Tag Archives: giveaway

Montessori at Home! Review and GIVEAWAY

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Feeling lucky? St Patricks Day is the perfect day to win a giveaway!!

For those of you that have followed my blog for awhile you know that I absolutely LOVE the Montessori approach to teaching young children. The materials, the structure, the scope/sequence of activities… it makes my teacher heart sing! During the beginning stages of my Montessori experience I was on my own reading books from the library and googling Montessori activities and lessons to do with my toddler. While I found there were some good resources, I still felt like I had no clue what I was doing.

Until I had the opportunity to read John Bowman’s Montessori at Home! book.

It is a one-stop shopping Montessori experience. John explores the world of Montessori by first explaining WHAT the Montessori approach is all about. Things like the three step lesson, how to choose activities for your child, and preparing/displaying/demonstrating learning materials. This was SO helpful for me as I was starting out!

After thoroughly introducing the Montessori approach, John lists several activities for the following areas:
Everyday Life
Sensory
Science
Mathematics
Reading and Writing
Digital Life
Art and Music
Geography and Culture

This section of the book is filled with so many wonderful and detailed ideas to teach your child. Many of these activities use everyday items, which is great for those of us on a budget! When I first was given a hard copy of John Bowman’s book last year, I marked so many pages of ideas and lessons to do with my little girl that my book ended up looking like this:

If THAT didn’t convince you that this book is incredible, check out this list:

Top 10 Things I LOVE about Montessori at Home!

1. John Bowman was actually a preschool Montessori teacher and director. He also started three Montessori preschools! With those qualifications, I KNOW that he is very familiar with the Montessori method and the best way to teach it.

2. Montessori at Home has is a very well-rounded resource when it comes to Montessori activities. It doesn’t just focus on sensorial activities or Maria Montessori- it has it all.

3. It is a very easy read with lots of pictures. There are also links to other materials- which makes having an eBook very convenient.

4. Did I mention there are lots of free printable materials at the end of this book? So you can start your Montessori experience right away!

5. I love the appeal this book has to ALL of us working with kids- whether you are a daycare provider, preschool teacher, tutor, home teacher, or a parent/grandparent. We can all read and glean ideas to better help our children understand their environment and master skills such as reading and math. And there is such a variety of activities that I am positive you will find ones that work for you and the children you work with!

6. As mentioned earlier, there are massive amounts of ideas. Many of these are collected from other amazing Montessori teachers and moms found in the blogosphere! I can tell that John has spent hours researching engaging activities and quality lessons for his book.

7. This is a GREAT resource for Montessori beginners- like me. I don’t feel like I have to spend hours googling the different aspects of Montessori because it is all found here!

8. I love the fluid organization of this book. It’s easy to locate information and the sequence of materials is logical and practical.

9. It is now available on pdf! Which I love for two reasons: first, there is no wait time for the book to come in the mail, and second, I can use my pdf reader to bookmark pages so I’m not going through as many post it notes! You can always print the book once you have received the pdf.

10. The price is CRAZY good! It only costs 8.95! An amazing deal if you think about how much it would cost to send your child to a Montessori school!!

I also have to add that our Montessori Jar is included in this book which I am pretty excited about!

Montessori at Home is partnered with another amazing site: Montessori Print Shop. This site has over 1,000 Montessori-based pdfs- some are free while the rest are available at a very reasonable price. There is a special bundle of resources that include activities from most areas of the Montessori at Home book.=”clear:>

GUESS WHAT??? Two lucky readers will get:

A free copy of the Montessori At Home! Second Edition eBook from John Bowman
The Montessori at Home! bundle of 21 printable materials from Montessori Print Shop.

And GUESS WHAT else? EVERYONE who enters will win a free download of the Mom Bloggers Talk Montessori eBook. Pretty cool!!

Want to win? Here’s how:

Leave a comment and tell me your favorite learning activity you do with your kids!

