Child by age Archives - We live in a flat

toddler montessori fine motor work 36 months

I’ve talked about how I have been storing Little P’s fine motor Montessori work and art work done at home and at school in a clear pocket folder. You can check out a review of his work between 18 to 36 months in my previous blog post here.

This blog post reviews Little P’s 36-41 months work. I do intend to update again at the end of the year with his 42-47 months’ work so we get a complete review of the year. So I guess you can say this is an ongoing review. It’s really just easier and more sustainable for me to break up the digitsation work of his paintings, etc in a staggered manner so that it doesn’t become one whole big monumental project at year’s end.

Now here we go.

Salmon Cucumber Sandwich – Making food with toddler

By weliveinaflat

On June 11, 2022

In 36 months -, Practical Life

This Salmon Cucumber Sandwich involves an easy no-cook recipe that lets toddler slice and mix ingredients for a yummy sandwich with omega 3 and probiotics. It is a cold sandwich, perfect for the hot weather we are having lately. ;)

Little P has been asking to make food with me again in the kitchen, but truthfully speaking I’m the type who needs to do kitchenwork in peace for my own safety. Because I am that person who will end up with a knife cut on the palm on her hand needing stitches while making something as innouous as avacado toast. #truestory

So simple recipes that are easy for toddler and a distracted mom to execute together are very important when we attempt this aspect of Montessori practical life work together.

Little P’s Montessori Work – Art & other Fine Motor (18-30 months, 31 – 35 months)

By weliveinaflat

On May 21, 2022

In 18-30months, 31 months -

Let’s talk about what is art and drawing to a toddler around 18 to 35 months old. We’ve been storing Little P’s art work done at home and also his Montessori work from school in this sort of clear file folder with transparent pockets (透明插页资料册).

40 months - Folder displaying Little P's latest paintings from Montessori school. I have no qualms folding them to fit in the folder because they came home folded anyway. HAHAHAHA! - Little P's Montessori Work (18-36 months) — **40 months** – Folder displaying Little P’s latest paintings from Montessori school. I have no qualms folding them to fit in the folder because they came home folded anyway. HAHAHAHA!

But I also want to put down a sort of digital record of what he had been doing across the months on this blog because eventually he will fill up the folder. Then will come the time to declutter. So it just makes sense to digitise his work little by little now before it becomes too immense a project. That will just activate the procrastinator in me and I will end up becoming THE hoarder. So here I am diligently blogging Little P’s work. ;)

If you’re interested in what a pre-schooler may bring back from his Montessori school, read on. ;)

Process art with very organic beginnings

By weliveinaflat

On March 19, 2022

In 31 months -

I observed Little P with his little spray bottle and a nylon bristle that apparently came out of his hard bristle broom for the balcony. He kept using it to scratch (?) , stroke(?) , tickle(?) various surfaces that he said he was cleaning.

I suppose I could reiterate and show him how to clean using a spray bottle and a cleaning cloth or squeegee or whatever you like to use in your family. But I felt his interest lies more in experimenting with the strip of nylon bristle that he found.

I suppose I could let him just continue with his experiments at cleaning, but the way he is doing it is definitely not the way I would like him to clean. So I thought about how I could redirect his interest in the nylon bristle and I came up with painting as the answer.

Process art using a nylon bristle

And thus, here are the art materials: one nylon bristle (on the paper), one drawing paper, water and paint. The spray bottle is for cleaning up afterwards.

The process art materials used in our art session inspired by a nylon fibre. One nylon fibre (on the paper), one drawing paper, water and paint. The spray bottle is for cleaning up afterwards. — The art materials used in our art session inspired by a nylon fibre.

Leopard in Mumbai – Picture book review

By weliveinaflat

On September 24, 2021

In 3 - 6 years, 31 months -, Care of the environment, Montessori-aligned English books

What if a leopard escaped from a national park and headed into the city? Leopard in Mumbai seems to be a book written to answer this.

Leopard in Mumbai picture book cover. Written by Lubaina Bandukwala and illustrated by Allen Shaw. — Leopard in Mumbai. Written by Lubaina Bandukwala and illustrated by Allen Shaw.

小饼干的大道理 (Cookies: Bite-sized Life Lessons) – Book review

By weliveinaflat

On September 24, 2021

In 3 - 6 years, Imaginative Chinese Books, Imaginative English Books

小饼干的大道理 (Cookies: Bite-sized Life Lessons) seems to be that book that tries to help children understand abstract concepts through baking cookies.

Most of it might fly over the head of young toddlers like 2.5 year old Little P but we still like cookies anyway. Hah!

小饼干的大道理 is originally written in English by American author Amy Krouse Rosenthal. The book is titled Cookies: Bite-sized Life Lessons. — **小饼干的大道理** is originally written in English by American author Amy Krouse Rosenthal. The book is titled **Cookies: Bite-sized Life Lessons**.

Note: There are human-like animals in this book. Looking for realistic Montessori-aligned books instead? Escape here!
If not, read on. ;)

The following photos will help you understand the style of the book – 小饼干的大道理 (Cookies: Bite-sized Life Lessons) – as it follows the same format throughout.

牙齿一家和牙刷超人 – Chinese picture book review

By weliveinaflat

On September 24, 2021

In 3 - 6 years, Imaginative Chinese Books

A fantastical tale of bad influences and how a superhero saves the day with kicks and punches – and yes, 牙齿一家和牙刷超人 is about brushing teeth.

Looking for realistic Montessori-aligned books instead? Escape here!
If not, read on.

牙齿一家和牙刷超人 (Teeth Family and Toothbrush-Man) is written originally in Japanese by Omori Hiroko.

Right from the start Omori Hiroko’s picture book paints a trippy picture of teeth that actually moves at will in your mouth. Having fun. Just like little children.

simple mid-autumn festival song for toddlers

月儿圆圆 – A Simple Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival Song for Toddlers

By weliveinaflat

On September 20, 2021

In 3 - 6 years, 31 months -, Books & Language, Montessori-aligned printables

Lately, Little P has been making up his own nonsense chinese lyrics to go with tunes that he knows. In this post, I would like to share with you – 月儿圆圆 – a simple Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival Song for those of you whose toddlers love singing!

When it comes to helping my little one be comfortable and confident in speaking his mother tongue, the three main things I find helpful for me are:

Modeling speaking the Chinese language by itself (i.e. no mixing with English/Singlish) 95% of the time
Singing songs to him in Chinese
Reading lots of Chinese books with him.

Therefore, besides a song relevant to the occasion, in the later part of the post I will also detail some of the books we are reading this Mid-Autumn Festival week!

Let’s get started!

Mid-Autumn Festival stringing lanterns activity for toddlers – Montessori at home

By weliveinaflat

On September 19, 2021

In 31 months -, Practical Life

I had not thought of it in that way until I read on threeminutemontessori that stringing paper lanterns can also be a variation of the lacing/threading activity. So that’s something Little P and I did together this time round instead of I doing it by myself.

Stringing traditional paper lanterns

This was a very fast project for me simply because I had the pack of mini lanterns already in my stash. So it was just a matter of reusing some long twine to string the lanterns and hanging them on existing wall hooks that we use annually for Xmas and CNY decorations.