I shall conquer...after naptime!

I sure am going to struggle in the afternoons once school starts again!  I'll admit it...I sometimes lay down with my litttle Jack-a-roo and catch a power nap.  How many of you do the same? 

Todays post nap excitement (since it will be too hot to play outside) is....

Go Fish!

Next on the Melissa and Doug summer adventure...cards.  Jack isn't quite ready for Old Maid, Go Fish, and Rummy, but he can use the cards to create other games and educational purposes.  We play matching games with these colorful and imaginative cards.  They are illustrated with animals...most kids favorite subject matter! The Old Main have various animals dressed in different occupations.  We can not only match the cards, but also identify the animal and its occupation.  Teaching observation skills and the tools that help identify different jobs is a lot of fun.  Jack really likes to dress up as different people.  These cards help give him the ideas of what he would need to do each job and what they do as their occupation.  Additonally, they are sturdy and durable!

Back to Montessori

Although I have not taught at Montessori for almost 4 years, my son does attend preschool there.  Every now and then they ask me to be a sub and today just happened to be one of those days.  It was nice to get back with the little ones. And to see some of the favorite Melissa and Doug works in the classrooms.

http://www.melissaanddoug.com/lacing-sneaker-learning-game

Students worked together on a Meliss and Doug Dinosaur Floor Puzzle.

http://www.melissaanddoug.com/dinosaur-floor-learning-floor-puzzle

Jack, meet Jack!

Jack loves the Magnetic Jack Dress-Up Toy!

Imagine the joy of a little boy opening a gift on Christmas that not only has the same name as you, but looks like you too!  This present was one of his favorites this past Christmas (thanks Nana!)

Wait a minute...two pairs of pants?  That doesn't work!

 

I love all of the dress up options he has!  Football, Basketball, Baseball, that he commonly recognizes.  It also introduces him to soccer and hockey which in turn challenges him further when assembling the proper sports attire.  Both soccer and football use cleats, so he has to determine what characteristics make it a proper shoe. The soccer and basketball both have shorts.  Football and Baseball have pants.  Which goes with which?

 

I get to see him grow and develop and have fun with this doll much like we used to play with paper dolls when we were kids. I love this option because there are not often these sorts of play and dress up options for boys to not only engage their imaginations, but also challenge their critical thinking skills!  As an educator, you know I love a toy that makes learning feel like playing!

Do you rotate toys?

Do you rotate your child's toys? My son, Jack has a lot of older cousins, so he gets a lot of gently used toys given to him.  It seems he has had more than enough options since he was very young.  I bought totes and we have been rotating toys from the play area to the basement and back on a regular basis for most of his almost 4  years of life! 

Today he was playing with Daddy before nap time and he asked for his Melissa and Doug's Wooden Play Food set. I knew it had been awhile since I have seen it, and it probably got put into one of the rotation bins. So, off I went into the basement to find it!

I know some people are probably super organized about their rotations, but we just bring a tote up from the basement and we picks out whatever he wants out of it to add to the shelves and drawers.  So as not to become incredibly messy, we then pick what should go down and hasn't been played with very much lately to make room for the new toys.  Sometimes I involve Jack in the process and sometimes I do it during nap when I feel like he is getting bored with the current selection.

My first Melissa and Doug

As you will see if you read my About ME section, I first experienced Melissa and Doug as a preschool teacher in a Montessori School. However, lucky girl I am, I got my first Melissa and Doug products for FREE!!!  I attended a workshop along with my other Montessori teachers through Ohio Ready To Learn and our local public television station, WBGU. In addition to some great books we also received some great Melissa and Doug goodies!  While the other teachers donated theirs to the school, I was pregnant and knew that my little one would LOVE the Melissa and Doug, so I kept it for myself and my little man.

Here is the awesome swag they gave us:

Wooden ABC/123 Blocks

photo from http://www.melissaanddoug.com/wooden-abc-123-learning-blocks

Primary Lacing Beads

photo from http://www.melissaanddoug.com/primary-lacing-beads-art-and-crafts