"Even if something is left undone, everyone must take time to sit still and watch the leaves turn."—Elizabeth LawrenceThe fall equinox happens this week. No doubt by this time the school routine is running smoothly for you and your family. It's a new season, with time and space to enjoy some relaxing activities before the h... Read More

Is there anything more rewarding than being able to care for one's own self? Help your child on the path to independence with home activities that support similar self-care "lessons" in the Montessori classroom. A little planning and a lot of patience will go far!The most important (and the hardest!) part? Allow plenty of t... Read More

"The pressures and fast pace of today's society have taken away the times of quiet togetherness which we should have with our children... We all know how quickly they grow up and leave us, so let us not wait until it is too late."—Elizabeth G. Hainstock, Teaching Montessori in the HomeWhen the family navigates major transit... Read More

Light years ahead of her time, Maria Montessori developed a theory of education that continues to thrive more than a century after she opened her first school. Perhaps your children attend a Montessori school, or maybe you home school with inspiration from her method. Noticing how children were challenged by the expectation... Read More

We've all seen young children doing any number of imaginative things with wooden blocks: building a toy animal corral or a parking lot for cars, or a doll's cradle. What makes block play open-ended, after all? Merriam-Webster's definition of open-ended, applied:"not rigorously fixed": the outcome of the child's activity is ... Read More

"I never teach my pupils; I only attempt to provide the conditions in which they can learn."—Albert EinsteinMany of us have seen a young child more interested in the wrapping paper than the gift; or watched as a child played with just a string and a popsicle stick or a large empty box. Maria Montessori observed the same phe... Read More

It's summer at last - time to relax and take it easy. What does that mean for you and your family? It's not easy to slow down when there are so many demands on your time.How can you re-create for your children the feeling of the uninhibited play you might recall from your own childhood summers? Times have changed and demand... Read More

"Spring came again to the northern garden and so did the bluebirds." —R. Bruce Horsfall Bluebirds Seven The dawn chorus of birds is a universal sign of spring, and you might listen for it with your early-rising children - even from inside your home. Morning is a perfect time to hear birds as they greet the rising sun. It's ... Read More

Explore the "universal language" of music with your children Children have a wonderful capacity to appreciate and make music. Early exposure to a music of all types has intrinsic value -- it can tell a story, set a mood, and reflect the character of a culture. Music stimulates the part of the brain associated with pattern r... Read More

"You don't have to go far or plan a big, expensive vacation to see great stuff. In fact, some of the greatest places may be right around the corner."—Joanne O'Sullivan, 101 Places You Gotta See Before You're 12!Parents often have mixed feelings with the approach of vacation time. It's nice to have a more relaxed routine and... Read More