Halloween sorting and counting game

I made this set of counting cards for Ebi-kun, if you would like some you can download them here. The instructions are with them, let me know if you have any problems. They are not exactly in order but if you print out all the sheets you should have...

1. Haunted House

2. Witches

3. Jack-o-lanterns

4. Skeletons

5. Spiders

6. Gravestones

7. Bats

8. Black cats

9. Frankensteins

10. Ghosts

plus number cards 1-10

Here is Ebi-kun sorting the cards out. he had placed the number cards on the floor all over his bedroom.

He counted them out then put them in his little basket and took them to find the number card

Then laid them out. He got all but two right.

The other number game we are playing, the leaves falling off the trees game, he LOVES it, he keeps running off to see if the leaves have fallen off again.

And now to answer a couple of questions.....

Dreamingmama asked about a sock monkey tutorial, I have no intention of making one because there is a great one here.

Tracy Chang asked what toys did I have for Ebi-kun when he was a baby. 

Well, when he was tiny was when I took the Montessori course. We lived in a small apartment and didn't have space for loads of stuff anyway. He had a jungle mat with toys that hung off it and I made mobiles to hang above his futon. We got a great set of soft blocks which had  plastic pieces that fit into them, he loves those. Lots of soft books and board books, stacking cups (which is what he was using in the sorting activity the other day). I had a basket of 'things' for him to explore, mainly household objects that were safe for a little one to chew on, wooden spoons and the such like. Wooden blocks and Lego when he got a bit older and as soon as he was able to hold a crayon we started 'drawing' and finger painting. 

When I started the course a Montessori teacher advised that I limited the amount of toys he had out, so he had a small book shelf and on top he would have 3 toys, say the stacking cups, pull-a-long toy and a basket of cars & people. The rest of his toys I would keep in a box and rotate them each night after he had gone to bed.

He was about 18 months old when I bought the first lot of real Montessori equipment, pink tower, metal insets and cylinder blocks and he started off with those not long after. We also did a lot of practial life, preparing a snack (chopping banana/speading jam etc.), pouring, spooning etc. All these things can be set up easily and with little cost. Just keep an eye out for small jugs etc. Threading activities I made using pasta, simple 2 & 4piece puzzles from magazine pictures, I started the blog around this time so if you look at the old posts you should be able to see what we got up to.

Looking back, the non Montessori things that we bought and served well (still being used) are...

• wooden blocks in a cart
• lego
• stacking cups
• Crayola washable crayons and pens
• magnetic drawing board

Hope that helps!