You might be wondering, can I have extra entries? Why of course! (Just leave an additional comment for each of these)

Like the Home Teacher on Facebook
Like Montessori at Home! on Facebook
Like Montessori Print Shop on Facebook

Good Luck! The giveaway ends one week from today- Saturday, March 24, at 11:00 P.M. (Mountain Standard Time)

Good Luck! This is an amazing giveaway and I can’t wait to see who wins!

Happy Teaching!

Montessori Book Review and GIVEAWAY!

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I have been given the great opportunity to review an incredible book based on Montessori: Montessori at Home! The Complete Parents Guide to Doing Montessori Learning Activities at Home by John Bowman. As a mommy/teacher who has learned all I know about Montessori from a book I checked out from the library (and of course some amazing websites out there!) I appreciate having a curriculum that explains the Montessori’s goals, key points, key aspects, and benefits (for all those who might be a doubting Thomas). There is a helpful section on Montessori materials you can make and a wonderfully laid out and detailed section on the Three Step Lesson.

The Montessori at Home! curriculum not only contains the blueprint and outline for teaching the Montessori approach, but gives SO many great activities! They are organized into the following sections: Everyday Life Activities, Sensory Activities, Science Activities, The Mathematics Sequence, and the Reading Sequence. I read the book, putting post-it notes whenever I saw an idea I wanted to try out with my daughter and can I just say my book is plastered with yellow notes!! And these activities are labeled with an average age range, goals to accomplish during the activity, how you will know your child is ready for the activity, materials required, presentation and use, and parental involvement. Oh, and pictures for all us visual learners out there! 🙂 There are also some extension ideas, which I always appreciate in case I need to reinforce the learning goals or my daughter is completely captivated and wants to learn more!
I really could go on and on about the wonderful aspects of this curriculum guide. But rather than hearing me blab, let me show you some of the great ideas found in this book:
  1. How to teach numbers! I am starting to work on this more and more with my daughter, and I love the activities presented in this book. The sequence of teaching number recognition is perfect. I love presentations described in the book using a variety of materials including pennies, straws, grid boards, bead bars, and more!
  2. Addition and subtraction ideas- brilliant! I LOVE the idea of using clear cups to show the operation (a better detailed explanation is found in the book!).
  3. Fabric folding… I thought, how cute would it be if my daughter could fold the napkins for dinner (when we actually use them- ha!) This activity made it so simple! We tried it yesterday and I knew it sunk in when I later saw her trying to fold paper using the patterns mentioned in this book. And the book does recommend using light-colored wash clothes but all I had to spare was a dark blue towel that was on its way out… it still worked well for my kiddo!
One thing I didn’t mention about this book that is a great feature are all the free cut-outs and templates at the back of the book. I also received a CD that includes the entire book in pdf form (for all you e-readers out there that like to read on the go!) and a pdf of the templates and cut-outs. Great organization and phenomenal activities. For me, this book has been the foundation of most of our Montessori activities.
And guess what!?! I was fortunate to receive this book free of charge and one of you lucky U.S. readers can, too!
How to enter: Leave a comment telling me one of your favorite Montessori activity! And yes, you can enter more than once…up to three comments per person! Contest ends April 15 (thats an easy day to remember for those filing for taxes!)
Good luck and as always, happy teaching!
Update: Congrats to Megan for her winning comment! Your book is on it’s way!

I’m BAAAAACK!!! BABY LEGS GIVEAWAY- 3 Days Only!

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As most of you know, I have been SUFFERING the past 4+ weeks with the H1N1 virus. I am still not back to the energy level I have had before- I need 2 hour naps to get me through the rest of the day… it is not fun!
I have been doing some random learning activities that I might post later…. but right now I have a very important giveaway!
Katey Jades sent me a pair of fall colored Baby Legs to give to one of our lucky readers.(and I mean LUCKY- these are SO SO cute!)Because of the Thanksgiving holiday being just around the corner, I am going to make this a 3 day only giveaway- I want to mail this off Wednesday if possible!
WANT TO WIN IT? HERE’S HOW!!!
Leave a comment and tell me your favorite fall/Thanksgiving tradition. Make sure to include an email address so I can get a hold of you!

