Toothpicks

This is one activity that MD used to work on since last year and he was able to do it well which I believe helped improve his fine motor skills and concentration.  I recently brought it out again and he continues to enjoy it.  He puts toothpicks into a empty and cleaned spice shaker one by one. 

Pouring Green Rice

Learning to pour colored rice from a pitcher to a cup.  This has gotten a lot easier.  The last time we tried it a few months ago, MD kept holding the pitcher with both hands and spilled way too much rice.

This time he spilt less and cooperated with cleaning it up.  I thought it would be good for his fine motor practice to pick it up with his fingers instead of a dustpan.

He was cooperative with the clean up part, but not too happy about it. :)

Puzzles

MD loves doing puzzles.  He used to do the 18 or 24 peice wooden puzzles since he was 2 but he lost interest in them recently.  I have been buying him some larger size floor puzzles (24 or 48 pieces) and he has been getting busy with these floor puzzles now.  However, I was a bit dissapointed with this Melissa and Doug Continents puzzle because it is difficult even for me to complete since the pieces do not interlock.  The are cut smooth and just kind of sit next to each other and move very easily.  So every time MD wanted to do this one his father or I would have to help him.  Recently, MD pulled out the puzzle while I was busy and I told him to get another one because I figured he would ask for help.  He stood his ground that he wanted that puzzle so I let him get it out and expected he would just give up or be calling me for help.  When I finished what I was doing I walked back in to check on him and I found that he had completed the puzzle all by himself!  That was a great surprise since this puzzle is a bit difficult for me (embarassed to admit) because I have to think about where each continent goes and then figure out where each weird shaped piece goes.  It's hard to expain this puzzle unless you have it, the pieces just don't connect to each other, but somehow he did it and I am so proud.

Final(ly) Cut

All those Montessori tonging exercises are starting to pay off.  MD starting cutting late last week.  He finally learned how to do it.  For several months I had attempted to teach him how to hold the scissors but he refused to do it how I showed him and kept trying to hold them like pruning shears (he is very stubborn or as I like to see it, persistent).  Obviously that was not successful since he could not cut anything like that and he would give up quickly and loose interest.  But last week he finally tried it "my" way and since then he's been wanting to cut things everyday.  Over the weekend I stocked up on paint chips from the hardware store because they are thick and small and perfect for him to cut easily.  He's also been trying to experiment cutting on different surfaces like a chair before I had the chance to catch him and redirect him.  Shortly after that he also cut the edge of his shirt.  This is what happens when I look away for a minute.   

Water Bottle Number Match Up & Then Some

Matching water bottle lids with numbers on them to the correct bottle with the same number (also a work in fine motor skills if I can get him to screw the caps on).

  I am going to be adding more numbers as I collect more empty bottles.  Good thing I love drinking water.

We later added marbles to the bottles corresponding to the number on each bottle . . .

And shook them just for fun . . . .

And extended the learning with some colored blocks . . . right about this time I started loosing him, oh well, it was a fun and educational five minutes.

Bottles & Lids

A simple Montessori practical life exercise:  Opening and closing containers of various sizes.

Sponge Water Transfer

This water transfer is was not as easy for MD as I thought it would be.  It takes him a while to get all of the water transfered over because he only soaks a part of the sponge and has to work hard on the squeezing part.

Shapes Activity

Another quick, cheap, and easy acitivity.  I traced small foam shapes on index cards and MD matches the foams to the card outlines.  Another focusing task that he enjoys and I usually give to him while I'm cooking dinner to keep him entertained for a little while.

Focus Focus Focus

This is a small peg board activity that MD likes to work on. I got the pegs and board at a Just Between Friends sale in Semptember. I love the way he gets so focused doing activities like this.