Most parents look forward to some time away from the hustle and bustle of routines and responsibilities. What a joy to spend time with loved ones in the comfort of your home. Soon enough you may start to hear “I’m bored” from children. If that were to happen, below are just some suggestions to banish that boredom without breaking the bank.

1. Bring The Great Outdoors Inside: Have a camp out in your living room, set up a picnic in the playroom, or “build” a sandbox in the family room.
2. Kitchen Fun: From start to finish include your children in choosing a recipe, shopping together, and then preparing it as a family.
3. “I’m Not Board Game Night:” Find a game all family members can play and enjoy. This is a great time to introduce the classic board games you played as a child to your children. There’s a reason these games have been so popular generation after generation.
4. Center Stage: Have a family talent show where everyone can show off their skills. Maybe it’s dance, music, magic, gymnastics, or telling jokes.
5. Take a Library Tour: Libraries today are so much more than a building with books. They offer programs, movie nights, events, programs for all ages, and interactive displays. See how many you can visit!
6. Start and Finish a Chapter Book: Cuddle up and read a chapter book together. Don’t be surprised if your kids ask you to read “just one more chapter!”
7. Movie Marathon: Pick one day to stay in your pajamas, pop some popcorn, and watch movies together. Think back to the movies you enjoyed as a child and share them with your own children.

No matter what you decide to do with the time away from school, enjoy it. Find what your family likes to do together and go from there.

Wishing you all peace and love during this special time of year.

Cindy & Sharlene

Tis’ the season for celebrations!  A time to honor the many beautiful and wondrous ways that people observe the diverse collection of holidays from around the world. All of these occasions are a marvelous way to reinforce the idea that people around the world have distinctive yet similar observances.

This week the children celebrated the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah. They were completely engaged in learning about the eight day celebration. Thank you Leah Mayor (Newman) and Laura Wilhelm for your compassionate Hanukkah storytelling, dreidel game, and to Cassie Stevenson for the delicious latkes.

Our Christmas celebration began with a reading of The Night Before Christmas.  No true Christmas celebration would be complete with out a brightly colored, incredibly sweet Christmas cookie. Thank you Christi Orlowski for the delicious sugar cookies. We had fun icing and then decorating our holiday treats. Thanks also go out to Lisa Jackson, Lisa Manca, and Chelcie Georgette for contributing to our festive morning.

Learning about the holidays of different cultures embraces the Montessori principals of inclusion and peace and helps students understand that celebrations have had a great significance to people throughout time and across all cultures. Rituals and celebrations are a large part of human history. They have to do with your culture, your time and place in history. So let’s take a look at creating rituals in our own families, specifically towards the end of the year, the festive season.

Your children will be bringing home a very special gift for you. Please enjoy this token of love and gratitude. We had a great time creating these gifts and know you will appreciate your children’s creative efforts.

A gentle reminder. Please send your children into school with warm winter attire.

May your holidays be merry and filled with moments you’ll always remember.

Cindy & Sharlene