Got a bag of pasta, some string, and nothing to do? "Mama, I wanna make a ne-ka-lass." With our noodles? YEAH! Heck, why not.
This turned out to be another fantastic threading exercise.
I quickly brought out some leftover red yarn to tie the food jewelry together and Zozie got to work.
The Goal
Hand eye coordination and pincher skill
The Set Up
1) Tray
2) Bag of hollow pasta (Penne or Rigatoni)
3) Cut yarn
4) Small bowl
The Presentation
1) Invite the child to bring the tray to the table
2) Tie a small knot on one end of the yard
3) Pick up one piece of pasta with thumb and index finger
4) Hold up the cut yarn with the other hand
5) Slowly thread the yarn into the pasta "bead"
6) Repeat and continue
7) Can make necklaces, bracelets, or crowns
Boy, I look great.
This exercise tied us over for my entire dinner prep time, a welcomed surprise for an otherwise regular evening. At only $2 for the bag of pasta, this was a cheap and easy tool that can be rinse and cooked to be eaten at a later meal no less! Enjoy!
We did the Snipping...but not the stapling.
By his request, we are introducing the stapling skill.
A no brainer set up, just offer a stapler and some paper.
But we kicked it up a notch by combining stapling WITH letter writing and word recognition.
The Goal
Learn hand grip, coordination, and pressure level for stapling
Combine handwriting and word recognition through stapling game
The Set Up
1) Tray
2) SMALL Stapler *We opted for a clear one so that Zozie can see the staples inside and refill when empty.
3) Cut pieces of paper
4) Write a few cursive letters
5) Make smaller word pictures to be stapled on to the letter sheets (see below)
The Presentation
1) Invite child to bring tray to the table
2) Hold corner of paper with one hand
3) Grip stapler with other hand, thumb on top, rest of fingers on the bottom
4) Hold over the corner and apply down pressure until stapler clicks (important that it's a small stapler so they can do the ONE hand hold)
5) Have child do a series of staples till he is comfortable with the one hand hold and push.
6) Add a second piece of paper ontop, secure with thumb over the layered paper.
7) Same one hand stapling action, repeat.
8) Variation: If not comfortable with the ONE hand grip, try showing the Double hand grip - Have one hand over another on top of the stapler. With a swift push down, staple papers with hands cupped. Extension:
We included paper with cursive letters and cut up small pictures that start with each letter. "T" had small papers with words like "Table," "Train," "Tent", "Turtle," "Tail"....
Child can color the small pictures, as well as practice writing the cursive letters they see. Zozie liked to repeat what he just stapled phonetically...
One hand grip.
Double Hand Grip
A straightforward exercise... challenging, but rewarding.
Almost as easy as the easy button @ Staples, but with alittle more UMFFF on the push down.
"I want to write smooth letters, mama..."
Zozie has been asking to write alot recently.
He's been working on his name, but at 3.5, he often does "love letters" where he's is pretending to write sentences in paragraph form and give them to me all folded up. The sentences are just loops and squiggles, but they connect, like cursive letters, or in his words, "smooth". "That's E, mama, look..."as he makes a small loop in one of his sentences.
Montessori starts toddlers with lower case cursive letters when introducing the alphabet. What? None of this ALL CAPITAL learning in all the kids toys, books, and teaching props sold in stores? What's up with that?
NOPE. Apparently, lower case cursive is considered the natural "next step" to a child drawing loops and circles. Once introduced, that actually made complete sense to me. Just think of your 3 yr old drawing pictures. How hard is it for him to make a solid straight line, let alone a series of straight lines that connect in a certain sequence (Print Capitals). Curves and loops are much easier for little hands. Also, grammatically, we don't write in all caps. Caps only begin a sentence and lower case letters are used 90+% of the time.
Now to the shape "poking". Tracing is the foundation on which Montessori builds writing skills. When a child shows interest in writing, they are asked to start with the METAL INSERTS. This repetition of tracing different shapes with a pencil builds their coordination and pencil grip, skills they need to master in order to move on to writing.
At the LAB, I was in need of a FAST new home tool, and the metal inserts were much too expensive to own. So this one is really simple, only requiring some paper and a marker. It builds on the idea of tracing shapes, so we used various geometric shapes, outlined by dots, and we asked Zo to hand-poke the dots for tracing purposes. Sounds basic and simple, but the kids really dig it. Now run along and go do some poking-fun of your own!
