31 months - Archives - We live in a flat

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.

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.

Little P stringing lanterns and then watching as I hang them higher than he could reach. — Mid-Autumn Festival stringing lanterns activity
Little P helping to string mid-autumn festival lanterns and then watching as I hang them higher than he could reach. Little P also enjoyed counting the lanterns and exclaiming how they are similar to cable cars! He then ran up and down the corridor while explaining how the “cable cars” travel along the twine.

DIY dog-friendly mooncakes with toddler

By weliveinaflat

On September 18, 2021

In 31 months -, Dog Food & Nutrition, Practical Life

I’ve always ordered dog-friendly mooncakes for Donna in the past. But I have long wanted to try to DIY and make pet-safe mooncakes for my dog. But what with one thing and another across the months and years, the mooncake mould ended up being stashed in the back of the drawer for the longest time. Oops!

So finally I took it out to make some super fuss-free homemade mooncakes for Donna. Erm, of course fuss-free also means it’s not as erm… professional as the dog bakeries out there so I’m just glad Donna doesn’t have much standards when it comes to food. HAHAHAHA!