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10 Tips for Montessori Activities The importance of immersing children in the wonders of nature and the great outdoors could not be made more apparent by our innate connection with nature. Our well-being, mood, and endeavors will always be directly tied to nature. And it’s important for children to realize this, to take part in Mother Earth’s classroom, so to speak. The Montessori program is just one of the reputable educational institutions in the world that places importance on outdoor activities for toddlers. The program has extensively studied the best activities that will not only be enjoyable for toddlers but...

The other day, my husband taught our 12-year-old son to mow the lawn, something I had been suggesting for a few years. Not only do I think that this can save my husband some time out in the heat every weekend, or that our son can make some money peddling his services in the neighborhood, but I also believe that chores play an important role in a child’s development and maturation, as well as other life skills.  When I was a kid, we had a few responsibilities in our house and a weekly allowance. At the end of each week,...

“Dad!” Will yelled, a pitch sharper than normal, “I have to poop!”“Okay, hold on buddy,” I hollered, urgency sending my voice an octave higher.Please, please, please don’t crap in the bathtub, I muttered, wrestling Bennett, my one-year-old son, into his pajamas in the adjacent room. Bolting through the door, I reassured Will but a grimace spread across his face. His eyebrows furrowed and he sounded like Paul Revere for a moment: “Quick, Dad! The poop is coming!” I snatched him from the tub and ferried him to the toilet, water puddling on the floor.If successful, this would be the first...

I recently presented Otto with his first sand tray! He isn't interested in phonics or letter recognition but he loves drawing and mark making. A sand tray is a wonderful way to encourage and develop pre-writing skills. The child can draw a picture and then shake the tray to start over again, it's fun and economical. Like finger painting, this is a good way to encourage mark making without the child having to use a tool.  Sand is tactile and feels wonderful. I suggest using a fine, dry sand. Here we've used fine salt that I've coloured. I love to...

Back in the day, everything was different. The tooth fairy would visit now and then, brown cows would make chocolate milk, and you could grow a watermelon in your stomach if you swallowed a seed. But fast forward to today and the things that looked totally normal for you as a child, are, let’s put it this way—plain weird. So when one redditor posed the question: “What things did you do as a kid that you now realize is extremely weird?” on r/AskReddit, 21K comments flooded in. From eating rose petals to trying not to breathe in too much ‘cause the...