The weather has been Fabulous and Pinky’s new interest is all things POND. Since we have been doing lots of activities, I will have to divide them into several post. Let’s start with:

 

Our shelf set up

I try to set up everything into one shelf since we just do “school” after she comes home from Preschool. (BTW, she is the one that tells mommy what she wants to learn about! I just follow her desires.) As soon as she is done with one activity, I use the space for a new one or rotate them as soon as she lost interest.

Sensory Bin

We just have lots of plastic pond animals and beads.

 

Art

Handprint lily pads with fingerprint frogs. Aren’t they cute?

Footprint frog ready to eat a fly and a spider!

Pom-pom frogs…too cute!!! Found this idea here (you’ll need to scroll all the way until the end. There are more frog-related crafts.)

Completing the missing half. I found this beautiful frog life cycle picture and, when tried to print it out, I just got half of the picture. Therefore, why not to try to complete it? This was a mommy and daughter project! It was fun but next time I would have to draw it with pencil before giving it to Pinky, since she got a lil frustrated at the beginning  but then she did great.

 

Here are some great links for you, they got me inspired:

1- Living Montessori Now (as always!): Montessori-Inspired Pond Unit

2- Montessori Print Shop (awesome place): Frog Match up and Memory game, Frog Nomenclature cards, Frog Nomenclature Book (ALL FREE!!!)

3- Montessori Mom: Frog life cycle sequence cards

4- Squidoo: Awesome frog unit study. Here’s where I found the Frog life cycle picture.

5- Pinterest: I have a Pond board with PLENTY of great ideas.

Linking to:

Well, sorry for been MIA, but my computer had a little chat with my delicious cup of tea. The result?? You know!!! No more computer for mommy after a scary noise coming from my ex-friend (computer). That means I lost my wonderful pictures of Pinky doing all her cuteness (well the last two months of pictures because I have the other ones on my book). I also lost some great printable and other documents. Yes, it happens when you don’t backup your computer that often. 

However, my darling husband bought me another one (just because he doesn’t want me near his Mac…lol). And here we are trying to figure it out how to add my blog to Windows live writer again. (It got me almost a week to deal with it…..just because I couldn’t remember my username and password…lol….)

So, lets talk better about beautiful, peaceful and smelly moments like: SPRING!!!

I am in love with tis season and fall, of course, because we don’t have all those changes back in Puerto Rico. I love to watch the trees, its flowers, the grass, the clouds, the sun, the fresh wind…oh my everything!!!

Pinky also has been so excited about Spring….we go to the playground more often until really late (just because mommy has to prepare dinner), we have picnics, we can discover different bugs around or just lay down on the grass talking (I just let Pinky to talk and I listen to her….it’s a very amazing moment, just listening to her, using words that I didn’t know she knows already, changing her features accordingly the theme, looking at those beautiful eyes lighting up with excitement, proud of herself, dreaming, loving, hoping….) Ooopsss……I am having a mommy moment…lol….I just get very grateful for having her….seeing how fast she is growing and blooming just like Spring!

Spring art using bandages, googly eyes and buttons

Cherry blossom craft: this idea has been around all Pinterest. Just pick up some sticks (one of Pinky’s favs activities) and glue (or in our case we used tape) tissue paper for pretending flowers). Creekside learning has a better explanation. 

Spring fingerprint art: It was mostly a Mommy’s activity since Pinky was more interested to play in the balcony….she just shared her fingers with me and went to play while mommy was having her relaxing moment drawing and coloring. Isn’t she so kind to share her fingerprints with her mommy???

Eggs are making her path through!!!…a bird nest!!!!!

We just tape feathers on the back of the eggs, glue some eyes and bottoms.

Our DIY Indoors Rainbow!!

Isn’t it so pretty and lovely….Every afternoon on mommy’s bedroom we get lucky to admire a rainbow on the ceiling….how’s that???? Just forget a DVD or CD on your window….so when the sun moves…you get to enjoy those pretty colors.

Happy SPRING 2012!!!

Linking to:

Check my Pinterest boards for lots of kids friendly activities and crafts!!!

I don’t remember when it happened and why, but for a few months now Pinky has been sleeping with a night light, Ok two of them!

However, the other night she woke up twice because her bedroom was dark and one little rascal monster was around. (We are dealing with monsters right now at home, those ones that disappear as soon as she is sleeping between mommy and daddy). So the problem was that both of the night light bulbs were not functioning anymore, and after we got the replacement, Pinky wanted me to teach her how to do it BY HERSELF! (she always makes sure to add the by herself part to everything..lol)

So here’s what we she did:

Replacing night light bulbs.

We take the learning process very serious!

First one, DONE! One more to go!

Second one, DONE! Lets try them now!

Don’t you like those beautiful tiny hands at work???

Light’s on!

Great job, my little Pinky!

Linking to:

Here is how we learn about same, different, big, bigger, biggest, small, smaller, smallest, big, medium and small. You also can count them, group by color, living/nonliving, animals, objects, etc. Lots of possibilities with a few toys! Plus you keep your child moving and thinking around.

Everything started like this:

Pinky: Mommy, I need the big Ariel, it is the same as this little Ariel.

Mommy: ummm, I think is here. What else toys do you have that are the same but different sizes?

Pinky: I have a Princess Barbie! Look mommy!

Mommy: Anything else?

Pinky: And Cinderella…I have two…a big one and a small one.

Mommy: Oh….Would you like to see what else can we find in your bedroom?

Pinky: oh yes! (jumping and very excited!)

She was very concentrated about lining them up into a straight line from left to right (bigger to smaller) and being very careful to don’t disturb the objects around while putting new ones.

She loved it….she had a blast and I didn’t have to plan ahead, buy anything or moved…lol….I just sat on the floor, and let her have fun job until the table was FULL!!!