You might be wondering, can I have extra entries??? Why of course!!!

  • head on over to Katey Jades Boutique– tell me what item you just absolutely LOVE
  • If you follow The Home Teacher using Google Friend, give yourself one extra entry!
  • If you subscribe to The Home Teacher using feedburner, google reader, or any other RSS reader, give yourself one extra entry!
  • If you post about the giveaway (please include the link), give yourself one extra entry!
  • and for every time you add something new to The Home Teacher WIKI, give yourself an extra entry! If you add 10 new ideas, you can get 10 extra entries!!! There is no limit!!

Good Luck!!! Contest ends 11:00 A.M. (mountain time) on November 18 (Wednesday). Winner will be announced later that day.
Happy Teaching! and I pray you aren’t infected with this terrible illness!!!! Keep me in your prayers!

Halloween Giveaways from Katey Jades Boutique: Holiday Piggy Paint

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It is time for a very special holiday review and giveaway! I am just tickled pink to tell you more about some fabulous products available at Katey Jades Boutique. I was ecstatic to be the recipient of two free sets: one for me to review, one for a lucky blogger out there!

Halloween Piggy Paint: “Ghouls Just Want to Have Fun“

Our next Halloween giveaway is a gift pack of Piggy Paint from my new favorite boutique! If you have not heard of this product, let me fill you in… Piggy Paint is nailpolish for kids! It is non-toxic, hypoallergenic, and best of all… low odor! No more of that strong, abrasive smell. Below is a history of Piggy Paint in the founder’s own words (taken from her website)

“My name is Melanie Hurley, founder of Piggy Paint. I am a stay-at-home mom with two very fancy little girls, ages 2 and 4, who love to have their fingernails painted. I’ve always hated the thought of my kiddos putting their hands in their mouths after I painted their nails with traditional kid polishes. Not only did the ingestion of the chemicals worry me, but the smell nearly left me light-headed after painting two sets of fingernails and toenails.

One day while we were painting nails over a foam plate, my daughter dropped a glob of her solvent-based polish onto the plate. Shortly after, the paint began to bubble and “ate” through the plate. I looked in dismay at the hole in the plate and decided to test all of her other “kid” polishes on the foam. Within minutes, ALL of the solvent-based polishes began to bubble and eventually left big holes in the plate. From that day on, I decided that any flammable substance that could eat through foam was unacceptable for my children’s fingernails, which would inevitably end up in their mouths.

My quest was on, and Piggy Paint was born. As you may have guessed, our polish is NOT flammable and sits beautifully on the unaffected foam. We hope you enjoy this water-based polish that is specially formulated of natural ingredients. Finally, a kid-friendly polish without the accompanying drawbacks of traditional polishes. It is free of formaldehyde, toluene, phthalates, biphenyl A, ethyl acetate and acetone… and made in the USA!”

Piggy Paint has a widespread following- even among the stars! Piggy Paint made it’s Hollywood debut at Tori Spelling’s daughters birthday party this past June. And it was a big success among parents and the kids!


my little Boo after painting her nails- it was great mommy/daughter bonding! Nail polish dried quickly, letting her go run and play with ease.

What I love about Piggy Paint:

  1. What is there not to LOVE!! I think the most important thing for me is that it is more safe for the little ones than any other nail polish I have seen. I love that it was created by a mom with safety in mind.
  2. Being able to do some “girl bonding” with my little girl. Isn’t that what life is all about?
  3. The lack of “nailpolish smell”. It’s not 100% odorless- but you will notice a difference right away. It makes painting nails a lot more appealing.
  4. The nail polish comes in a variety of fun and vibrant colors. And I like how they have grouped some polishes together into gift packs- there is even a Jingle Nail Rock set for Christmas- perfect for a stocking stuffer.

