An exciting announcement and a simple sorting activity

Hello everyone! It has been a very busy month, which is why I have been slacking a bit on my weekly posts, but I have exciting news to share with you. While I have loved my time working in a Montessori classroom, I am happy to announce that I have taken a new full-time position with Monti Kids as their Affiliate Program Manager. I actually started working as an affiliate with Monti Kids last year, and I couldn't be more excited to join their team. While my official start date isn't until Thursday, I was able to join Monti Kids at a local event here in Costa Mesa, as well as at the AMI (Montessori International Association) Refresher Course in Phoenix two weeks ago! It was a wonderful experience getting to know other Montessorians, spreading the word about Monti Kids, and truly feeling refreshed and invigorated.

My dear friend Lindsey stopped by the Monti Kids booth at an event in Costa Mesa. Here he is working with a toy from their level 7 kit! He is also using Sprout Kids' table and chair set!

                                     

At the AMI conference in Phoenix, we were able to display our toys, meet families, teachers, and school directors!

And...because this is a blog about cooking with kids, I really want to share this very simple sorting activity that helps to stimulate a child's stereognostic sense and ability to problem solve, supports repetition and concentration, and allows a child to practice their fine motor skills as they transfer with tongs.

When preparing the activity, make sure to choose fruits (or any other object or type of food) that are different. For instance, I chose blueberries and strawberries because they are different in color, taste, size, and shape. Simply Real Foods Market has many dried fruits that would also be perfect for this activity. Place a couple of pieces of each fruit into the bowls in which the fruit is sorted as a way to guide the child to know which bowl the fruit should be sorted. Often, the preparation of this activity makes it so that you don't even need to give a lesson!

I am really excited to continue to grow in the Montessori world, and I know my new experience will allow me to bring different information to share with you all, as well as more cooking with kids activities!

Pizza Friday!

This week, I put together my Sprout Kids children's table and chair set. They have created furniture that is natural and made from environmentally sustainable materials. It was also incredibly easy to put together. I felt so accomplished and proud after setting it up in my garage. I can't wait to put it to use!

Now...let's jump right into the good stuff...

I have recently been going through a pizza obsession. Every time it is in the teacher's lounge, I always need a slice. I crave it for dinner, basically every night, so it was only natural that I incorporate it into my classroom's food preparation activities.

Having everything organized from left to right, on a tray, and in the same color really supports your child's sense of order.

You will need:

1. Some type of bread to be used as the crust. In class, I usually use bagel thins or mini bagels. They are strong enough to hold the sauce and cheese, and because they are "thins" and "minis," they are not too heavy, keeping the recipe healthy
2. A container for the bread you have chosen
3. Pizza sauce. Simply Real Foods Market has many organic, natural, and non-GMO options
4. A small knife used to spread the pizza sauce
5. Shredded cheese. This can be done with any type you have on hand. On this particular day, we used cheddar cheese, but mozzarella and other varieties are good options too
6. A small cutting board
7. Small tongs used to transfer the bread
8. A serving tray. I have the children place the prepared pizzas directly onto the tray that will be placed into the toaster oven (see pictures below)

Why do I love this activity? Besides the fact that I love pizza, this activity also provides a child with the opportunity to explore with their senses, refine their fine motor skills, and provide for their community. Additionally, homemade pizza is a much healthier alternative.

Sitting next to your child, demonstrate how to use the tongs to transfer a bagel onto the cutting board. Using slow and purposeful movements, use the knife to pick up the pizza sauce and spread it onto the bagel. Make sure to model how to use your non-dominant hand to keep the bagel steady while you spread. Using your hands (a wonderful opportunity to enhance your child's sense of touch), show how to sprinkle cheese on top of the sauce. Finally, using both hands, demonstrate how to transfer the prepared mini pizza onto the serving tray. Invite your child to repeat. Repetition allows your child to concentrate and solidify their skills and knowledge. You have the option of eating the pizzas immediately or putting them in the oven for a couple of minutes to give them a little more crispiness and melt the cheese. Yum!

Miles' grasping skills, as well as the ability to rotate his wrist while spreading, are strongly supported while using the knife.

Look how focused Miles is! Also, observe how his left hand is keeping the bagel steady while spreading.

Miles might like pizza more than I do! Food preparation truly allows a child to create and reap the benefits of their hard work.

This week, we have focused a lot on the importance of supporting a child's fine motor skills. If you are interested in other Montessori-inspired activities to support your child's development, check out Monti Kids. I love their toy kits! 

Apple Slicing

I was never a big fan of apples as a child. In fact, I don't think I enjoyed eating apples until I was 23 and living in Morocco. I had never learned how to properly slice an apple, and I thought they were so difficult to eat! As many of you might know, once a child decides they don't like something, these ideas will often stick, which is exactly how I felt about apples. In Morocco, I was shown how to  easily slice apples, and I fell in love with them.
One of the benefits of food preparation activities for children is that they are exposed to different types of foods and ways in which to prepare it. As a child becomes part of the process of preparing something, they are much more inclined to taste it and maybe even realize that they like it!

