Creating a Montessori-inspired environment at home provides the opportunity to support your child's education and development. If you plan to send your child to a Montessori school or to a school that values Montessori principles, you can give them a head-start at home by introducing some of the materials they’ll encounter in the classroom. If your child already attends a Montessori school, having some classroom materials available at home allows them to practice and reinforce their lessons outs ..read more

Dr. Maria Montessori’s method of teaching children emphasizes the use of concrete materials and hands-on learning to support the natural development of a child’s physical, social, emotional, and cognitive abilities. It’s a philosophy that’s still going strong more than 115 years after she opened the first Montessori school in Italy in 1907.But, Dr. Montessori could never have foreseen the technological advances that children have ready access to today, or anticipated the need to develop digital ..read more

7 WAYS TO CELEBRATE EARTH DAY WITH YOUR KIDSOn April 22nd, Earth Day marks its 52nd anniversary as climate change continues to dominate headlines around the world. More than one billion people in 192 countries participate in Earth Day activities each year, making it the largest civic observance in the world.This year’s theme, Invest In Our Planet, focuses on stepping up solutions to combat climate change and encouraging governments, businesses and ordinary citizens to do their part. Here are 7 i ..read more

THINKAMAJIGS BOOK REVIEW:National Geographic Kids: Captain Aquatica’s Awesome Oceanby Jess Cramp with Grace Hill Smith and Joe Levit.  IN A NUTSHELL:Recommended for ages 8-12 years, this book offers 128 pages brimming with information about Earth’s oceans and the creatures that live in them. Featuring Captain Aquatica and her sidekick Finn, the hammerhead shark, this book offers in-depth explanations, cool trivia, and simple at-home experiments. Jess Cramp is a shark researcher and mar ..read more

THINKAMAJIGS BOOK REVIEW:A New Alphabet for Humanityby Leesa McGregor, illustrated by Daniela SosaIN A NUTSHELL:Recommended for ages 3 years and up, this alphabet book teaches children about being compassionate, kind and loving to people and the planet. Each page introduces and explains a positive word, and the book concludes with questions designed to spark further conversations with children about the values described. It’s printed on recycled paper using non-toxic soy inks.Leesa McGregor is a ..read more

Plan Toys is an award-winning toy manufacturer located in Thailand and a leader in eco-friendly manufacturing. Founded 40 years ago by seven university graduates, the company has received numerous accolades for their innovative products and excellence in environmental management and green manufacturing processes.THE STORY BEHIND THE TOYSPlan Toys was the first company in the world to manufacture toys using reclaimed rubberwood, a sustainable by-product from rubber trees that no longer produce la ..read more

THINKAMAJIGS BOOK REVIEW:National Geographic Kids Absolute Expert: Rocks & Mineralsby Ruth Strother with Dr. Sarah StampsIN A NUTSHELL:Recommended for ages 8-12, this 112-page book helps your chil ..read more

Picture this scene. Two toddlers are sitting next to one another, and each one is playing with a toy. Toddler B decides they want Toddler A’s toy and snatches it from A’s hand. Toddler A bursts into t ..read more

THINKAMAJIGS’ GUIDE TO CHOOSING EDUCATIONAL TOYS FROM BIRTH TO AGE 3PART 2: AGE-RELATED DEVELOPMENTAL STAGES“What are the best educational toys for my child at different ages and stages of development ..read more

As a parent, you want to be sure that any toys your toddler plays with are safe and age-appropriate.But did you know that manufacturers are not necessarily required to include age recommendations or w ..read more