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Week of April 27th
First, find a work mat! You can use a towel, bathmat, placemat, etc. Your child is used to having a designated workspace; one that they know is only theirs, and that they can safely leave their work on if they need a break, or something else comes up. They know where to come back to.
Second, have your child help you make these works! It encourages ownership and learning, plus its extra time together!
Last, rescue is robbery! Try your hardest to step back and just watch! You'll be surprised how much they can figure out!
Practical Life: Setting the Table
You will need a large piece of paper (or a few tapped together like in the photo), a plate, bowl, cup, napkin, fork and knife or spoon.
-On the large piece of paper, trace the outline of each item.
-Place paper and items on a tray, or in a basket
-The child will place the items in the correct spaces.
-Return the items to the basket/tray
*Extension: Have your child help set the table for your next meal. They can help clean up, too! They clean up their own lunch and snack at school. You'll be surprised how well they can sweep!*
Practical Life: Cooking and Baking!
-Ask your child what their favorite thing you cook or bake is.
-Have your child help you make it!
-Provide them with guidance (i.e.: the correct ingredients, measuring utensils, instruction on how much)
-Let them do the prepping/pouring/mixing and serving! You can also have them help with any cutting if you have the safety knives from Small Hands.
-Share pictures of what you made on Facebook! You can even share the recipe!
Sensorial and Language: Nature Scavenger Hunt
Grab your nature journal and get outside!
-Make a checklist in your Nature Journal for what you would like to find (Examples: Rock, Clover, Bug, Bird, Dandelion etc.)
-Check them off as you find them
-You can also do this the opposite way...go for an adventure and see what you come across!
-Write or draw what you found in your journal
*Remember, if the weather isn't cooperating you can have an indoor scavenger hunt as well! Look for coins, puzzle pieces, something orange etc…*
Sensorial: Mystery Bag work
Choose an interesting/fun bag. Choose 10 items. These 10 items need to have an exact match. You will have a total of 20 items. This work is designed to isolate sense of touch, in Montessori this is called the Tactile sense.
-Place 1 of each of the 10 items into a smaller bag or box. These are called the control items.
-Place the other 10 into the larger mystery bag
-Have your child choose a “control” item from the smaller bag/box This item is placed on their work mat.
-Child then reaches into the mystery bag and finds the match using only their sense of touch.
-If an item is pulled out that isn't a match, the item goes back in and the search continues until the match is found
-Once item is matched, it is placed on the work mat next to the "control" item -This cycle continues until all 10 items are matched.
*Language extension: Document the name of mystery objects in your writing journal and add illustrations of them if you would like!*
