among the items on my list was of course the classic wax crayon pack. Who can forgo this staple? Every year, it seems like I buy a new pack or two; not because ours have been worn to nothing, mind you, but mostly because a few have broken in our pack and the children now refuse to use those despite mine taping them back together with masking tape (works great by the way!). On top of that, one must admit that the price of crayons at the back-to-school sales is quite amazing (19 cents, really?). Even if you don't need them, your brain almost tricks you into buying them because if you end up needing them later, you very well know they will be at least five times that price down the road...So I left the store with two packs of 24 brand new crayons (one for Zahavah and one for Adrian). I then decided it was time to figure out what to do with the broken crayons. After all, the kids were not suddenly going to start using them, right? It was time to recycle the old broken crayons into new crayons. What a "wicked" plan I thought: the broken crayons the kids had refused to draw with would, in the end, be used? hehehe I almost felt like I was sneaking medicine in their ice cream! :)

Recycle your broken crayons into these little gems!

I first gathered all the broken crayons accumulated over the last two years (not including the washable kind as I was told they would leave a white waxy residue) and removed the paper surrounding the crayons. In many cases, I was lucky...the kids had already done that! :) I then sorted the crayons by color and broke them in more pieces so they'd melt faster. I kept all the divided colors in paper cups (I used small "bathroom cups"). Adrian helped too. He broke some crayons and helped sort the colors so kids can definitely help with this process. After that, it was time to melt the crayons. I turned my oven on to 160C (325F), put my paper cups on a baking sheet and put the baking sheet in. Please be aware that paper cups are not supposed to be used for hot liquids according to most manufacturers. Check the label on your box before proceeding (my cups were for cold liquids only and I still used them but I put only 2-3 crayons in each and made sure to stay above the countertop when pouring in case the bottom of a cup would fall out and had no issues but it doesn't mean nobody will...)

Sorted, broken, peeled crayons ready for melting

During this time, I sprayed a non-stick spray on my candy mold so the crayon wax would not stick to my plastic mold. My mold is heat resistant to 170C by the way so I knew my wax would not melt my mold during the pouring process. Be sure you check yours as well.

Oiled candy mold ready for pouring

After 10 minutes, all my crayons were melted (I had 2-3 crayons per small cup) so I took the baking sheet out of the oven using an oven mitt (I did check after five minutes using a toothpick), and quickly poured the melted wax into the molds. The paper cup themselves were warm to the touch but not hot (unless I would  have touched at the level of the wax of course, which would have been) so I used my bare hands right out of the oven to handle the cups but I had to be careful not to let the wax touch my fingers. Oven mitts are highly recommended for the pouring of the wax of course. We do not all have the same definition of what's warm and what's hot! :) 

I let the mold sit on the countertop for half an hour after the pouring was finished and then I put it in the refrigerator for another half an hour. After that, the crayons were hard and ready and came right out of the mold with a light touch of my finger (they just slipped out thanks to the oily spray). I simply took them out one by one so they wouldn't break but a faster way might be to put a towel on top of the mold and then turn the towel and mold over. I just didn't want to chance it. :)

New wax crayons in the making and resting

I chose this mold (purchased on Ebay by the way) with Zahavah's Princess themed week in mind. (coming up in October) I thought having "gem" crayons would be fun for her and yet, not too difficult for me to make since this is my first time making "recycled crayons". I quite enjoyed the experience. If it didn't take this many crayons (see how some of my molds are not filled? And yet I used about 30 crayons for that!) and if the paper wasn't always glued to the crayons (it can be difficult to remove at times), I would definitely consider making more fun shaped crayons and offer them as presents for the kids's friends...Until then, we'll have to wait until more crayons break! :)

Beautiful crayon "pendant" for my beautiful little girl!

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This post was shared with these wonderful blogs and websites this week:

The Kids Co-Op, Show-and-Share Saturday, Link & Learn, TGIF, Share it Saturday, Mom's Library, The Sunday Showcase, Sun Scholars's For the Kids Friday, Tuesday Tots, Preschool Corner &5K, Serenity Saturday, Kids in the Kitchen, Discover & Explore, and We Made That.

