Practical Life Activities at 21 Months

As I explained in this post, I feel that Q-ball now possesses the maturity, mental capacity, and most importantly, interest to start more formal Montessori activities.  She has always been very interested in what is going on in the kitchen, so I wanted to start with some basic kitchen practical life exercises.

Here's what we've been up to!

Chopping- While the idea of chopping with a 21-month-old may seem frightening to some, with this knife, we've had no issues.  Q-ball feels very involved in making dinner!  We've had the most luck with celery- they don't roll, make a nice "snap" upon cutting, and do not require too much pressure.

Pouring- Using a small Pyrex measuring pitcher, Q-ball has been pouring water into bowls.

"Spicing" and stirring-  Q-ball loves adding extra flavor to the water that she stirs while Mama is cooking.  Because spices can be a bit pricy, we've taken the less healthy route and gone through an entire box of table salt.

Water transfer with sponges- Q-ball has really been focused on "squeezing" recently, so transferring water from one bowl to another using a sponge has been a perfect activity to practice this skill.

Watch Her Grow...

This Week's Focus: Language

  Interactions with Materials

• Q-ball and I are currently participating in a small music class, and she is loving it!  She talks about it all week before we get to go.  She has loved playing with the rhythm sticks, drums, and- most awesome of all- the parachute game.

Interactions with Others 

• Last week held some major changes in Q-ball's dealings with others and with overcoming separation anxiety.  She told us that she wanted to go to the nursery during church, and then she just did it!  She really enjoyed playing with the other children and especially the toys.  When we picked her up, she was obviously happy for the reunion and needed some time to decompress and think about everything, but overall it was a good experience!
• And, Q-ball stayed with her first non-family caretaker for about 30 minutes the other night. Mama and Daddy have a no-kids-allowed meeting coming up, and we are working to prepare Q-ball for the event. Again, she was ready for the reunion, but seemed to handle everything as well as can be expected.

Interactions with Life 

• Q-ball has started her own her fashion trend- she can't seem to decide if she prefers her mouse socks or train socks, so, while the days start with her wearing a single pair of socks, the day ends with her wearing one of each.  

We are linking up with Vibrant Wanderings!  Check out what the other kiddos are up to!

Watch Her Grow...

This Week's Focus: Language

She's loved pushing her shape sorting shapes around with a front loader.

  Interactions with Materials

• In this section, I typically fail to mention materials that we work with outside- which is a rather gaping hole as I try to ensure we get some time outdoors everyday.  At the park, Q-ball loves the swings- she have me push her on the swing forever while she stares at all of the other children. At her age, staring is not yet rude, just educational, so I figured she's getting lots of learning in.  She also loves swinging from and climbing monkey bars and riding the horses that rock.
• Also outside, she loves pushing around an umbrella stroller that we have for her.  While I can't stand the lack of mobility that thing has, she loves taking it over curbs and saying, "bump...bump....bump.."
• Back inside, we've continued reading lots of books, playing with bubbles, and stacking blocks (not to mention throwing and knocking them down...)

Interactions with Others 

• Q-ball is clearly becoming increasingly cognizant of emotions.  At home, we work to explaining the emotions she is likely feeling to her, and I always try to tell her how I'm feeling. While she is staring at others at the park, she's clearly registering their feelings, and when we are driving home, she'll tell me, "baby happy...baby happy..." or say, "baby" and then start crying or yelling to indicate sad or mad.
• She seems to respond to the power of persuasion.  While I've mentioned here on several occasions that she is often very timid around other children and adults, I've noticed that if I tell her we are going to meet "friends" she is excited about the trip and seeks out her "friends" with which to play once we arrive.  Today she spent a playgroup playing with a "friend" she'd only met a few times before- even accepting his hugs! 

Critical Thinking 

• Q-ball's love of music has been mentioned previously, but this week we were shocked when all of a sudden she started doing the hand motions for some of her favorite songs from storytime!  While she loves storytime, she rarely jumps up with the other kids to dance or do hand motions- I didn't even know she was watching them.  But, I guess she was actually picking up everything!

Interactions with Life 

• Q-ball has clearly passed the 50 word limit that I discussed in this post. She is picking up new words and phrases everyday- I certainly have to work to keep up as she hasn't perfected her pronunciation yet. When Daddy comes home from work, she'll often use her new words with him, and I'll have to serve as the translator.  

Finally, I haven't posted a Science Friday is quite some time.  One reason is that I'm short on topics!  I didn't think it was possible, but when I do think of a question and I try to research, it seems to go nowhere.  So, if you, dear reader, have any questions that you've always wanted researched or wonder about something you see in your child, let me know, and I can try to do the work for you! We are linking up with Vibrant Wanderings!  Check out what the other kiddos are up to!

Watch Her Grow...

This Week's Focus: Language and Practical Life
After what seems like over 2 months of super exciting, but crazy schedules and events, things are settling back down.  It's hard to believe it's a new year!

An addition to our bedtime routine- she likes to wear her hood and run around her room.

 
 
Interactions with Materials

• Q-ball mastered puzzles overnight. When we left for Christmas travels, she was close to figuring out a "circle-square-triangle" puzzle.  Then Grandma and Grandpa gave her a puzzle with zoo animals, and she figured it out within minutes.  Now, back at home, she is continuing to master all puzzles in the house.
• She is really focused on sorting right now- we've introduced a shape sorter, and she has really enjoyed working with it (also standing on it...), although she is still hesitant to attempt the rectangle and triangle shapes at this point.
• She is really embracing pretend play.  She likes hugging stuffed animals, brushing her doll's hair, and, most of all, pretending that she is a "little, tiny baby" while being carried around the house.

Interactions with Others 

• It was amazing for us to see Q-ball so easily interact with her extended family over the holidays, despite the fact that time spent with them has been limited. She even stayed with Grandma and her Aunt all by herself!  This is a very big step for my growing toddler.
• However, she still certainly has moments of shyness and times that she does not want to smile or play with strangers.  She makes these moments pretty well known.

Critical Thinking 

• I love the way that humans so naturally relate what they see in books or stories they hear to their own emotions and experiences.  Q-ball clearly does this and will talk us through parts of books that have emotional impacts on her, like Daddy leaving to go to work, going potty, and people getting angry.

Interactions with Life 

• I think she is starting to say new words everyday!  One of her favorite phrases is now, "read book, read book, read book..."  A close second is a reminder to mama to always have her favorite food on hand, "buy Ei, buy Ei, buy Ei..."  (This is the only sign that Q-ball has been exposed to a second language- she prefers the German word "Ei" to our egg.

We are linking up with Vibrant Wanderings!  Check out what the other kiddos are up to!