art, craft, children, and the making of the home

In my Montessori training, we were warned against putting the children's art up for display. Children's art, it was said, should be spared the ooohs and aaahs adults are so prone to spill all over it. Like any work, it should be received in a kind and encouraging manner, but shouldn't be put on a pedestal, as the goal is for the child to learn to love the process of creating for itself, and not to "create" just because of the accolades their creations tend to elicit from grown-ups.

Okay, so that's the Montessori view of artwork. I'm on the fence - while I certainly don't want my students and future children to create simply because I like it and think its so incredibly cute, I also believe that displaying children's art in the home and classroom is an important act of home making and community building.

First, I would never want to diminish the act of giving a handmade gift that is, by its nature, infused with love, time, and much effort. As a child, I remember giving countless homemade gifts to people I loved. The child's generosity is unencumbered by holiday pressures and financial worries, and his penniless, spontaneous state allows creations of love to be gifted at any time of the year, if only he has within his reach a set of paints, fabric scraps, and other mundane treasures.

Next, if my creations are sprinkled about my home, why shouldn't my children's be, as well? For me, an integral part of "home making" is just that - a home must be made, not bought. How does one make a home? Here are a few thoughts:

Baking and cooking from scratch
Gardening and eating from your seasonal harvest
Making household items, such as towels, pillowcases, quilts, etc., by hand
Thoughtfully decorating with thrifted or handmade items
Cleaning - again and again and again and again ...

A home must be lovingly "acted upon" in order to make it a home. A home can't function on its own - we grown-ups are well aware of this. Children need to be brought into this realm of understanding, too. Remember that post on Practical Life exercises a while back? If you haven't read it yet, go ahead and read it now. As soon as the child is developmentally capable, he should be encouraged to help to "make" the house into a home. Like his parents, he should be involved in meal preparation, cleaning, and decorating; in essence, the child shouldn't be overlooked in the whole, ever-occurring process of making a house into a home.

If you are a crafter, this means that, like you, your children will want to make useful and decorative items for display, as they will see it as a tangible way to contribute to the family community. If you don't consider yourself an artist - consider trying it out, for the sake of your children. Why should their art be the only of its kind on display on the fridge? Consider making items for the home together, and finding more pleasing and permanent ways to display children's artwork other than the fridge. If you're at a loss for where to begin, Amanda's upcoming book promises to have some innovative ideas for displaying children's handiwork and many more lovely ideas for encouraging creativity in the family.

As for the classroom? Well, it wasn't for quaintness that Maria Montessori decided to call the 3-6 year-old classroom the Children's House. It is meant to mimic the family home, from the cozy decor to the familiar household (practical life) activities. I would say, then, that the students in the Montessori classroom should be part of the entire "home making" process, from caring for the plants to decorating for the holidays. No die-cut bulletin boards for our "House." Instead, you will find handmade paper garlands, hand-cut snowflakes, salt-dough ornaments, and more. The children make the decoration and then decide how, where, and if it will be displayed.

More on specific holiday crafts tomorrow!

characteristics of practical life activities

Here's a good example of a practical life activity that is culturally relevant here in rural Mexico. Sandra is removing the corn kernels, one by one. Later, she or another child will mill the corn outside. To complete the process, an older child who has had a lesson can make tortillas to share with the class as part of the day's snack:

What is practical life? My short answer - everything the child does to care for herself and to help maintain the community in which she lives. Practical life is the basis of any Montessori community or any home. Without it, living in community, be it in a family or in a classroom, would be impossible. Here are just a few examples of practical life activities:

Wiping your nose
Setting the table
Washing your face
Preparing food
Washing dishes
Feeding the animals
Cleaning the house
Cleaning your shoes
Zipping your coat
Buckling your shoe
Doing the laundry
Caring for your garden

Some of these things we (adults) enjoy - some of them we come to abhor, and some of them we do without even thinking about it! Young children, on the other hand, truly enjoy the activities of practical life. They help them to develop coordination, concentration, and independence. In addition, they are gaining new skills, developing helpful and selfless habits, and learning to adapt to their culture.