If you would like me to link up with you, please don't hesitate to ask, it might take me a week or two, but I generally do!

Essentials of a Montessori Toddler Classroom

Unless you are a certified Montessori teacher taking a few sabbatical years, your first year of home schooling your child using the Montessori method can be a bit overwhelming. Despite all the research, planning, and reading, it's always a bit difficult to target what's really essential in a home school setting. You actually don't NEED that much, but some people choose to have it all. It's a bit like Montessori materials purchases; You CAN buy Nienhuis quality OR you can buy any other quality: You don't NEED Nienhuis quality in a home setting as only 1-2 children will handle the materials for a only a few years but you CAN choose to buy it if you want it...Below, I've listed my personal Top 10 Essentials for home schooling my toddler the Montessori way...

1. Montessori Albums

If you plan on starting to homeschool your children, you will need direction; some kind of a curriculum.  If you chose to homeschool with the Montessori method, your curriculum will be found in "albums" in which the scope (objective to be achieved) and sequence (order of presentation) will be presented for several, but not all, "activities". Several albums are available for purchase and each is different. I have bought some from both Montessori Print Shop and  KHT Montessori and would recommend both types. I've also gathered a lot from Montessori at Home, although it is not technically an album but more of an e-book with a lot of information on various aspects of the curriculum.

2. An assortment of trays

Be they made of wood, acrylic or plastic, these will be needed in various sizes. It's always fun to have an assortment of colors as well to match the theme/materials being presented (see how I matched my Mardi Gras threading task with my tray above?). The trays should be light/small enough for your child to carry them around but they should also be sturdy enough not to break under the weight of the materials placed upon them. So far, I've had very good luck with Montessori Services's medium plastic trays (medium-size plastic tray shown above in picture in purple) and I just placed a new order for more colors and sizes for this year. Overall, you'll need a few trays as several will be on the shelves at the same time.

3. A Work Rug or a Low Table

Ah the work rug...It is awfully cute to see children working on their own personal rug in Montessori schools. I've been debating for years within myself whether I should have used one with Adrian or not. Truth is : in New York, we did not really have room for a work rug on the floor. All truth really be told: Adrian never had to fear anyone would walk on/over his work space either as we always did school when his sister was napping (still do actually). You see, I've never been convinced a work mat was needed in a home school setting so I never used one (couldn't anyway). It never caused any harm either as we had a small low table to define Adrian's work space. As such, school materials were "contained". For this upcoming school year though, I'll be dealing with a new little person: Zahavah. The small low table is gone and so is the small family room. Suddenly, the work mat does not seem like a bad idea...Or does it? The debate continues...

4. Low Shelving

Prior to starting your day, your trays should be set our and ready for presentation on shelves. Ideally, an entire room in your home will have been set aside for homeschooling and several shelves will have been put up (one for practical life activities, one for math, one for language, etc.) but life is, let's face it, not always ideal. Most of us simply cannot set aside an entire room for a school room in which case your shelves can be put up in the corner of your "school room". Some people even have "roll away shelves". When I first started with Adrian (barely 3 year old at the time), I used our cramped family room as our school room and had no shelves at all. I used the fireplace's low step as a shelf and only set out enough trays for that day on that step. Once school was over, they were taken away. Of course, it was more work for me and it didn't allow him as much freedom in his choice of work but he always ended up choosing everything set out anyway...Oh, one last thing, if you are planning on investing in shelves, choose low ones (easy access for children) that are not too deep and preferably ones with an option to lower/raise the shelves as needed. I like IKEA's Billy Shelf. We bought four and I find them to be the perfect height, width and like that the inner shelves can be raised and lowered easily. Extra shelves can also be bought. The very top is of course out of reach for the children but that is not a bad thing; materials like huge puzzle maps and cabinets can be put up there. Please note that the picture above shows our shelves in action in the "Play Room" a year ago. As such, they are not displaying school trays but rather...toys! :)