The Goal
To build hand eye coordination & focus as foundation to start writing
The Set Up
1) Cut scraps of paper
2) Markers to draw geometric shapes and outline each shape with dots. Make the dots more dense if child is older, looser if child is younger.
3) Sharpened Pencil
4) Small hand towel
The Presentation
1) Bring tray to the table
2) Select one shape to work on
3) Lay the shape on the folded towel to create a soft surface for poking
4) Take the sharpened pencil in one hand and come down firmly on one of the dots, piercing the paper
5) Continue to trace along the shape until all dots have been pierced.
6) Ask child to clip up their finished shapes on a ribbon (Our own addition to work clipping pincher skill and just an opportunity for the child to have a "finish" to the routine in displaying his work)
I do the WASH, and these days, he does the FOLD.
Never too early to put the kids to work.
Sounds harsh, but they actually like it! (Really.)
This is the FOLDING lesson. Got stuff to HANG?
Check out our post on HANGING.
The "Finish" prize!
The Goal
Learn how to fold clothes.
Specifically shirts, pants, underwear
The Set Up
A pile of clean laundry
A small whistle (my own variation)
The Presentation
Shirts:
1) Lay the shirt flat on floor with sleeves stretched out
2) Fold in one sleeve, press flat evenly
3) Fold in second sleeve, press flat evenly
4) Bring the bottom of the shirt up and fold in half, press flat evenly
5) Place in a stack to the side
6) Once the whole stack is done, blow the whistle to signal finish!
Pants:
1) Lay the pants flat on floor with legs stretched out
2) Fold in pant leg over in half, press flat evenly
3) Fold waist side down in half, press flat evenly
4) Place in a stack to the side
5) Once the whole stack is done, blow the whistle to signal finish!
Underpants:
1) Lay the underpants flat on floor
2) Fold in half, press flat evenly
3) Place in a stack to the side
4) Once the whole stack is done, blow the whistle to signal finish!
One sleeve over.
Other sleeve over.
Up in half, done!
SO WHAT'S UP WITH THE RED WHISTLE?
The "Whistle Step" was added for Zozie to have an incentive to finish the whole stack. He loves to blow the whistle so I threw that in to give him more of a sense of completeness. It's not a must, and can be something else, but this was a quick way for us to make it more fun for him!
As with most things, a (moving) picture is worth a thousand words (see below!).
What's up with kids and wanting to cut things up?
It fascinates them, fully occupies them, and seems highly satisfying to them.
Guess that's why it's one of the most basic of practical skills in Montessori: Cutting.
Teach them to do properly what theywant to do naturally.
No need for uphill battles, right?
I dunno.
Sounds dangerous.
Toddler + Knife = Worried Mom.
It's ok, let's ease into it.
The set up is really simple and you can get started right away.
The Goal
Learning how to cut using a knife
The Set Up
1) Small cutting board
2) Butter knife or dull table knife
3) Soft fruit: Melon, bananas...
4) 2 Small plates (one with fruit, one to serve with)
5) Small apron
The Presentation
1) Have the child put on the apron and come to the table
2) Be sure to have all parts of the Set Up ready
3) Peel the fruit or have it in wedges already (melon)
4) Hold the fruit with one hand, knife in the other
5) Come down firmly with the knife from the top
6) Do a gentle "see-saw" motion till it clicks with the board
7) Lift knife and repeat until all cut up
8) Scrap all loose fruit onto the serving plate
9) I have Zo put toothpicks (animal ones) in the fruit to serve.
chopping at 2.5.
We first introduced this skill to Zozie at 2.5 yrs old, nearly a year ago. It's been quite the life saver actually at dinner prep time. If they get fussy, just bust out a banana and have them go at it. Totally keeps them occupied and content. So you might waste a banana, but so what? That 19 cents bought you some quiet cooking time, yes! He's still at it a year later, doesn't get old I guess.
Preparing an afternoon snack at 3.5yrs old:
Some age reference if you have a younger one...