To prepare the apples, I slice them into three pieces horizontally.

You will need:

1. Apples (smaller apples will be easier for a child to slice)
2. A small cutting board
3. A small plate for the apple cores
4. An apple slicer
5. Small tongs to transfer the sliced apples into the serving bowl
6. A serving bowl (I use a basket that I found in my kitchen)

Why I love this activity: this lesson will allow a child to exert their maximum amount of effort, as strength is required to push down on the apple slicer. Additionally, this activity supports a child's fine motor development, refinement of sense, and ability to follow a logical sequence of movements. Remember, when children prepare food for those around them, they are supporting their sense of community. 

Show your child how to use the tongs to transfer one of the apple slices onto the cutting board. Then, demonstrate how to place the apple slicer onto the apple, making sure the apple core is in the center hole of the slicer. Push the slicer down strongly and show your interest in the crisp sound an apple makes when being sliced (this is a big point of interest for a young child!). Use the tongs to remove the apple core, and show your child how it goes onto the specific plate. Then, show your child how to transfer the now sliced apples pieces into the serving bowl. Remember to move slowly and with purpose, so that your child can study your movements. 

I love seeing the strength of Abbi's hands in this picture. 

Abbi is very focused when using the tongs to remove the slices.

This was an exciting week for many reasons. I received my toddler table and chair set from Sprout Kids, and I cannot wait to set it up. It makes me happy to think about a child working on furniture that is environmentally friendly and sustainable. That is probably one of the reasons I am such a big fan of Monti Kids too since their toys are made with natural materials. This week, Simply Real Foods Market is having a huge sale on organic, natural snacks made without GMOs. I think it is so important to not only provide children with activities for growth, but that their surrounding environment, including the furniture, toys, and foods that they are eating, consist of all natural products. 

Let's meet!

When sitting down to write this week's post, I realized that I have yet to fully introduce myself! I hope that this post will give you a better understanding of who I am and my love for Montessori-inspired practices, as well as support for the development of young children.

My name is Bérénice, and I am an AMI trained Montessori teacher. I currently work with toddlers between the ages of 18 months to 3 years old. 

About Me

I was born in Madrid, Spain and raised in Louisiana and France. I attended Tulane University where I earned a bachelor’s degree in Russian History in 2011. While in college, I worked in the Ural Mountains for a Russian summer camp for orphans and underprivileged children of the region for six months. After graduating, I joined the Peace Corps and lived and served as a youth development volunteer in a rural village in Morocco for two and a half years. I completed my Montessori training, for children between the ages of 0-3, and their families, at the Montessori Institute of San Diego. My trainer's passion for and knowledge of Montessori theory was fascinating and inspiring. It was an exciting endeavor, and I look forward to completing my master's of education next summer. Additionally, I recently became a trained Labor Doula through DONA International.

Why do I love Montessori?

Montessori education focuses on providing young children with the proper experiences they will use to create themselves. While the children move freely throughout the environment, it is the adult's role to properly prepare the environment allowing children to thrive. With an understanding of child development, Montessori offers the possibility for parents to support children in different capacities. It is my goal to guide children, so that they can become thriving and successful citizens of the world. 

My Goal

I am obsessed with food preparation ideas for young children because a child can gain so much from working with foods! I decided to write this blog in hopes that parents can duplicate these ideas at home with their own children. Cooking with your child will support their development, while also creating long-lasting memories. 

Opportunities to Work with All Natural Materials

In the Montessori community, we believe in providing children the opportunities to work with all natural materials. This is another way in which we show our respect to children. As I learned more about the importance of providing children with beautiful all natural materials, my desire to find other all natural products to support children and their families also increased. Thus, I partnered with Simply Real Foods Market as my go-to for organic, natural, and Non-GMO products. Additionally, I continue to love Monti Kids' toy kits, as their Montessori-inspired toys are made with natural-colored materials without lights, sounds, and many bright colored patterns, minimizing the possibility of sensory overload. I couldn't agree more with the principles of Sprout Kids. They strive to create spaces that encourage creativity, independence, and confidence, while using natural and sustainable materials. 

Montesorri Is Education for Life

By now you may have realized that Montessori principles can extend to all aspects of your life. I love that Montessori is education for life. 

The child is capable of developing and giving us tangible proof of the possibility of a better humanity. He has shown us the true process of construction of the human being. We have seen children totally change as they acquire a love for things and as their sense of order, discipline, and self-control develops within them.... The child is both a hope and a promise for mankind

-Maria Montessori