5. A Color Printer, lots of paper, card stock and an optional laminator

The Montessori approach is very hands-on but there are many times when three part cards and other printed materials will still be used (shown above : Earth's Most Beautiful Places  in a 2 Part Card format). As such, a good printer with lots of card stock will be needed for those moments. I don't have a top of the line inkjet printer but it does a pretty good job overall. I've also invested into a laminator over the Spring. I hesitated long and large before doing so because Adrian has always taken such good care of my materials and since I only have two kids, I feel like it's more or less needed. My daughter is a bit more rough with materials though (she is younger...) and I do think the presentation is neater with the laminator so from time to time, I'll use my laminator but I really do not think it's a necessity if you homeschool.

6. Small baskets, boxes, bowls, pitchers

With all the pouring and transferring done this year, pitchers, decanters, small glasses with handles, and no handles will be needed for sure. Small baskets and bowls and boxes will also be needed to hold the items put on the trays of course. All of these things can be found in craft stores and bargain stores, thrift stores, flea markets and the like but Montessori Services also has a nice variety if all you find in your locality is not suitable or expensive (above: Montessori Services' creamers on one of their medium size trays). I recently replenished my pitcher and basket assortment in order to have more variety and found the prices quite reasonable.

 7. Small themed objects

If you intend to use thematic studies during the year, (I use them year-long), small objects associated with that theme should be collected. For example, for our "fall" theme, I've already started collecting acorn caps and pinecones that fell recently. If you are heading to the seaside this summer and plan on studying "the beach" later this year, bring back some seashells, sea glass, and such. You'll quickly discover that the bargain stores such your local "Dollar store" / Euro shop, thrift store, yard sale, and flea markets are some of the best places to look for small, cheap themed items; especially seasonal ones. (Craft stores are also excellent resources). (Pictured above are some dinosaurs from Safari Ltd.'s Dinosaur Toob. These were part of of dinosaur week last year.)

8. Montessori Materials

Homemade or store-bought, a few Montessori materials will be needed during your toddler's first year of Montessori school. Which ones? It all depends on your toddler's rhythm. Some children are fast learners and some like to repeat activities for a longer time before moving on to the next. One thing is sure, the first year is a lot more about Sensorial and Practical Life work so set some money/time aside for a Pink Tower and a set of Brown Stairs at the very least. Number rods and Sandpaper numbers for math will probably also be presented. As for the rest, like I said, it will depend on your child but color tablets set 1 and probably 2 will probably be presented along with some fabrics...

 9. Child-Size Equipment / Child-Friendly Environment

Nothing will make life easier for your child than having child-size equipment. Children want to learn to become independent and can do quite a great deal if we show them how and give them child-size tools and access to what they need to do the work. A child-size table and chairs is a great start. A step-stool in the kitchen and bathrooms is another one. Take a look at the picture of our entryway for example; it's nothing fancy but it works great for fostering independence: the bench (it's actually an IKEA shelf we laid on its side...) allows the kids to sit and the cubicles allows free access to shoes which means the kids can pick up their shoes themselves, sit, put their shoes on and we're ready. When we come back, they sit, take their shoes off and slip them back into the cubicles. Magic! The coat rack is also child-friendly (another IKEA purchase!) as it features high AND low hooks. The kids put their jackets on the low hooks themselves and pick up their jackets themselves too! So basically, our kids have been getting  themselves ready for a while now (Zahavah is still working on putting her jacket on though). In the background...a "bit" of historical geography (an authentic map of Paris, France as of 1739) and a piece of culture (Cross carved in "Jerusalem Stone" - limestone carried in Israel and used in the building of religious temples).

10. Basic Art Supplies and Basic Musical Instruments 

During the "toddler years", basic art supplies and music instruments will be introduced. As such, you should have on hand a small supply of colored pencils, crayons, clay, tempera paint, watercolors, and scissors. An easel would also be a great addition. As far as musical instruments go, it can get expensive, no matter how "basic" they are so if you invest in them, make sure you use them! :) For this year, I intend to get/make (or already have/made) a triangle, rhythm sticks, drums, tambourine, cymbals, rainstick, kazoo, and sandpaper blocks. (Shown above are a triangle, rhythm sticks, a recorder and a ukulele.)


