This activity came from a couple of different blogs that I follow, and can be themed as per this version by My Montessori Journey. My version is a plain one for introducing the skill, but come Christmas we may look to make a proper bead bracelet or necklace with seasonal beads.
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Beading
First you take a trip to your local Spotlight, craft store or anywhere you are likely to find beads and chenille sticks (aka pipe cleaners). Then you find a container to put them all in or on and off you go. You now have a fine motor control activity for your little one. Miss O is now nearly 27 months old and she had no trouble with this, other than the clear beads that I cunningly purchased for their large holes turned out to be slightly less easy to see for a toddler. It took a few goes, but in the end she was able to see the holes in the end. In the photos that follow she is predominantly using the slightly smaller wooden beads that I also purchased at Spotlight.
[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="360" caption="The Starting Bowl"]
[/caption][caption id="" align="alignnone" width="360" caption="Beading In Action"]
[/caption][caption id="" align="alignnone" width="360" caption="More Beading"]
[/caption]The natural hazards of this activity are: spillage and choking.
One teaches the life skill of tidying up after yourself. The other requires first aid knowledge. Introduce the activity when your risk profile suggests only the first hazard is likely.
Now, a bit of further musing on what the Oh Waily household is doing.
Courtesy of finding and reading The Wonder Years blog and this post, we have also had a snack cupboard operating for the past couple of months, mostly with great success. I fill it with an appropriate amount of foodstuffs for between meals and Miss O can stop and eat whenever she wants. Currently this means things like raisins, crackers, small sandwiches, some fruit (bananas are a favourite) and her drink bottles. The only drawback so far has been Miss O requesting "Mummy put X in cupboard PLEASE" loudly and repeatedly, whenever she scoffs all of the favourite item of the day. Conveniently she ignores the remaining good and available items. Ah such cheek. She'll be fine on the assertiveness front.
2 comments:
I've been enjoying your activities series and have mentally bookmarked it for later. I may even have to get the book.
I've been meaning to drop by for... good grief... months now and say thanks for the top on the straw simulator bottles. I eventually found one with a really good sillicone straw and the Star took to it immediately, so we were in no danger of drying out (or, worse, getting too wet) over the summer. Cheers!
Hey Sol,
Glad you're enjoying the activities. I wish I'd known about them sooner, there are quite a few that I could have introduced when she was a lot littler and our life would be a bit different now. Mostly the life skills and organisation of the house.
Glad the sipper bottle worked out. The silicone straws are much nicer on little mouths. Both of our bottles eventually lost their flip tops - that's the only downside we've had.
I'm also enjoying your posts - especially about the chestnuts and mushroom gathering.
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