Working on some melon at 2 yrs 11 months:
Working on a Banana at 2.5yrs old:
*Difficult to capture since he was aware of the camera*
Eggs are amazing things. It's one food that offers endless teaching opportunities. That fragile shell: You can crack it, peal it, paint it, dye it. Its existence in different forms: You can boil it, beat it, slice it, mold it. The malleabilityof it is incredible. It truly is a fabulous Wonder Tool!
I picked up an egg slicer a few weeks back at a garage sale for 50 cents. A new way to mess with eggs, gotta have it. I've never used one before this but it seemed an obvious Montessori tool the second I saw it.
Continuing on the road to self reliance, little gadgets often add to Zozie's repertoire of skills in the kitchen.
Goal
Learn to slice eggs with an egg slicer
The Set Up
1) Egg Slicer
2) Small Plate (2)
3) Napkin
4) Hard boiled Egg(s)
Presentation
1) Take a hard-boiled egg and crack on the edge of a plate
2) Rotate the egg until it is evenly soften for peeling
3) Start the peeling process and place shells onto one plate
4) Continue until shells are gone then wipe hands on napkin to remove extra chips
5) Place the egg on the slicer horizontally (The yolk stays in more)
6) Hold the slicer bottom half down with left hand
7) Gently with the right hand, bring the wire slicer down onto the egg, slowly.
8) Push down all the way until it clears the egg.
9) Remove the egg gently and place on the serving plate, serve.
10) Repeat if the child wants to try another egg
This has been an exciting part of serving eggs for Zozie. He'll sometimes "splay" the slices to present it like a flower afterwards. The cool-factor of working with something that you can then EAT is still a big hit for a toddler. So from boiling, to cracking, to peeling, to slicing, to serving, it's a complete work cycle that he can see from beginning to end, and best of all, participate in himself.
My mind is always swirling with endless thoughts. Like a messy closet, it's good to just routinely clear out and re-sort. That's how I see "THE TO DO LIST." Dump out whats floating, sort out the thoughts by priority, check it off as needed. Knowing what's ahead settles stress and anxiety and avoids the undue burden of keeping it all in your head.
"TOTM is a research-based early childhood program that builds strong foundations for school success in preschool and kindergarten children by promoting their intentional and self-regulated learning."
Key Words noted? Intentional Self-Regulated Learning.
Wow, right up my Montessori alley!
It's not so much completing the goals of all the presentations I show. That's just the details. The REAL joy is that my child is learning how to govern himself. I want to give him tools that are helpful to his success in daily life, to make good choices, to know what is best for himself. For as cute as it is to see him sort marbles, I'm the happiest knowing that he's learning reasoning skills and an understanding of the physical & conceptual world in order for him to resolve problems that arise, WITHOUT my assistance. We all know that we can't be with our children forever, so what do we want to leave them with?
The TO DO LIST works for me, so why not for my toddler? I found a calendar that breaks out the day into hour-slots. This works best since we can list a task for each hour. A black pen for me to write events, a green marker (or your choice) for him to cross out as he completes the task.
Goal
A conceptual understanding of time and sequence of events
Set Up
1) Daily calendar that has hour breakdowns
2) One black/blue pen
3) One colored marker
Presentation
1) Have your child come close next to you
2) Talk through the day's events and start with breakfast
3) Go slowly and narrate each task, ask the child if that's a "good thing to do?"
4) Once they agree to the task, write it down
5) Feel free to verbally spell words out as you write them.
6) Draw pictograms or symbols next to the task to trigger child's memory
7) As items are complete, invite the child to come cross out each task so he gets a sense of time, progression, and sequence of events
"What's Next?"
After the first few days, I realized that I needed to draw "Pic-to-grams" next to my list items. I'm not an artist, but my little chicken scratches helped tremendously. Since Zozie can't read yet, it was difficult for him to refer back to "What's Next?" Once I started to draw little symbols while saying the task, it stuck like HONEY. Zo would be able to recall events that happened a week ago, simply by "reading" his list and seeing the pictures. Example: I drew a small cat face next to a playdate where the host house had a cat in their neighbor's yard...a week later, Zozie saw the appointment and said "I already played at N's house last time!" just by seeing the cat's face.