And this, ladies and gentlemen, is my personal Top 10 Essentials for my own personal Montessori Toddler Home School Classroom. These are the 10 things I could not do without (I think I did forget books though, didn't I? *sigh*) What are yours?

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Today, I'm happily linking up to

Montessori Monday, The Kids Co-Op, Show-and-Share Saturday, Link & Learn, TGIF, Share it Saturday, Mom's Library, The Sunday Showcase, Sun Scholars's For the Kids Friday, Stress-Free Sunday, Thursday Toddler & Preschool, Tuesday Tots, Preschool Corner &5K, Serenity Saturday, Monday Kid Corner, We Made That.

If you would like me to link up with you, please don't hesitate to ask, it might take me a week or two, but I generally do!

Our Classroom Calendar - A bit of History Daily

Every preschool and nursery you'll ever visit will probably always feature a big calendar up on their wall above the circle time rug. In an effort to teach my own children about the months of the year, days of the week and seasons, I too have decided to put one up. Only...after looking long and large, I couldn't find one worth putting up. I don't like the plastic looking things I saw for sale and started investigating how to make my own. After some research, I set my heart on (no surprise here!) Counting Coconuts' DIY version. As Zahavah is younger than Mari-Ann's son was at the time, I made some changes but overall, the concept is the same and they are quite similar.

School Calendar Corkboard/Billboard for Year 2013-2014

Our Classroom Calendar consists of a Cork Billboard (paid $10 for mine) loaded with nomenclature cards and pockets that have been stapled or push pinned into place. All labels were printed on cardstock and laminated for durability. Eventually, I would love to add more elements to our board but for now, I do think we have more than enough covered. I even wondered if I should really include the phases of the Moon on our board but as Zahavah is smitten with the natural satellite, I decided to put it on. Next year, I am hoping to make room/add a board extension for a News pocket and possibly a Conversation Starter/Prompt or Question pocket. It's not that I feel "Z" is too young for these this year; it's simply that the board is already borderline overwhelming for a 2.5 year old. News and conversations can still be done if need be that day without having yet another colorful pocket on the already somewhat busy board.

Zahavah and Adrian woke up one morning and discovered the calendar!
They were thrilled and cannot wait for September now...

Overall, the calendar is intended for use during our "circle time" as an everyday history tool. I tried to make it as interactive as possible with a little charm  (we're using an actual Murano glass wine charm) to move from day to day on the big calendar. I also made a bookmark to slide into the day of the week pocket. In the future, two more bookmarks will be added (yesterday and tomorrow). Every so often, Zahavah will also get to change the big month of the year card, season card, and phase of the Moon card. Of course, everyday, she'll be responsible for checking out the weather and choosing the appropriate weather card and putting it on our board. 

   

Murano Wine Charm and plastic Paper Clip moving day to day

Interested in the cards themselves? I thought you might! Here is where I got mine...

Phases of the Moon - Free at Montessori for Learning

I honestly thought these were the best around. They truly show the moon is half bright and half obscured when it's in its first quarter for example. Most cards made it look like the Moon was half gone in that phase and it's just not realistic. From where I am on Earth, I still can see the Moon, it's just not as bright when it's partly obscured for example.

Seasons of the Year - KHT Montessori History Album (Album is $20)

I truly love how Karen Tyler did her Seasons cards. They show the same scenery but during a different season. Simply brilliant. On top of that the setting is simple so you truly notice how the seasons have changed the nature surrounding it. I already owned the album so I simply decided to use these cards for our board but you could do the same. I eventually would love to make my own if I find a sweet spot to photograph for a good change of season. Too bad we left New England! :(

Weather Cards - Sorting Sprinkles

I made these a while back during my son's preschool weather week. I selected the ones I knew we would use and put aside the ones I knew we would not (no sandstorms here). I also added a "partly cloudy" card to the selection. Overall, I kept the selection limited (sunny, cloudy, partly cloudy, rain, thunderstorms, snow, and fog because believe it or not...we get that a lot). I know a lot of you have shown interest in getting a set of these when I first posted about them but truth is, I did not take these pictures and most of them are probably copyrighted; as such I prefer to keep them for my own personal use until I investigate the matter further. :)

