Ms. Mollie: Hello December!

Posted on by Mollie Smith

Hello December!

This week in our Montessori toddler community, the children were busy with rich sensory experiences, hands-on work, and thoughtful conversations about the season.

One of our favorite moments last week was baking focaccia bread together. Mixing, mixing, and more mixing made the perfect dough!  The children loved pressing their little fingertips into the soft dough, drizzling olive oil, and sprinkling herbs on top. Baking provides such meaningful practical life practice—pouring, stirring, smelling, tasting—and the joy on their faces as we shared the warm bread together made the work even more special.

We will begin our gentle exploration of winter celebrations. Through simple stories, songs, and materials, the children were introduced to Christmas, Hanukkah, and the Winter Solstice. In the Montessori toddler environment, these lessons are kept very concrete and sensory: noticing the warm glow of Christmas lights, exploring seasonal colors and natural items, and talking about the kindness, light, and togetherness that these holidays celebrate. Each child engaged at their own level, taking in the beauty and calm of the season.

As the days grow shorter, we continue to slow down, create cozy moments, and offer opportunities for connection and wonder. It has been a lovely week of learning, discovery, and community.

With Full Hearts,

Ms. Mollie and Ms. Lizette

Mrs. Wilson: A Festive December

Posted on by Cynthia Wilson

Welcome, December! This month brings so many joyful celebrations, and the children are already feeling the excitement in our classroom. We began the week by celebrating a friend’s birthday, which is always such a special moment in our community.

Over the course of the week, the classroom received a thoughtful seasonal refresh. Each area now gently highlights the many different holidays celebrated around the world in December. From Christmas—both Santa and the Nativity—to Hanukkah and Kwanzaa, the children will find beautiful, simple materials that represent each tradition. Even the soft sound of jingle bells has made its way into the environment, inviting the children to jingle all the way around the room.

These items are intentionally placed throughout the Practical Life, Sensorial, Language, and Art areas, inviting children to explore, notice, and enjoy the diversity of celebrations in a hands-on, meaningful way.

It has been wonderful watching the children discover these new materials and make connections as they move through the classroom. 

Food Tasting: was a bright, sunny, and wonderfully sour lemon. The children had so much fun watching each other’s reactions—from wide eyes to tiny puckers—and they were eager to smell, touch, and taste this vibrant fruit.

December is off to a lovely start!

Love and Light!

Cynthia and Sara

Ms. Vicki’s Weekly Update

Posted on by Vicki Downs

 

What a festive and exciting transition week we had—moving from Thanksgiving celebrations into snowy weather and the start of December!

Right before break, we made Bread in a Bag, and the children loved being part of the whole process. They helped pour the ingredients, squish the mixture together, and then knead the dough with their hands. We gave one loaf to the school to have for their celebration.

While our dough was rising, we explored how cream can change when it’s mixed. We poured heavy cream into a jar, gave it a big shake, and watched it turn into whipped cream, which we tasted! With more shaking, the cream separated into butter and buttermilk, and the children were fascinated watching it transform. When the bread finished baking, we all enjoyed the bread with our freshly made butter. It was a cozy, delicious way to start the holiday.

After Thanksgiving break, we stepped right into freezing temperatures and our first snow. We went outside while it was snowing and talked about how rain turns into ice or snow when it gets very cold.

One morning, the children were especially curious:
“Where did all the sand go?”
The sandbox had a light layer of snow covering it like a blanket. The toddlers spent time brushing the snow aside and happily rediscovering the sand underneath. Their excitement and wonder made the chilly morning so much fun.

Inside the classroom, we welcomed December by introducing new Christmas and winter-themed activities. The children have been exploring these materials with so much joy and focus as we continue moving into the holiday season.

It’s been a week full of discovery, sensory experiences, and winter magic. We can’t wait for all the learning and joy this month will bring! Enjoy all the pictures!

Reminders:

  • Please send in extra warm pants and sweatshirts to keep in their bin. Playing outside and getting wet and muddy requires a change of clothes. Lightweight leggings and pants are not enough for these cold temps.

Ms. Mollie: A New Classmate and Gratitude!

Posted on by Mollie Smith

This week, we were excited to welcome a new classmate into our toddler community. The children showed such gentle curiosity—offering toys, making space at the table, and helping our new friend learn the routine. It was a lovely reminder of how naturally toddlers embrace grace and courtesy when given the chance.

We have also been talking about Thanksgiving and the idea of gratitude in simple, concrete ways. During circle time, the children shared what makes them feel happy—family, pets, favorite foods, and special classroom materials. We read seasonal books and practiced using kind hands and thankful words.

The weather has been a big part of our conversations too. As the days grow colder and windier, the children are noticing changes during outdoor play—crunchy leaves, cloudy skies, and the need for warm jackets and hats. We took time to slow down and observe, giving the children language for what they see and feel.

It has been a full and joyful week in our toddler community. We look forward to more discoveries together!

Remember that unless you are signed up for early drop-off, please do not arrive before 8:30… we want to make sure the drop-off line is clear for our older students.

