Montessori Activity: Inserting Photos into the Photo Album

Age: From 3.5 years old

Duration: 15 minutes

Objectives:

1. To train the child's fine motor skills

Materials:

1. 1 container with a few photos
2. 1 small photo album
3. 1 tray

Directions:

1. Demonstrate to your child how to put a photo into a plastic insert.

2. Invite your child to try.

Additional Information:

My friend Yang Li gave me a very good idea - to let the child share his summer vacation pictures at the kindergarten. The child could point to the pictures and talk about it with his friends and teachers. What a great way to enhance language skills.

Then I thought of making it into a Montessori Practical Life activity for the 3.5 years old. Joshua could learn to help himself to organize the photos into his own photo album.

J (3Y5M7D) tried it today 11 August 2012. It was still quite challenging for him as the plastic is very filmy. I taught him the technique of using one hand to hold the corner of the plastic and the other hand to insert it in. After some practice, he managed to do it, but he could definitely practice to improve it. He will get to practice this fine motor skills for the next round of photos :-)

Heritage Education: Matching Homemade Family Picture Puzzle

Age: 1.5 year old

I got this idea from "Having Fun at Home" to use for Heritage Education. Since J gets to see his grandparents, aunties, uncles and cousins only once a year (if God provides us the means as He has granted us thus far...), this is a very good way to help him to remember all the faces.This is especially useful, when we have a large extended family in Asia.

How?

Basically you make a set of two same pictures with photos of your faraway family members, and play a game with your child to match them.

This is a very good way to provide a refresher course for J, before we next visit Singapore. I haven't had the chance to make this puzzle yet, but I will have a few months to do so :-)