Here are the basic characteristics of practical life activities:

Familiar
Practical life exercises are things the child has already seen regularly in his family life. She might
have witnessed an older sibling, a parent, or a grandparent perform these tasks on a daily basis. Perhaps she has even done certain exercises before coming into the Montessori environment. This familiarity helps the child orient to her new classroom.

Culturally Specific
The exercises should be relevant in the child’s day-to-day life. For example, if the child lives in
Southeast Asia, the practical life exercises offered by the directress will differ from those offered in France. If the culture eats their meals with chopsticks, it would be useless to have an exercise dealing with setting the table with a spoon, fork and knife. Practical life activities should help the child adapt to her environment.

Real
Providing the child with real, functional tools and activities conveys to the child that her work is
valued. (Another key point here is that the activities themselves should be purposeful. We must ask ourselves - is tweezing beads from one tray to another really a purposeful activity? Not really. While there are MANY activities that we could come up with that "help the child develop her pincer grip," these don't really have a place on the Montessori practical life shelf. Before putting an activity on the shelf, ask yourself: "Would I do this in my day-to-day life? Is this necessary to maintain my classroom (or home) environment? Or is this simply busy work?" Such busy work that the child enjoys and which helps her concentrate would, however, be very appropriate to place on a toy shelf.

Physically Proportioned
Well-proportioned tools help the child to fine-tune his motor skills and perfect precise movements. The size, weight and design of the material should be taken into account before offering it to the child. It should be heavy enough to provide tactile feedback to the child about the success of his movements, but should not be unwieldy or awkward in his small hands. Michael Olaf and Montessori Services provide wonderful child-sized items.

Breakable a.k.a. "Get rid of that sippy cup!
The value of glass in the environment extends beyond its aesthetic qualities; if the child recognizes that a piece of material is breakable, she will show care in her movements. In addition, a glass pitcher weights more than its plastic counterpart, giving the child feedback on her actions. In the event of a breakage, the teacher acts very detached and impartial about the accident. She does not lecture: she simply states that it should be swept up. The teacher removes the broken material and its corresponding exercise from the shelf and waits for several days before replacing it. This gives the children an appreciation of and respect for the material, knowing that it cannot be immediately replaced.

Attractive
The material should be aesthetically pleasing, clean, and functional. Children are attracted to
beauty and order, and the teacher recognizes this and assures that all of the exercises and materials are ready for the children before the start of the day. (A word about plastic, here. Instead of filling your home or classroom with plastic trays, take a visit to your local thrift stores! Thrift stores, in fact, are the BEST place to look for trays. On one trip a while back, I was able to fill a large box with the most beautiful silver trays - each one original. The advantage of silver trays? You can now put out a silver polishing activity!)

Color-Coded
Color-coding the exercises to indicate level of difficulty helps the child to choose work independently. It also adds to the beauty and order of the environment. Do not sacrifice beauty for color, however. Like I said, a silver or brass tray is much more desirable than an orange plastic one.

Orderly
Order is found throughout the practical life exercises. The exercises are presented in order of
difficulty and then displayed on the shelves in order of difficulty. The teacher places the more elementary exercises on the left of the shelf; the more challenging exercises are toward the right. The presentation of the exercises themselves remains consistent. The steps are clearly
demonstrated in sequential order. In an activity such as table washing, the teacher displays the necessary tools in the order in which they are needed, from left to right. This attention to order helps the child integrate and form connections between things in his environment.