WANT TO WIN IT? HERE’S HOW!!!
I am really excited to give one of you this Halloween set of piggy paint !
Leave a comment and tell me what girl bonding activity you love to do with your little girl. Make sure to include an email address so I can get a hold of you!

You might be wondering, can I have extra entries??? Why of course!!!

  • head on over to Katey Jades Boutique– tell me what item you just absolutely LOVE that is just for girls
  • If you follow The Home Teacher using Google Friend, give yourself one extra entry!
  • If you subscribe to The Home Teacher using feedburner, google reader, or any other RSS reader, give yourself one extra entry!
  • If you post about the giveaway (please include the link), give yourself one extra entry!
  • and for every time you add something new to The Home Teacher WIKI, give yourself an extra entry! If you add 10 new ideas, you can get 10 extra entries!!! There is no limit!!

Good Luck!!! Contest ends 12:00 noon (mountain time) on October 21, 2009. Winner will be announced later that day. I want you to have this item at least a week before Halloween so you can enjoy your Halloween Piggy Paint!
Don’t forget to enter our other Halloween giveaway!!
Happy Teaching!

Halloween Giveaways from Katey Jades Boutique: Trick or Treating Basket

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It is time for a very special holiday review and giveaway! I am just tickled pink to tell you more about some fabulous products available at Katey Jades Boutique.

Halloween Trick or Treating Basket
Our first Halloween giveaway is for this adorable, fabric basket. It can be used not only for trick or treating, but as a festive table display, a learning basket (go on a halloween hunt- searching for black and orange items and place in basket, or a tote for an autumn nature walk or a treat carrier for your next Halloween party), it even works great as a special fall picnic basket!
My favorite idea- store in your Halloween DVDs and/or books until Halloween night!

What I love about this basket:

  1. It is lightweight with no sharp edges- my little one right now is fascinated with baskets and totes and I love that this is tot-proof!
  2. Can I just say it is SO adorable??? I love the jumbo orange buttons and the material is perfect for the Halloween season! The handle is nice and wide- perfect for little hands.
  3. This basket is sturdy, yet soft enough to snuggle with. (I worry about stuff like that- with a daughter like mine who runs constantly- I want to make sure that if she falls down while holding a basket she won’t get hurt)
  4. When your kids are all grown up, this basket can easily substitute as holiday decor! I imagine it as a nice table centerpiece OR use it to store some halloween books/toys for when the grandkids come over.

WANT TO WIN IT? HERE’S HOW!!!
I am really excited to give one of you this trick or treat/ candy basket !
Leave a comment and tell me what your kiddo is going to be this Halloween. Make sure to include an email address so I can get a hold of you!

You might be wondering, can I have extra entries??? Why of course!!!

  • head on over to Katey Jades Boutique– tell me what item you just absolutely LOVE
  • If you follow The Home Teacher using Google Friend, give yourself one extra entry!
  • If you subscribe to The Home Teacher using feedburner, google reader, or any other RSS reader, give yourself one extra entry!
  • If you post about the giveaway (please include the link), give yourself one extra entry!
  • and for every time you add something new to The Home Teacher WIKI, give yourself an extra entry! If you add 10 new ideas, you can get 10 extra entries!!! There is no limit!!

Good Luck!!! Contest ends 12:00 noon (mountain time) on October 21, 2009. Winner will be announced later that day. I want you to have this item at least a week before Halloween so you can do some fun learning basket games with it!

Happy Teaching!

Step 2 Motorcycle Review and Giveaway

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The time has at last arrived! There was a knock on our door this morning with a big box…. we received our new Step 2 Motorcycle from CSN Toys today and I can’t wait to give one away to one of you lucky readers out there!

