The toddler house and children’s house playgrounds at Winfield Children’s House offer a mixture of natural spaces to play and traditional playground equipment. Offering children experiences to play in and with nature is a crucial part of helping a child develop understanding and caring for the environment. Are you looking for resources to develop a safe, natural playspace at home? Our toddler teacher, Leslie, discovered a great downloadable handbook from from the Green Hearts Institute for Nature in Childhood. It’s called “A Parent’s Guide to Nature Play.” It reviews why nature play matters and offers tips on setting up an outdoor playspace to maximize your child’s experience with nature. It has a handy list of outdoor plants that are safe to have around curious young children. We hope you check it out and share what works with us!  ...

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We currently have openings in our Bambini program, which is designed for children aged 6 to 16 months. This program is designed around the belief that infants are born with tremendous potential eager to learn, explore, and try new things. The classroom, in light of the infant’s need for routine and consistency, allows for freedom of movement while gently stimulating the naturally curious infant. A flexible schedule allows each child to eat, sleep, or play according to his or her own unique internal rhythm. The activities support and encourage language development, practical life skills, eye/hand coordination, along with gross and fine motor abilities in a warm and loving environment. The ratio of children to adults does not exceed 4:1 with each child assigned to one primary teacher. The teacher monitors that child’s schedule and communicates eating, sleeping, and activity patterns on a daily basis. This certified program is staffed by Montessori educated, bright and caring adults to assist the infants in developing strong, loving, trusting relationships and attachments that will help prepare them socially and emotionally for adulthood. You’re welcome to schedule a personal visit by calling Judi at 207-797-8101 or by emailing us at...

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Students at Winfield Children’s House were singing along to their favorite ukulele band, Dos Eckies, on Friday, March 7, 2013. The children from toddlers to Kindergarten were a wonderful audience at a concert given by Kris and Joel. Our preschool teacher, Kate, joined in on guitar for a few songs. Joel is a luthier who specializes in building ukuleles, so he brought a few models to show us how ukuleles can vary in shape and size. The children sang along to favorite tunes, like “The Wheels on the Bus” and “Yellow Submarine.” They also practiced how to be a polite audience by listening to some of the songs that Joel and Kris brought, like “Teddy Bear.” The children were fascinated by Joel’s musical saw. He brought it in a violin case, and the children guessed what might be inside. They were quite surprised to see a saw and even more surprised to hear the eerie sounds it made when Joel played it with a bow. Joel reminded us not to try this at home! The students at Winfield Children’s House enjoyed hosting our special guests. The students in the Children’s House visited the playroom in two groups to hear the concert. Kris and Joel brought their show to the Toddler House for our younger friends to enjoy, as well. Thanks to Dos Eckies for a great...

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In our quest to be loving, kind and respectful with toddlers, there are lots of bumps in the road. How do you respond when a child ISN’T listening? There are so many parenting books that get into the philosophical reasons for taking a loving and collaborative approach to communicating with young children. Reading these books make teachers and parents feel good, but when the real world hits we wish for a tool box of strategies, not a world-view. When there are Cheerios all over the floor for the fifth time at breakfast, what do you say? When your child hits you after you said stop, what do you do? Parent educator Janet Lansbury is busy filling in the gaps between the philosophy of being loving, kind and respectful and the real world situations that challenge us to stay in loving relationship with children. Her blog, Elevating Child Care, is a great read. Janet takes on real world examples from her readers about young children’s behavior. Janet is trained in the Resources for Infant Educarers approach, developed by Magda Gerber. Incorporating a deep respect and appreciation of the baby as more than a helpless object, the Educaring approach encourages infants and adults to trust each other, learn to problem solve, and embrace their ability for self-discovery. When allowed to unfold in their own way and in their own time, children discover and inspire the best in themselves and in others. You might start with a blog entry from January 2013, 5 Reasons Toddlers Won’t Follow Directions and go from there.  ...

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In the sensorial area, you’ll see the pink tower and geometric solids. However, many materials are stored in lidded wooden boxes. What’s inside? It’s not so obvious to a casual visitor. Rest assured, though, that the children know what they will find. Let’s take a closer look at some of the sensorial materials.

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At Winfield Children’s House, one question we often hear is, “How can I bring Montessori to my child at home?” The newsletter from November 2010 gives a great overview of some ideas to consider when incorporating the Montessori philosophy into the home.

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