Limited
The children are presented with enough activities so that their interest remains peaked. This
does not necessitate an exceedingly large number of exercises - even less if you are homeschooling! First, the environment should only contain exercises that are pertinent to classroom life. The child would be overwhelmed if presented with too many choices. Giving them a tenable number of choices helps them become decisive and come to understand their own preferences. In addition, the child’s natural tendency is toward repetition; therefore it is beneficial to have a limited number of activities on the shelves. If given the opportunity to repeat an exercise, the child will acquire a level of mastery, and the consequent independence. Instead of placing everything out at once, consider rotating activities to maintain interest.
Only one type of each exercise is on the shelf. If a classmate has already chosen the shoe polishing exercise, the child will have to choose an alternative piece of work. It is an important and constructive lesson to learn that one’s first choice is not always available. The child begins to understand that the classroom
community shares its resources.

Phew! Did you make it this far? Then you must really be interested in Montessori! If you want to learn more, join the Montessori By Hand Yahoo group in the side bar. Sign up for a nice little Montessori-style surprise! (Hint: read my most recently posted message to the Yahoo group.)

apples

Apple pie. Apple cider. Apple juice. Baked apples, cinnamon and sugar. Applesauce. Warm, apple smell drifting around the kitchen and enveloping you like a mohair scarf. Apple picking. Apple crates. Apples coming out your ears.

Here are the apples of my eye, making apple juice and peeling, coring, and slicing apples to be dried in the generous autumn sun.

Yum.

make your own hand lotion

I'm a compulsive ingredients label reader. Mumblings of "Eew! Who would put that on their body!" and "Oh, that can't be good for you," seem to escape from my mouth when shopping for food and toiletries.

Several years ago I happened upon this book which has numerous recipes for making your own personal care products. We've gotten a lot of use out of it - and have had a blast emulsifying water and oil, coming up with custom essential oil fragrance combinations, and packaging up the yummy products for gifts and our own use. Here's to handmade - for your hands.

Ingredients
6 oz. liquid oil (such as canola or olive oil)
3 oz. solid oil (coconut oil, shea butter, etc.)
1 oz. beeswax (find it here, along with other organic products)
9 oz. of water
20 drops of orange essential oil
30 drops of vanilla essential oil

Pour the 6 oz. of liquid oil into a 16 oz. heat-proof measuring cup. Add pieces of solid oil to the liquid oil until the total volume reaches the 9 oz. mark, then add the 1 oz. of beeswax. Put the measuring cup into a pot filled with water and place it over medium heat on the stove top. Stir until the all of the solids melt. This can take a little while.

Remove the measuring cup from the water and let it cool to body temperature. It will become more thick and opaque - keep stirring it as it cools. Briefly place the 9 oz. of water in its own container into the pot (still filled with hot water) to bring it up to body temperature.

Pour the 9 oz. of water into a larger mixing bowl. Get out your hand mixer and turn it on high speed. Slowly begin pouring the oil mixture into the water. Continue processing until the mixture reaches a thick, creamy consistency. Turn off the mixer and add the drops of essential oil, then mix it up a bit more.

Try not to eat it, okay? I know it smells good, but it's for your hands. :)

P.S. - for you Montessorians out there ... wouldn't this be a great practical life activity for older elementary children?

montessori child's apron pattern

Patterns will (hopefully) be up for sale tomorrow! Here's the last of the little collection. Isn't my model such a ham? She's one of my five year-old students.

the third pattern

Here's a snippet for you to ponder ... the third pattern in "Brown Apples and Pears" by Alexander Henry.

Tonight we're making chocolate chip cookies. A sweet date with my sweet husband.

Love,Meg

Child's Smock Tutorial

As promised, a tutorial on the orange juicing / making limeade smock. But before I begin, have you signed up for our first Montessori swap? It should be a lot of fun!

This smock will be used by the older children only, so keep this sizing in mind if you want to make the smock for a child younger than 5 years old. You'll need to shorten the elastic band, shoulder straps, and overall length of the main skirt to fit a younger child.


The smock is pulled on over the head and requires no fasteners. The buttons are simply decorative.

Materials:
1 yard/meter of fabric
22 inches of 1/2 inch elastic
coordinating thread
2 large, coordinating buttons
yard/meter stick and fabric marker

1.) Using your yard/meter stick and fabric marker to cut the fabric to the following dimensions:

1.) With right sides together, sew together the main skirt panels leaving a 1/2 inch seam allowance. Leave an opening on one of the 48 cm sides to turn.