What I love about the motorcycle:

  1. This is a perfect gift for boy or girl and they come in 2 colors- a brilliant red or a soft pink. We decided on the red one since we hope to use it with all of our future kiddos! And my daughter doesn’t seem to care about the color, either!
  2. It gives my daughter an outlet for her countless supply of energy. Anything that requires physical activity is a HUGE hit with my girl. And I know that it is important for her to stay active. Doctors have said that toddlers who get used to an inactive life style are at risk for obesity later in life. So this is a great toy to keep her going!
  3. This motorcycle can be an inside or outside toy. We are going to keep it in since I don’t want the tires dirty yet… I am sure by springtime we will be riding around the block!
  4. Although the box says ages 3+, my almost 2 year old daughter is riding around on it with ease. In fact, it is just the right size for her. She has pretty good balance and a no fear attitude that suites this toy well! 🙂
  5. It is simple enough to encourage a lot of pretend play. So many toys nowadays are pretty intense and require no imagination. The Step 2 Motorcycle allows my daughter to use her imagination as she “drives” to various pretend places! Pretend play may not seem that important to some people, but it’s actually very healthy for a young child. It is a step in a toddler’s growth and development that allows them to practice life skills in a fun, safe environment.
  6. The motorcycle is small and lightweight- toss it in your car and take to the park, grandma’s house, even a local school’s walking track!
  7. The best thing of all? The smile on my daughter’s face. You just can’t beat that.

WANT TO WIN IT? HERE’S HOW!!!
I am really excited to give one of you a Step 2 Motorcycle!
Leave a comment and tell me your tot’s favorite toy. Make sure to include an email address so I can get a hold of you!

You might be wondering, can I have extra entries??? Why of course!!!

  • If you follow The Home Teacher using Google Friend, give yourself one extra entry!
  • If you subscribe to The Home Teacher using feedburner, google reader, or any other RSS reader, give yourself one extra entry!
  • If you tweet about the giveaway, give yourself one extra entry!
  • If you post about the giveaway (please include the link), give yourself one extra entry!
  • and for every time you add something new to The Home Teacher WIKI, give yourself an extra entry! If you add 10 new ideas, you can get 10 extra entries!!! There is no limit!!

Good Luck!!! Contest ends 12:00 noon (mountain time) on October 5, 2009. Winner will be announced later that day.

Happy Teaching!

UPCOMING GIVEAWAY for your Active Toddler

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Who doesn’t have kids that are always on the go? I have been given the opportunity to review a Step 2 Ride on Motorcyle and ONE of you lucky readers will have the chance to win one as well! This is a perfect gift for boy or girl and they come in 2 colors- a brilliant red or a soft pink.

This future review/giveaway is being sponsored by Toys and Games online. Check out their website for hundreds of toy options (if you are like me you will spend HOURS going through their wonderful assortment of educational and toddler toys!) And if toys aren’t your thing (or when your tot is tuckered out from running around all day), they also have a selection of sturdy bunk beds for little kids that maximize space (and who isn’t looking for more room these days?)

Mommy &; Me Made Book Giveaway: the ABC’s of ME

24 Replies

This day is here at last! I am so pumped up about this giveaway! I love sharing what I create- and one of you lucky readers will get to take home your own personalized copy of an ABC book! This is a sturdy, hard-bound blank book (includes a customized cover and uppercase and lowercase letters on each page). The possibilities are endless with what you and your child could create with this book… picture collages, a dictionary, even use as a portfolio of your child learning the ABC’s by gluing in artwork, writing samples, or photographs.

The one in the pics is for my daughter- you will notice the fairy clip art- that is customizable of course!


Best Part- you can enter as MANY TIMES AS YOU WANT! Here’s the catch…. you need to submit something to our site’s WIKI (online datebase of lesson helps and ideas).
Click here for a tutorial-or just go straight to the site, click on any page, click on EDIT PAGE, and then type in your idea! Make sure to leave your name somewhere on the page.

SO in review- for every new idea added to the Home Teacher WIKI, come back here and post a comment (let me know what you added, what page it was on, etc).
WHAT if you add 10 new ideas? come back and comment 10 times! NO LIMIT!!! I just want your help building this WIKI!! 🙂

GIVEAWAY ENDS JULY 31 at midnight.

I am so excited I may just enter my own giveaway! 🙂

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