Calendar Cards - Free at Counting Coconuts
I'd love to make my own one day but for now, I'm a bit pressed by time and well, somewhat challenged when it comes to editing... :) Besides, some people are truly talented in that domain and provide theirs free of charge so I decided that for now, I'd use theirs. Counting Coconuts has several themed cards available for download so I do believe I'll try to change mine monthly and pick a theme that follows what we're studying that month.

Close-up of the Board...with an admiring Adrian...
who sat and sat pondering why I hadn't put August on the board

So how are you preparing for the upcoming school year? Do you also have a Calendar like we do this year? How does it differ? I'd love to hear from you!

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Your comments make my day ! 

(Please note : comments won't be visible until after my approval!)

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Today, I'm happily linking up to

Montessori Monday, The Kids Co-Op, Show-and-Share Saturday, Link & Learn, TGIF, Share it Saturday, Mom's Library, The Sunday Showcase, Sun Scholars's For the Kids Friday, Stress-Free Sunday, Thursday Toddler & Preschool, Tuesday Tots, Preschool Corner &5K, Money Savings Monday, Serenity Saturday, Virtual Montessori Sharing Fair, Monday Kid Corner, We Made That.

If you would like me to link up with you, please don't hesitate to ask, it might take me a week or two, but I generally do!

Sorting Sprinkles is Now 1 Year Old! / Angry Birds Birthday Party

Last year on this very day, I was publishing my very first post on Sorting Sprinkles. I told myself it would really just be an online notebook of what the kids and I did for school; a way for me to keep everything together with pictures and links of the printables used. And then, somehow, the word got out and I started getting visitors...lots of visitors. I must admit it's been quite humbling to see my ideas being appreciated by so many of you and coming from all four corners of this world, and so today, I'd like to dedicate this post to my First Blog Anniversary starting with my most sincere Thank You to all of you:

Zahavah, Adrian and I strolling in a German garden this Spring

Thank you to all my loyal readers, my subscribers, and Facebook fans but also to the ones who stop by every so often to see what we've been up to. Thank you to all of you who've taken the time to comment on a post, to pin an idea or to share one on a social media. Like I said, I never thought Sorting Sprinkles would be so well received considering there are so many educational blogs out there but I am grateful it found such a special spot in so many people's heart. A special thank you to the following websites/blogs for referring so many of their readers to my own little world in the past year:

1. Living Montessori Now

2. No Time for Flashcards

3. Growing a Jeweled Rose

4. Reading Confetti

5. True Aim Education

and a final thank you to my family of course; without whom, this blog would not exist.

May you all have a wonderful and peaceful new school year! :)

Valerie

Sorting Sprinkles's editor

Sorting Sprinkles - Since July 29, 2012

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And now, on to a special celebration that took place this month to honor the beginning of Adrian's 5th year on Planet Earth! May I add that he requested a Solar System themed birthday for months before abruptly changing his mind in favor of an Angry Birds themed one? I did my best to accommodate his change of heart and judging by the excitement on his face on the day we picked to celebrate him, I pulled it off well enough. Phew. :)

The invitation

Homemade of course. It cuts down the costs; can be e-mailed or given in person. Best of all, I found this template at Angry Birds 365 and it was FREE! How delightful is that? Later, I downloaded another freebie that included the Angry Birds computer fonts so I customized the invitation for my son's own birthday party.

The Table Setting

When researching options for my son's Angry Birds party, I saw lots of adorable table settings but Birthday Express's layout was simply stunning: simple, doable, yet impressive. I didn't have all their supplies of course and being short on time, I had to use what I had but overall, Adrian and his friends loved the table setting. The brown paper was purchased for one euro at our local Tedi Euro shop and so was the birdhouse you see in the middle. The wooden blocks were something we already had (a gift Adrian received from his grandpa two years ago) and the Angry Birds pompoms were already made (made them myself for our Angry Birds week). I did end up purchasing an 8 person party package including the plates, cups and napkins but that's all (ooo...I did purchase balloons and presents too!). The "napkin rings" were paper towel roll cut in half and painted red with a TNT label and the golden eggs were plastic Easter eggs I painted with a gold acrylic paint I already had on hand. Low budget yet very cute I thought.

