Organization and Natural Materials

I perfer to use natural items in the classroom rather than than plastic - glass jars, thrifted baskets, wooden boxes - for storage and display of materials. Many people worry about using glass with children, but it is much more appealing to the eye, and children will learn that it is a delicate material and should be used with care. There are a few broken jars every year, but I imagine that happens at home as well.

I have been fantasizing about how I will change my classroom for this September. I think about how to makeng it more comforting, more homey, and more appealing to the children. The conclusions I come to usually end up being ideas that require a lot of my time and effort, but certain things are worth it.

I am always looking for baskets to put books in in different areas of the classroom, but I never come across suitable ones. I really love the idea of making these fabric boxes.


There is a lovely tutorial here. I had bookmarked it to make some for our apartment (which I hopefully will), but these will work really well for classroom organizing. It will take a few evenings to make a few boxes, but I think I'll be glad I made them.

A giveaway!

A few weeks ago I mentioned that there would be a little giveaway happening at the beginning of May. Well here we are at the beginning of May!

My students have been exploring these ABC With Imagination foam shapes designed by Bruno Munari. I got them from Morgane over at little circus. And now Morgane and I are getting for a giveaway! One bakers and astronauts reader will win an "ABC With Imagination" set for their little one(s).

Come back on Wednesday to hear more and to get in the running to win!

Happy Monday!

Grown Up Block Play

It's good to see blocks outside of the classroom...I saw them here.


I see the kids so engaged with block play - I'd like to settle in and build for an hour or so myself sometimes. Do you ever feel like that? Perhaps the block area should be included in classroom environments for children older than PreK...I'm thinking about how children in high school could benefit!

via fine little day

Natural Playthings

A few weeks ago I was looking at the new issue of small magazine and the lovely photos of Judith Needham's willow houses as play spaces for children. They are really beautiful, and they leave so much to the imagination!

I was taken by what she said when the interviewer asked her about children enjoying things that are not Disney or pink plastic. She said that in her experience, "...children are just as happy with toys and play spaces with natural materials and muted colors."

Of course!

She also suggests buying second hand because you are able to change the toys more frequently. I could not agree more! I find the most beautiful things for the classroom at Les Petits Riens here in Brussels. In the states I don't think I went a month without a healthy visit to the Goodwill on NW 65th and 8th Ave NW in Seattle. I am a sucker for baskets and jars.



But the most wonderful idea she has here, I think, is to change the way you think about toy "ownership" -- find other like-minded families and together create a library of wooden, handmade, and natural toys. Brilliant!

Check out the interview here.

*wooden blocks from little alouette via etsy