I’ve made Fifi a sewing basket with different shapes (the same shapes I used for Pixie’s silly straw threading activity, with a few modifications. I’ve added a homemade pin cushion that I tied to the little basket (my Brother and Sister in law’s wedding invitations came in these, isn’t it adorable?) and added pins, a tapestry needle and Fiberfill.

I used 6×6 inch quilting squares and pinned the shapes onto 2 pieces and cut them out.

Heart lacing from Discovery Kidzone

Sewing from Studio Sprout

Sewing is a wonderful fine motor skill craft. It can easily be adapted for all ages. Students 18 months to 4 years worked on burlap which I purchased at our local fabric store. Burlap now comes in a multitude of beautiful colors. I chose white so embroidery thread of any color would show nicely. My older students (5 to 9 years) used curtain fabric I found at a thrift store. This was also a loose weave and easy to poke needles through. We used plastic needles purchased through Discount School Supply. They have a large eye and are easy to thread, very pointy, but not sharp, thus safe for little hands. I pre-threaded all the needles before class to save time since children are eager to keep going when they get to the end of their thread and it takes time to tie off.

Our Toddler Friendly Sewing Basket from Childhood 101

Given that I am regularly playing around with fabric and all manner of notions, Immy is always one step behind me raiding the drawers in my study for things to ‘make’ with. I have read about creating toddler ‘sewing’ baskets on a number of blogs and decided it was time to make Immy her own collection. – See more at: http://childhood101.com/2010/09/our-toddler-friendly-sewing-basket/#sthash.1DqOh725.dpuf

Sewing Drawers from To the Lesson

I’ve really tried to focus on something unrelated to my Montessori life during this Christmas vacation – really, I have. The thing is, I can find something “Montessori” in just about anything! Such was the case when, in an attempt to clear my mind of all things Montessori-related, I revisited my old hobby of counted cross-stitching:

Pumpkin Activity for Preschoolers from Carrots are Orange

Sewing a wonderful early learning activity for children. We recently used felt, yarn, and cotton balls to create a pumpkin. The great part about this activity is that you can adjust it to the age of the child with the type of needle, the type of thread, and how much the child owns the process. Here is how we did our Pumpkin Activity for Preschoolers.

Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons: A Sewing Activity from Mama Papa Bubba

Throughout the story, anytime Pete would lose a button, she would too – which she thought was pretty hilarious! I wasn’t sure where the missing buttons would get put, but she knew exactly where she wanted them – on my hand so we could easily find them come round two.

Pumpkin Felting and Sewing Basket from Rockabye Butterfly

While I was felting the pumpkin, Butterfly wanted to do some hand work too. So I put together this cute Sewing Basket for her!

“Any child who is self-sufficient, who can tie his shoes, dress or undress himself, reflects in his joy and sense of achievement the image of human dignity, which is derived from a sense of independence.” ~ Maria Montessori

One of the points I made in last week’s post, How do I Montessori at home without breaking the bank?, was “Montessori is a way of life”. This week I’m going to share simple and practical tasks you can have your child do around the house to help teach responsibility.

Following the Montessori method at home may sound daunting, but it isn’t. Simple and practical, everyday tasks can be performed by your child/children. Here are a few examples, from fellow bloggers, of Practical Life tasks and activities for youngsters.

Montessori Care of Pets on Living Montessori Now

Care of the environment, including care of plants and animals, is part of the practical life curriculum and an important part of Montessori education. Care of pets can be a perfect way for young children to develop a number of skills along with many positive character traits.

Various Practical Life activities and tasks on How we Montessori

Independence isn’t something we can teach. It isn’t something we can do on the weekend. We need to live it. They absorb it and it becomes a part of them. Doing becomes a part of their being. It’s not just about independence though, being involved in their own food preparation is also about self pride and confidence, empowerment, practical life skills and knowledge.

Montessori In The Kitchen on Life in a Pink House

Now that Dotty is a toddler I have had to rethink our kitchen set up. Coedith shares her “updated” Montessori Kitchen setup with her readers and offers sound advice.

Why You Should Use Montessori Practical Life Trays at Home on Racheous

Why set up Montessori practical life trays in the home when you can just give children the opportunity to practice skills with real life, everyday experiences? I have read this in many great Montessori blogs and books. Up until recently, I have thoroughly agreed! However, here are the top 5 reasons why I think practical life trays still have a place in the home: Rachel shares her thoughts on the use of Practical Life trays.