Some of the Food; with Brilliant Names

The birthday party was a luncheon in itself and the main fare was hot-dogs and hamburgers (I know, how healthy!). I usually shy away from such a menu and had never gone forward with that before but ended up loving it for several reasons this year: it's quick, it's cost-efficient, BBQ grilling will not heat up your house (European houses such as ours tend not to have air conditioning and in July...it is hot enough after baking an entire cake), it keeps the preparation and clean up to a minimum, it keeps the little ones happy and  let's face it, for once, I got to enjoy the party too instead of being in the kitchen the whole time. :) On the side, we also had some fun dishes: "twigs" (pretzel sticks), "piggy parts" (various vegetables), "bird nests" (Tostitos scoops), and "smashed piggies" (green grapes and strawberries). The names and name cards are to be credited to Birthday Express.

More Food; More Brilliant Names!

La piece de resistance: The Birthday Cake

Homemade as well. Nothing against the local bakeries of course but I've been baking the children's birthday cakes since their first birthday so it's become somewhat of a tradition and I wasn't about to stop this year. Adrian commissioned this cake early (read: as soon as he decided he wanted an Angry Birds birthday party) so I looked at the possibilities for a homemade cake. I decided that since my mom was going to be in town that I probably wouldn't want to spend hours decorating the cake so I went ahead and purchased the Angry Birds Knock on Wood Game so I could use some pieces of the game as cake decorations. The rest is icing, pretzels sticks and almonds for the bird nests and eggs, some Whoopers for boulders and that's it. FYI, the cake was a Devil's Food (Chocolate) Cake topped with a Buttercream Frosting.

Favor Bags for our Little Guests

I once read that the rule of thumb for inviting children to a birthday party was to invite as many kids as the age your child is turning so technically, this year, our quota was five kids. We ended up inviting six but only three came (plus Zadrian's sister...and his grandma who travelled all the way from Canada!). Originally, everyone was coming but we had some last minute cancellation due to sickness (Adrian had a cold and Zahavah spiked a 39C/103F that morning and so were some of his friends sadly). For those who were able to make it, we had  favor bags all ready to hand out before the departure to thank them for coming to share in Adrian's big day. To make the bags, I bought colorful paper bags at the store and printed out Angry Birds faces and glued them to the bags. Inside, the children found small presents such as giant sidewalk chalk sticks and "Angry Birds poop" aka Smarties (pictured below).

One of the favors found inside the bags

I had seen this idea on Danee's Stampin' Delights and decided to replicate it myself. Bought a large tube of Smarties (similar to M&M for my American friends) and filled small bags with them. Sealed the bags with a homemade tag. I simply found a Red Bird clipart, printed it on white cardstock, glued it on red cardstock and drew some "Smarties" with markers. I once again used the Angry Birds font.


Games were not played at this year's party unfortunately. I really wanted to get that Green Pig pinata and do a egg relay race and other cute birthday games but with the kids being sick, no one really wanted to move/play... If you happen to be looking for some educational games though, read my past post on Angry Birds Weeks and you might just find what you were looking for...