2.) Turn main skirt panels and iron, folding opening under 1/2 inch. Topstitch around three sides of the skirt, leaving one 45 cm side without topstitching. This will be the top - the part you will attach to the chest band.
3.) With a single strand of thread and a hand needle, hand stitch loosely along the top edge of the skirt. Do not knot the thread at either end. Pull gently on both ends of thread to gather.


4.) At this time, make the elastic band casing. To make the casing, simple fold the strip in half (long sides together) with right sides together and stitch down the long side with a 1/4 inch seam allowance. Turn and press. Topstitch along both long edges. Insert elastic using a safety pin. Secure elastic at one end by stitching over elastic (in casing) several times. When the other end of the elastic appears at the other edge of casing, remove safety pin, continue pulling on elastic with fingers and sew back and forth several times to secure within casing. Set aside.

5.) Make the shoulder straps. Fold strip in half lenthwise, stitch a 1/2 inch seam down the long side. Turn and press. Topstitch along both long edges. Repeat for other strap. Set aside.

6.) With each chest band, fold over the long edges 1/4 inch and press.


7.) Attach the top of the gathered skirt to the back chest band (you choose which one is the back - it doesn't matter.) The total length of the gathered skirt top should be 12 inches or 30 cm. Center the skirt in the chest band and pin. Using a longer stitch length, carefully sew the skirt to the chest band, making sure to catch the 1/4 folded edge of the chest band in the seam.

8.) Attach the shoulder straps to the back chest band. Pin them to the chest band, about 5 1/4 inches or 13 cm apart in the center, and 1/2 inch from each edge of the back chest band. About one inch of each shoulder strap edge will be caught in the seam. Click on picture for a larger image. Make sure the straps are not twisted before you sew. They should look like these:

9.) Attach front chest band. Carefully pin the front chest band to the back chest band, wrong sides together. Topstitch down both long edges.

10.) Attach elastic band. Fold under short edges of shoulder straps and press. Pin the elastic band in place. Stitch in place, backstitching several times to reinforce the seam. Repeat to attach the other side.
11.) Hand stitch buttons to the front of the chest band directly underneath the shoulder straps.

Iron-on vinyl. The answer to all Montessori prayers.

Yes. You read correctly ... iron-on vinyl exists!!! This means:

1.) No more searching in vain for different kinds of oilcloth and water-resistant fabrics.
2.) Matching mats for any practical life activity that requires a cute apron!
3.) We are no longer limited by monochromatic color-coding for materials that use water. Envision coordinated prints for washing a table, making tortillas, preparing bread, etc.!

My first project with the vinyl was a coordinating mat for the orange-juice/lime-aid get up.
I found my iron-on vinyl at Reprodepot, but I'm not sure they have it in stock at the moment. I found it for sale here on the net. It comes in a matte and glossy finish. I used matte. It seems sturdy enough, but you might consider lining both the front and the back of the fabric with it.

I learned about this from Anna Maria, who used the stuff to make some really great lunch totes for her children. Yay for inspiration from other craft bloggers!

I'm putting together a tutorial for this apron. Check back! Hope your week is going well.

:) Meg

Springtime Art/Practical Life Ideas ...

... and a bit of Mexican tradition for you, as well!Did you know that every Easter, in small towns in the south of Mexico , they have a confetti egg fight? My grandfather's family is from the south of Mexico, and it is an Easter tradition we have kept alive in my (now American) family for several generations. Here's a photo of my husband about to get bopped on the head by my uncle - this was way back in college (thus the scanned photo.) Thankfully, he still wanted to marry into my family after this experience!

In his hand, my uncle carries a colorful arsenal ... an eggshell, yolk emptied by making a smallish hole on the skinny side of the ovoid, filled with confetti. Tissue paper and glue cover the hole and keep the confetti inside until it is smashed over someone's head.

