I found a great idea through Pinterest of making ramps and chutes with toilet paper and paper towel rolls. I decided to make ours with a pizza box and it turned out pretty good.
We set it up in the hallway and used all different types of toys to see what rolled the best and went the farthest. In the end Mya decided cars and marbles were the best choice.
Mya loves to help out. She is very good at putting her clean dishes from the dishwasher into her drawer, and can clean up her toys by herself (sometimes on her own, sometimes when prompted). She likes to help wipe up spills and will try to clean her own face and hands.
We recently tried window washing using our toddler cleaning tray, she loved it of course as it gave her a chance to play with water. According to Montessori, window washing prepares fine-motor muscles, is a sensorial excercise, as well as a practical life work.
I decided to set out all of Mya’s treasure she has collected during our walks from the past few months, and have a magnifying glass for her to explore and examine things a little closer. I also placed her tree blocks, some shells, and her miniature animals on the table to look at as well.
Mya (and her cousin Abby) really enjoyed looking at everything and even took turns with the magnifying glass on their own! (I plan to buy two child friendly magnifying glasses asap seeing the girls enjoyed this so much).
A couple new toys made an appearance in our house this past week, one homemade, and one an Amazon purchase.
First up is our homemade Geo-board. Very simple and inexpensive to make, and even though Mya sometimes needs help placing the elastics on, she has a good time playing with it. I first saw a homemade Geo-board the idea from here.
On a whim I purchased a set of WEDGiTS from Amazon.com. A very neat toy, Mya will play with for many years. I highly recommend it!
Mya is so eager to try new things, and not to mention, she is shockingly patient when it comes to first learning how to do the activities. Her focus amazes me sometimes! Here are a few of the activities we have been working on the past week…
Other things we played….
Naming vegetables
I put together a tray of “toddler friendly” cleaning supplies for Mya to play with and help learn to clean. Unfortunately the spray bottle is still too difficult for her to use and I will keep my eye out for one that is suitable for her to use on her own. She really enjoyed wiping and drying up the water her cousin Abby sprayed for her. I also added a small broom and dustpan for her to sweep with.
Montessori practical life training involves preparing children to care for themselves and take an active, independent role in their own health, hygiene and well being. It also helps them become active participants in their households from a very young age.
Carole Vansickle
The tray includes a spray bottle with a small amount of water, a sponge, a cloth, and a dust pan with mini broom.
Abby helping by spraying the water for Mya to wipe with her sponge.
Mya drying up the water.
Mya has been trying to feed herself lately and not wanting mommy to help her. To encourage this I bought some pompom balls and showed her how to transfer them from a basket to a bowl with a spoon. She worked on it for a long time before resorting to using her hands and just playing with it. She is getting better and better at this activity and at feeding herself with utensils. Go Mya 🙂
Mya enjoys pop up books so I made this for her….
It was pretty simple to make, especially if you have extra pictures laying around and don’t have to make a trip to get some developed. I have seen these made before and used as a memory game (doubling up on pictures and getting your child to match them) but I decided to use this as a way to help Mya learn some family members names a bit better. I taped it to the back of a piece of cardboard to make it a little more sturdy for her as she is pretty rough on it. I’m hoping it will last a week!
sugarspicemom
Sugar and Spice 