Angry Birds for Preschoolers Part 1

Angry Birds for Preschoolers Part 2

Angry Birds for Preschoolers Part 3

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The Beauty of Theraputty

So I guess by now most of you have figured out that I won't be posting much about the "tiny-units" of the summer. In between preparing for the next school year and enjoying the summer, my time blogging has been cut dramatically but then again, I think most of you are probably taking the summer off and thus not really in need of any ideas for these units anyway, right? I must say my time spent on school with Adrian this summer is much lesser than anticipated. After our first guests left, the weather turned out to be SO nice that we never really went back to our regular school schedule. I am not lying, it has not rained in over 4 if not 5 weeks now. The temperatures are also very comfortable too (not too hot, not too cold) so school time is mostly spent outside, drawing with chalk, riding bicycles, picking cherries, playing in the water and the like (although sometimes we're inside, with our math and language worksheets). But there is one activity Adrian can't get enough of and something I always indulge him in: Theraputty. Theraputty is usually something you'll find in an occupational therapy office; something a child or an adult will work with to rehabilitate their hands or fingers. It is also used to increase the strength of the hands and fingers after an accident for example. In Adrian's case, I made the purchase last year after I noticed he could use some help in the finger strength department (specifically so he could eventually hold his pencil the proper way for a "long" time. Ever since, we've done quite a few exercises, which he always welcomes with joy.

Theraputty

Theraputty is a bit like play dough but it is harder and it can be stretched quite a bit. It also comes in different strengths (each strength has its own color but different makers means different color coding too) and it is slightly sticky/adhesive. You do not want to use it on say...a paper towel as it will not peel off but if used on a table, it will peel off well. It also does not hold its shape. Preparing activities ahead can be challenging as it stays shaped for only a little bit of time before taking the shape of the container it is kept in but that makes it quite interesting to work with. A few more things to keep in mind prior to working with Theraputty: it stains clothing. It kind of "melts" into the fabric and somehow does not come out of the fibers (WD-40 helps tremendously but doesn't remove everything every time!). Also, although it is somewhat like Crayola's Silly Putty, Theraputty isn't Silly Putty: it won't bounce and remember, it is "hard"! :)

Now on to our latest Theraputty activities (all done with a medium strength Theraputty made by Theraflex):

 

Theraputty Porcupine

I made the first porcupine and Adrian's task was to remove the quills and eyes (poor porcupine!) Then, Adrian had to flatten the putty and make his own porcupine. Pulling and poking, rolling and stretching  all require strength.

Theraputty Monsters/Ghosts

Another stretching activity. Shaping the putty can be tough so strength is put to the test here. Decorating Theraputty always makes it more fun, even if the goggly eyes don't stick/sink in very well. It'd be a great Halloween activity I think if you're into thematic weeks.

Breakfast food for our monsters and ghosts: pancakes and sausages

Our monsters and ghosts were hungry so after we finished them off, we made pancakes and sausages for them. Pinching a tiny bit of Theraputty off in between the thumb and index finger is not that easy as it's hard and stretchy by the way. Then of course, a tiny ball had to be made in between those two fingers and finally, the thumb was used to squish the ball on the table to make "perfectly round" pancakes. The sausages were made by pinching and rolling the putty.


The following activities were all done throughout last school year and by clicking on the picture, you'll be taken to the post featuring the Theraputty activity seen. Enjoy and get ready for more Theraputty in School Year 2013-2014!

Theraputty Candies

Pirate's Treasure Chest and its Coins Stuck in the Mud

Frog Spawn at the Bottom of the Pond

Rotten Teeth Ready for Extraction

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Your comments make my day ! 

(Please note : comments won't be visible until after my approval!)

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Today, I'm happily linking up to

Montessori Monday, The Kids Co-Op, Show-and-Share Saturday, Link & Learn, TGIF, Share it Saturday, Mom's Library, The Sunday Showcase, Sun Scholars's For the Kids Friday, Stress-Free Sunday, Thursday Toddler & Preschool, Tuesday Tots, Preschool Corner &5K, Serenity Saturday, Virtual Montessori Sharing Fair, and Artsy Play Wednesday, Monday Kid Corner, We Made That.

If you would like me to link up with you, please don't hesitate to ask, it might take me a week or two, but I generally do!

Montessori Curriculum for Kindergartners 2013-2014

Before you read any further into this post, I would like to mention that this "curriculum" is really meant for my son, Adrian, 5 years old. This is not your typical Montessori curriculum for a Kindergartner and the reason for that is simple: Adrian will be attending school full time during the day (a Montessori "inspired" German school) and as such, our time at home will be limited. I thus chose to focus on certain areas, mostly the ones that need work but also the ones that won't be taught much in school and the ones that are loved by my son. The following curriculum will still give you an insight of what a Kindergartner might be doing in a typical Montessori school as my plan is based on a proper Montessori curriculum but it will not be comprehensive for sure.

