Cootie Catcher Craft with Antonietta!
Watch these videos of Antonietta’s son making and decorating a “Cootie Catcher”. Do you remember making these as a child? Click to see the video!
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Latest Dispatches
Infinity Place
Craft and Experiment With Donna!
Donna explored a craft activity and experiment with her daughter. They wanted to share how they did this creative activity. Please click “view” for this craft activity and experiment.
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Sensory Exploration (Colored Cooked Spaghetti)
Sensorial exploration is a main component of the Under 3 community. The classroom is composed of sensorial activities that the children are able to work with every single day. Sitting, standing, or at a mat,
the child is able to work independently with various materials including pasta, rice, oatmeal, feathers,
cornmeal, sand, and quite often water. In working with these various materials, the children are able to
enhance their sense of smell, touch, sight, and hearing. Children are also able to partake in dramatic
play with a collection of animals and scoops and explore the different facets of expressive language.
Imbucare Box
This activity requires the child to pick up the cube and place it through the hole at the top of the box. It encourages the child to use a pincer or palmer grasp as well as refines hand-eye coordination and fine-motor skills. This activity also develops a child’s understanding of object permanence.
(Please click “view” for more details.)
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Spindle Box
The Spindle Box is introduced to the child once they are able to identify the numbers from 1-9. This activity is used primarily to show the child that numbers can represent a collection of separate objects. It is also where the quantity of “zero” is first introduced and where the realization comes that “0” to “9” are all the symbols needed for arithmetic. The Spindle Box brings the concept of numbers from an abstract place to a more concrete one, where the child can see and touch and truly internalize their meaning.
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Holiday Event
East Casa held a family cookie decorating event. Breakfast was served and the children had fun listening to holiday songs while decorating gingerbread cookies with icing, sprinkles and more! The children enjoyed having their parents spend time with them in their school environment.
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Nature in the Classroom
“Solicitous care for living things affords satisfaction to one of the most lively instincts of the child’s mind. Nothing is better calculated than this to awaken an attitude of foresight.” -Maria Montessori
(Please click “view” for more details on nature in an Under 3 Montessori classroom.)
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Painting
Painting is a popular activity within our curriculum. A variety of materials are offered to enhance the painting experience including brushes, sponges, or any other objects that can be incorporated into the activity. Through painting, children are able to practice and develop in areas such as sense of self, fine motor skills, cause and effect as well as sensory discrimination.
Please click “Painting” for more details and photos.
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The Bells
Once a week, our music teacher Adriana visits each Casa classroom to teach a couple of children how to play the Montessori bells. This activity consists of a series of bells from middle C to high C. First, the children learn how to play an individual bell with a mallet and a damper. Then they progress to matching and grading the tones. Eventually, the children will be able to play familiar tunes such as “Row, Row, Row Your Boat”. Recently, the children have been learning how to play the song “A Visit to the Farm”.
Please click “The Bells” for the photos.
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Dorothy’s Hummus Recipe
Our chef Dorothy’s homemade hummus is a favourite among our children. Made fresh the day it is on our menu, it is often served with an array of vegetables or as a spread on whole wheat crackers. As chick peas are considered super food (rich in vitamins and minerals, high in protein and fiber, and low in saturated fat), hummus is a perfect accompaniment to our snack.
Please click “Dorothy’s Hummus Recipe” for more details and the recipe!
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