City Place

Autumn and Halloween Practical Life Activities

One of the ways we introduce, integrate, and celebrate events in our Casa community is through our Practical Life activities. Materials for activities such as transferring, lacing, gluing, and sifting are changed regularly to reflect the new season or upcoming celebrations.

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Plus-Plus Blocks

Plus-Plus blocks offer a new play challenge for the children with endless possibilities from colour recognition, pattern recognition, counting and sorting, to creating a two-dimensional structure. 

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Scraping

Self-help skills are essential to a child’s growth and development. To encourage this, the children learn to scrape after their meals.  They bring each item, one at a time, to the scrape bucket with both hands.  With practice and pride, the child is able to follow the sequence and successfully tidy up independently.

Please click for the sequence in pictures.

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Talking Feather Stick

The talking feather stick is used by Indigenous Peoples as a way to make sure that each person who wishes to speak is heard during important meetings or gatherings. The talking feather stick is symbolic of life, nature and how we must respectfully listen to each other in order to learn.

Please click for more details on how we incorporated this in our community.

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Painted Lady Butterflies

In the first week of June, the Casa community ventured to the playground to release the painted lady butterflies after observing their metamorphosis. It was a joyous experience as the children cheered with excitement as each butterfly flew! 

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Lacing

Lacing is one of the Practical Life activities in the Under Three classroom. Practical Life activities help children develop their independence and self-reliance. The colour and challenge draw the children to this task. The children use their visual and tactile senses to develop the ability and skill for their own self-development, which is an important aim of the Montessori philosophy. Lacing also improves the children’s eye-hand coordination, refines their pincer grasp, and develops concentration.

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Marley, the fish!

Our classroom fish tank has become an area for learning and excitement. By observing the fish, the teachers and children have the opportunity to engage in some discussion about the fish such as the parts of its body.

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Fun Friday!

To end our school week we included Fun Friday! This includes activities like construction blocks such as lego, bristle blocks, and trio blocks. The children express their creative side through various art activities such as collage and painting. We also enjoy gross motor movements through a dance party where we play freeze dance! 

Please click to see samples of the children’s works of art.

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Bird Watching with Maria F!

When Maria F. goes out on walks, she tries to find as many different kinds of birds
as she can. Please click for the guide you can use to check off which birds you find when you go
outside next. Have fun bird watching!

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