The egg fight is so much better than your typical "gringo" Easter egg hunt. Adults hide dozens and dozens of these eggshells, or cascarones, and each child receives a paper bag for gathering as many eggs as they can find before the fight begins. (I use the word "child" liberally here ... my brother is 40, my father 65, and they are more into this than any 7 year-old.) Here's my dad and brother in a typical Easter scene: (click to see a larger version)



Where I am in the north of Mexico cascarones are not part of the Easter celebration. Although we are not going to have a real fight in the classroom, I did put a few materials on the shelf that pertain to the preparation of the cascarones.

Here is my most "active" child totally engrossed in his work washing and drying the eggshells in preparation for decoration. Here he is again, filling, topping, and decorating his eggshell. He ended up making a cat, with ears, tail, whiskers, four paws and all. Too bad I didn't get a picture of the finished product. Perhaps I'll post it tomorrow.
Here is the practical life material you will need for washing eggshells:
We asked the parents to save their eggshells ( not cracked in half, but with a hole in one end.)
Materials:
eggshells
small jar
a small dish (a spice grinder worked here)
a ramekin in which you can submerge an eggshell in water.
sponge
toothbrush
somewhere to put the washed eggs as they dry (you could use a half-dozen egg carton with the top cut off.)
a small bucket to empty the dirty water
organic soap shavings (We also have material on the practical life shelf for grating soap, which is generally used for washing veggies ... this is the same soap that can be available at the Table of Provisions.
small towel for drying eggs
mat or underlay

Presentation:
Put one small spoonful of soap into dish. Fill jar with water and add a small amount of water to the soap dish. Fill the ramekin 3/4 full. Get an eggshell from the basket on the shelf. Show child how to carefully insert a finger in the eggshell, dip toothbrush in soap dish, and wash egg in tiny, circular motions. Once you have scrubbed the entire egg, carefully submerge it in the ramekin. Move around slightly to remove soap, take out of ramekin and let drip until the last drop falls (like pouring water,) and place in the egg carton/holder. Show the child how to clean up. Tell him that when he has filled up the carton, you will show him how to dry off the eggs and place them, one by one, in the basket on the art shelf.

Here's the art shelf. The entire top row is dedicated to egg decorating at this moment. From left to right: cutting confetti, washed eggs, tissue paper for the egg tops, glue, sponge applicator (or paint brush) and small glue dish (you can't use paste for this ... you'll have to make do with white glue,) markers, compartmentalized tray with sequins, packing popcorn cut in half, tissue paper balls, yarn pieces, etc., tray with small pieces of construction paper and a pair of scissors.



This presentation involves cutting confetti (if a small child hasn't chosen this work yet today,) filling the egg half full with confetti, placing glue around the hole, and topping it with a piece of tissue paper. The rest is your creative license - I like to make little animals when I present to an older child, and simple shapes and decoration when presenting to a younger child. I don't present the construction paper and scissors tray to the younger ones - this is for making ears, etc. To make animal ears, cut out the shape and fold 1/4 inch at the bottom of the ear. On this fold you can place the glue and stick it on the egg. The ears stick out and look really cute. I'll post some finished product photos tomorrow to give you some ideas!

Caring for Plants in the Classroom

I couldn't wait until Easter break to make a rick-rack apron for Tie One On. The rick-rack itself is understated, but the overall effect of the hand-appliqué and three dimensional flowers is awesome in person. Et voila! Thus was born the most nifty "watering flowers" apron this side of the Sierra Madre.
You can make your own similar apron of any style. (This one is a bit complicated with the lining, pleats and all ... I can't even tell you how I did it ... it was pure luck.) All you will need is a bit of Pellon's Wonder Under (found at any fabric store) and this great tutorial for making the flowers, or "yo-yo's."

