Our School's Tutorial on Clay Angels

Baby Unit

Teachers go through sensitive periods also and when I had my children so many years ago I was compelled to create a unit on babies. As a new mother I was given so many magazines from the doctor's office and through the mail that it was a cry for a new unit to be made. You can image how much children love this unit. All of these things are on the shelf at once after giving lessons on them one at a time. 

Easy Xmas Through the Years

Twenty-five years of Christmas crafts in my files proven to be easy, fast, well loved and successful for parent parties. 

Holiday Insets

The Montessori Insets are one of the most creative works in a Montessori classroom. Not only do the templates strengthen pencil control but they can be the beginning of artistic invention.

Here are examples of masters I have made for my students to copy. The kids love these and will do more than one at a sitting to put in book form. I use all types and colors of paper with the insets. This is also a hit laid out on a table for a party for parents. Please copy these and make masters for your own children. 

Swizzle Stick Open-Ended Designing

I love material that allows for outcomes to be different each time with unending potential for image building and design work. No wonder I teach clay ( see my many tutorial videos here and then on You Tube ) and no wonder I love Montessori's Sensorial works. ( See my creative use of the Constructive Triangles and Pink Tower ) 
As a Montessorian, I am not afraid to use what works even if it is not Montessori. This time it is swizzle sticks! Purists would shudder. I revel in the possibilities. Mix and match, oh yeah. Creative to the max, you bet. A work that keeps a four year old busy and happy for the full length of a morning preschool period designing and then getting a clipboard and drawing that design is a success. 

Harold and the Purple Crayon

Harold and the Purple Crayon

One of my favorite books from my childhood is still a book that instills silence at story time because of the fantasy world drawn by little artist Harold as he walks through his life. 

One never knows what his crayon will draw in adventure. 

This game gives structure to our drawing lesson.

We read the books and then use the game's picture cards to make a world of our own. I make an easy master for the kids to view.

I often print out titles for projects

Using the game's cards as drawing prompts we create our own world as we hold up a card and tell a new story as we draw.

Children asked to do more than one of these delightful drawings which showed me it was a successful project.