Fine art can be boring for kids, but nothing is boring when it's about you. Discover twelve of history's greatest painters, brought back to life by the magic of AI. It's not often we come across a new idea that seriously impresses us, but these personalised art books really do. We were lucky enough to be contacted by the creator of these little gems Tom Ryan, and he kindly allowed us to try them out with our own children. "THAT'S ME", Vilde (4 years old) exclaimed when she saw this AMAZING art history book. You upload photos of the child, and the AI algorithm learns their features, and twelve ..read more

Black Friday is finally here! We have picked our favourite Montessori aligned toys, books, practical life items, furniture and materials! Basically if you see something that you like then the best bet to grab it while you can. Prices etc are subject to change. We do our best to provide accurate information and will update this blog periodically through the duration of Black Friday. Here are some of the deals we've come across. TRADITIONAL MONTESSORI MATERIALS Montessori Multiplication and Division Board $27.99 reduced from $42.99 Wooden Geometric Puzzle Board $15.99 reduced from $19.99 Adena ..read more

It's that time of year again, and millions of people worldwide are preparing to celebrate Christmas. Some like to count down the days with an advent calendar. There are thousands of store bought calendars to choose from, or you can create your own. Here are some of our ideas for Montessori aligned calendars. Activity Calendars A piece of paper with 24 or 25 different activities that the family can do together or special activities that can be done just with the child. Write each activity on a piece of paper and mix them together in a decorated box or jar (if you are OK with having a daily surp ..read more

Autumn leaves are falling all around us and pumpkins are being picked ready to carve for Halloween. It's a wonderful season full of beautiful colours and textures. As animals and humans alike get ready to hunker down and stay warm against the impending colder weather, there's still time to marvel in nature and all she has to offer during this season of harvest. Here's a selection of some of our favourite Montessori friendly books to accompany autumn. Autumn Leaves by Ken Robbins is a beautiful book with concise text and crisp, close-up, color photographs of thirteen different leaves from Nort ..read more

Sex education, a topic which often leaves parents feeling uncomfortable and not knowing what to say or do. Some of you may be familiar with our friend Cath Hakanson, who runs the wonderful Facebook group That Parent Group (with Cath Hakanson) and the Sex Ed Rescue website. She specialise in sex education for children and we thought there was no better person to invite along to chat with about all things relating to love, sex and relationships. Sex education is wide ranging and the days of having 'the conversation' with your children is long gone. If you want to equip your children with the kn ..read more

Welcome to Montessori Around the World. This is a series of interviews with Montessori families and caregivers from around the globe. Here you get to see the similarities and differences in how Montessori is practiced and read first hand about how it has shaped people's lives. So, Renate, what's your Montessori story? I'm 35 years old, born in The Netherlands. Ten years ago I met my husband in Kenya. After a couple of years we decided that Kenya would be the place we call home. We do have a place to stay in the capital Nairobi but we live in a county close to Lake Victoria in a village where w ..read more

Now, I know when a lot of people think of Montessori, their first thoughts won't include board games, but bear with me on this, because I think they have a lot to offer to a Montessori inspired family. We've had some Orchard Toys games for a couple of years. Things like Orchard Toys Shopping List - Educational Memory Game - Age 3-7 - Perfect For Home Learning" >Shopping List, and some other simple matching games; but our interest in board games grew recently and they have had a huge positive impact on our family. We now play them most days and the growth I've observed in my (recently turned ..read more

Whether, like us, you live and breathe Montessori; or you choose to just dip your toe into the parts you find most appealing, there's never been a better time to utilise the amazing array of resources and inspiration out there. We've scoured the internet to bring those resources together and curate a list that will be sure to help you elevate your understanding and bring new insight into how Montessori works for those families who practice the pedagogy at home. Podcasts Shelf Help: Nicole Kavanough (Mother of 4) and Amy Dorsch (mother of 2) share their Montessori journeys as mothers. Nicole is ..read more

Every time we are asked about Montessori toy/gift ideas, we recommend observing the child to find out which skills they are working on and what interests they have. Every child is different, BUT they still have some things in common. We have tried to create a list of the BEST Montessori aligned toys, practical life items and materials that most kids in the 3-6 age range will LOVE! We have divided the list into different categories, and have tried to select a variety of items from different price groups. Our range is $2-100, so everyone should be able to find something. Amazon UK links at the b ..read more

Key Areas of a Montessori Classroom (or Homeschool): Culture There are five key areas of a Montessori classroom: Mathematics, Language, Practical Life, Sensorial and Culture. The Culture area holds a special place in my heart, and I learn so much alongside my students when working there. What is culture? Maria Montessori developed a thoery she called Cosmic Education. Cosmic Education is a cornerstone of the Montessori Philosophy. At its core, it tells the story of the interconnectedness of all things. Montessori believed that Cosmic Education was vital to early education because it provides c ..read more