With Full Hearts,

Ms.Mollie and Ms. Lizette

Ms. Vicki’s Weekly Update

Posted on by Vicki Downs

This week, we added several new fall-themed activities to our shelves, giving the children fresh opportunities to build fine motor skills, practice sorting, and explore seasonal materials.

One of our new works invited the children to use their fingers to pull corn kernels off a dried cob. This activity was a big hit! It strengthens finger muscles, supports hand–eye coordination, and gives them a satisfying sensory experience as the kernels pop off.

We also introduced painted acorns paired with matching colored bowls. The children carefully sorted each acorn into the bowl with the same color, building visual discrimination, concentration, and early categorizing skills.

To support scooping and feeding skills, we added a tray with fall-colored glass stones. The children practiced scooping the stones and transferring them into different containers. This work helps develop wrist control, hand strength, and independence at mealtime.

The toddlers loved exploring their new fall activities, and it was wonderful to watch their focus, determination, and excitement grow throughout the week.

Reminders:

  • Next week, we have an early dismissal on Tuesday, starting at 11:15.

Mrs. Wilson: Baking Bread

Posted on by Cynthia Wilson

A special highlight this week was baking bread for our upcoming Thanksgiving celebration. This is a tradition we look forward to each year as part of our community-wide event. While we do not attend the Thanksgiving ceremony with the other students, we are always excited to participate in the bread sharing. This year, we chose a festive Cranberry Orange bread. The children gathered around with Ms. Alyssa and Ms. Melissa, eagerly helping to combine, whisk, and mix all the ingredients.

One loaf of this delicious bread will be shared with the whole school next week, while the second loaf will be enjoyed in our classroom alongside the homemade butter the children helped prepare. Turning heavy cream into butter takes plenty of shaking—and even more perseverance—which made the final result all the more rewarding for them.

A lovely moment from this week was introducing a prism to the children. Their excitement grew as beams of light scattered across the room, forming tiny rainbows on the walls and floor. The children eagerly moved around the classroom, trying to “catch” the rainbows as they appeared. It was a simple yet magical exploration of light, color, and movement.

For our food tasting this week, we explored a pomegranate. The children were fascinated as Mrs. Wilson demonstrated how to open it and remove the seeds. By cutting the top, slicing along the natural lines, and tapping the skin with a wooden spoon, the seeds fall out easily into a bowl. It certainly seemed that the children loved tasting the crunchy, juicy, bright red pomegranate seeds!

Love and Light,

Cynthia and Sara

Ms. Vicki’s Weekly Update

Posted on by Vicki Downs

This week, we introduced several new fall-themed materials to explore, including activities with warm colors, leaves, and seasonal objects.  The children were naturally drawn to the new trays and loved exploring what each one could do.  One of our most popular new choices was water transferring using a dropper.  The children practiced squeezing, releasing, and carefully moving water from one container to another.  We also introduced clothespin color matching.  The toddlers worked hard to open and close the pins using their fingers and match each pin to the correct colored space.  These activities support concentration, hand strength, and early pre-writing skills.  We also set up a dishwashing station.  They practiced scrubbing dishes with soap and water and a sponge.  This real, practical work helps build independence and focus.  There were lots of bubbles, messes, and smiles!

Reminders:

  • Tuesday, November 25th, is an early dismissal (11:30), and then we are off for Thanksgiving break.

Enjoy the pictures!

Mrs. Wilson: Bear, Squirrel, Moose Oh My!

Posted on by Cynthia Wilson

What a lovely and peaceful week we had in our classroom. After the excitement of last week’s activities, it felt refreshing to return to a familiar rhythm. Our only major event was the celebration of a special friend who turned three, which brought great joy to our community.

Throughout the week, we observed the children showing increasing independence as they selected work that captured their interest. Many were drawn to our woodland animal materials and enjoyed identifying animals such as the bear, moose, fox, beaver, and owl through our figure-to-picture matching work. The change in seasons also inspired the children to explore the falling leaves outdoors, taking time to notice and name their many vibrant autumn colors.

During our circle gatherings, the children continued to enjoy singing “Grey Squirrel, Grey Squirrel.” They took turns holding our classroom squirrel and offering it a gentle hug while participating in the song:

Grey squirrel, grey squirrel, swish your bushy tail.
Grey squirrel, grey squirrel, swish your bushy tail.
Crinkle up your little nose,
Hold an acorn between your toes.
Grey squirrel, grey squirrel, swish your bushy tail.

Our food-tasting experience this week introduced the children to cranberries. They listened closely as Mrs. Wilson bit into a raw cranberry so they could hear the distinct pop it makes. Each child was invited to taste the raw berry—crisp and tart—followed by a sample of sweet whole-berry cranberry sauce. To deepen their learning, the children discovered that cranberries grow in water called a bog. We then created our own cranberry bog in the sensory bin, where the children used scoops to collect the floating berries, combining sensory exploration with practical life skills.

Love and light,
Cynthia and Sara