Astronomy : A science that will have its place in 2013-2014
Seen here: Classifying types of galaxies. 

Language
Without a doubt, language will be the focus of our new school year. Despite many efforts on my part and his German school's part, Adrian is still not writing much...if at all. This is mostly due to his grip on the pencil which we have all tried to improve, so this year, we'll be on it again. Writing and reading will thus be a big part of the language program for this year starting with a simple revision of the initial sounds, and then we'll quickly move on to the pink reading series. We did start it last year and pretty much completed it in terms of reading (stopped short of reading sentences) but we'll revise it first and well to make sure it's a strong base before we move on to the blue reading series (4 letter phonetic words and over). As far as writing is concerned, we'll practice, practice and practice re-starting with the insets and dotted letters and numbers, moving on to writing these on wide-lined paper. Fingers crossed!

Math
Adrian loves math and is already past the level of Public School Kindergarten so we'll simply, slowly add more math elements. For example, in a traditional K level, children are taught to count to 20, and Adrian is well beyond that so this year, after a quick revision, we'll simply build on where we left off. I'm not quite sure where we'll be stopping as I follow my son's rhythm but I think it's safe to say we'll be working within the 0-100 range, decimal system and with addition and subtraction. :)

Geography
Sadly, geography has never been a big part of Adrian's curriculum in the past years. I really wanted it to be but the materials were quite expensive and I felt like there were so many other activities we could be doing too since he was "so little". Thus, we've never really "talked" about the world much but ever since I introduced the Montessori Continent Map-Puzzle, he's been asking for more geography activities and has been caught more than once looking at his daddy's giant National Geographic World Atlas. This year, we shall "visit" every continent and study them in detail: we're talking music, art, animals, flowers, food, landmarks, etc and possibly introduce the countries and flags hosted within those continents.

Practical Life & Sensorial
Being short on time means that corners will have to be cut. Practical Life activities and sensorial work will probably not be on the shelves very often this year. At 5 years of age, I see practical life activities as a learning moment anyway, not so much as a tray (can be taught anytime without a formal presentaion). That being said, my son loves pretty presentations and trays and loves using his five senses, scooping and transferring and other practical life work, so if we have time and I see it fit, I'll definitely pencil it in. :)

Art, Music & Movement
Art, music and movement can most definitely be done outside of my "school hours" (besides, I know he will be doing arts & crafts and some music in German school) so I don't plan on including anything but one hour of art & music appreciation every Friday (possibly art one Friday out of two and music the other Fridays). These will be "classes" shared with his younger sister Zahavah where types of music might be introduced for example (rock, jazz, pop, etc.). Adrian might also be asked to listen to a musical piece and identify the composer using our 3 part cards. Same might be done with artists although at a very easy level (matching paintings for example instead of matching to the artist) since this is more of an Elementary work in Montessori schools.

Other Sciences (Physical Science, Botany, Zoology, Astronomy, History, Geology, Ecology)
Science is fascinating for a 5 year old. I can't say "no" to any of these wonderful subjects but I can't fit it all in knowing my boy will be in school full-time either. As such, a little bit of out every subject will be presented where applicable. For example, during our Milky Way and Beyond Week, we'll of course hit a lot of astronomy; same goes for geology during our I Rock week. I consciously picked out themes that will allow Adrian to explore a lot of science this year despite not having a lot of time.

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Your comments make my day ! 

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Today, I'm happily linking up to

Montessori Monday, The Kids Co-Op, Show-and-Share Saturday, Link & Learn, TGIF, Share it Saturday, Mom's Library, The Sunday Showcase, Sun Scholars's For the Kids Friday, Stress-Free Sunday, Tender Moments with Toddlers & Preschoolers, Preschool Corner &5K, Monday Kid Corner, and We Made That.

If you would like me to link up with you, please don't hesitate to ask, it might take me a week or two, but I generally do!