Iron the Wonder Under to the back side of the fabric you want to appliqué, wait for it to cool, then draw the design for the watering can/pot/leaves. Cut out design, peel off the backing, and iron directly onto the main fabric. Then comes the time consuming part - hand stitch all around each appliqué, using a coordinating thread. I also added some french knots to mimic dripping water. The rick-rack was machine stitched after the rest of the embroidery was completed.
This is (one of) the best parts about this apron - its loop to hold the watering indicators. In my classroom, we use two types of markers ... one that identifies a plant that needs watering (here it is the green with the blue embroidered drop,) and another (here the red flower) that tells the children that this plant has already been watered today. You need to have one of each for each plant in the environment. For example, if you have 10 plants, you would need 10 greens and 10 reds. The indicators that are not in use remain in a pretty vase on the practical life shelf next to the apron and watering can.
In the morning, the guide checks the humidity of the soil in each plant and (most likely) places a green, "water me" indicator in the pot. During the day, the child that chooses to water plants puts on the apron and inserts several red "I've been watered" indicators in the apron loop. The child's hands are then free to carry the watering can.
The child removes the green indicator, wipes off the soil with a small towel, (I'll explain this later) and places it in the loop before watering the plant. After the plant has been watered, she places the red indicator in the soil. She continues in this manner until she has used up her stash of red indicators, at which time she can place the green indicators from her apron loop in the pretty vase. If there are more red indicators left in the vase, she can repeat the process. If not, work for that day is complete, as all of the plants have been watered.
During the presentation, I would show the child that the small (3inx3in) towel that is placed under the watering can spout to prevent dripping is also used to wipe off any soil from the indicator before placing it in the apron loop.

Here are a few more ideas concerning plants in the environment:

1.) Why not label the classroom and garden plants and have this as a classified reading exercise? This could also be done at home in the garden and with potted plants.
2.) Have another material for dusting plant leaves. This might use the same apron as the watering exercise, with a tiny spray bottle/mister (why not use an antique perfume bottle?) and a 3cm x 3cm piece of felt. The presentation is simple - mist a leaf, gently wipe off the dust with the felt.
3.) Another plant care extension is a presentation on how to remove and compost dry, dead plant leaves. The only material required is a small basket in which to place the leaves to transport them to the compost.
4.) Check out the North American Montessori Teacher's Association's (NAMTA) video on the Child in Nature - I have not had the opportunity to see it, but it is highly recommended by my colleague, who says it is an incredible look at how one can set up the outdoor component to the Montessori classroom.
5.) Try to find artistic representations of every plant you have in the environment (e.g. post cards of paintings, collage, pencil drawings, tapestries, fiber art,) and have the children match the art with the real plant.
6.) And an idea from Maria Montessori herself, as found in the Clio series of "The Discovery of the Child," page 75:
"Little pots of fragrant plants can also have a practical interest. A child's activity then consists in searching for, distinguishing, and gathering the plants with different scents. An exercise in distinguishing things that look alike and in seeking out a scent rather than a flower is exacting and affords the satisfaction of discovery."
(Think of having mints and herbs in the environment!)

I'll close this post with some more of Montessori's own words, again from that same chapter in The Discovery of the Child:

"The children never forgot to water the plants with a little watering can. One morning I found them all seated in a circle on the floor around a magnificent red rose that had opened up during the night. They were silent and peaceful, completely absorbed in contemplation."

Tie One On

We Montessorians are big on aprons. Tired of wearing (or seeing the children wear) the same old apron day after day in your environment? I've found some inspiration at Tie One On - About all things Aprony. The site hosts apron themes, and anyone who is interested can post photos of their homemade apron to the flickr photo gallery.
These photos come from the "mini-me" theme. Other great themes from the past include the pinafore and the smock.
Next month's theme is "rick-rack." I'll be trying to come up with a design over my Easter break. When I went to San Francisco for the Centenary Celebration, I also visited my parents. My mom and I went through her old sewing supplies, and she shooed me away with more rick-rack than any sensible person would ever desire! (Thanks, Mom!) This project will allow me put some of it to use!