Less Conflicts
The results were immediate. Zo would wake up in the morning and ask for his list. "What's on my list today mama?" If I say an event, he would ask if it's on our list, or what time it's on our list. And if he deviates from what we write down (not wanting to get dressed, or not eat dinner yet), I would refer him back to his TO DO list and he would actually comply! *Shock* "It's not time for puzzles Zozie, the list says it's time to get dressed, right?" "Oh yeah, right!" (Then he goes to get clothes).
Open Slots
Of course there are "open" tasks as one can't possibly schedule out every second of the day. In those times, I write down the "biggest" task (ie. Play with trains), and if he happened to do a few other things, it's not a deal breaker.
The peace and clam that comes with knowing what's next is incredible. A simple list, created with a child, for that child, clarifies the confusing world. Again, intentional & self regulating. A perfect pairing with our Montessori homeschool!
We got his preschool "Report Card" a few weeks back.
Pretty funny at first...really? A report card? C'mon, the kid's 3. But typical to Montessori curriculum, documentation is an important part of charting a child's development, used as a building block for introducing future presentations and skills.
But still, he was only there 7 weeks till summer started. I'm curious....
A small key code reads: "Presented = 1", "Practiced = 2", or "Mastered = 3".
Looking down the list, I see a few "3's"....one of which, is next to the skill: DISH WASHING. Wha dah?
The past 2 + weeks or so, Zozie has shown an intense interest in washing dishes. I didn't think to show him this since it seemed pretty involved for a 3 year old. I was wondering where this intensity was being fueled and humored him by letting him splash around at times. Little did I know, he was a "Master" dish washer at his preschool already...hahaaa!
With this new knowledge, I got to work in facilitating his new practical life skill.
Goal:
Learn how to wash dishes
Set Up:
1) Stepping Stool
2) Soap Pump
3) Dish Soaking Tub
4) Dish Towel
5) Sponge
6) Soap Dish (To hold sponge)
7) Small Apron
Presentation
1) Ask child to bring step stool to the sink & lay out dish towel on counter
2) Take the sponge and hold under the soap pump
3) With palm, push down on the pump and dispense some soap on to the sponge
4) Pull the lever upwards to start water flow
5) Pull out one dish from the soaking dish tub
6) In a circular fashion, wash the surface of the dish until clean
7) Do the same on the back side
8) Place the sponge back into the soap dish
9) Rinse the dish by rubbing one hand over dish
10) Flip the dish over and repeat until all bubbles have been rinsed off
11) Give a gentle "Shake" for excess water
12) Place on to dish towel
13) Repeat until all dishes are clean & dump out the excess water from the dish tub
This is just my working "pipeline" for dish washing at our house. At school, the kids don't have access to a sink with running water for dish washing so I'm sure the presentation is alittle simpler. Not sure if they do soap either at school.
But at our house, doing the set up for Zo to wash dishes has made it actually easier for all of us. Seeing him struggle with squeezing the soap out of the regular container prompted me to find an old hand soap bottle with pump and transfer the soap into an easier dispenser. The soaking bucket was elevated with a smaller plastic take-out container so it was not too far to reach for his little arms. The step stool made it easier to reach the water faucet. We usually just use the dishwasher as a "drying rack", but having Zo lay out a dish towel for him to place and dry dishes was much easier.
He's been setting up for mealtime, clearing dishes, and putting dishes away for a while now. This is a nice completion of the "Dish Cycle" in his daily routine.
Technically, we didn't show him too much.
Just vacuumed 2 other spaces before handing him the machine.
We did demonstrate the hand grip, slow and exaggerated.
Right hand on the handle, left hand palm up to support the hose.
Right foot on the large button to start and stop.
Showed one foot stepping forward with each "push" so he doesn't trip over.
Then, just told him to run over the dirt specs.
Our semi-annual "Spring Cleaning": Major cleaning, dusting, wiping, of all classroom items/space.
This was in January, he was almost 3 then in the clip.
We just did this again yesterday for the July one.
Love that "Crunchy" sound when you run over major good stuff with the vacuum, eh?
Our first attempt at "reading" Chinese.
I noticed a similar tool at a recent tour of a Montessori Preschool.
Not knowing where to start, I have been meaning to find a simple way to introduce Chinese written characters to Zozie. The sheer numbers of Chinese characters is quite overwhelming: 47,035. Full literacy in Chinese requires knowledge of 3 to 4 thousand characters.
Chinese characters are the oldest continuously used system of writing in the world.
But before taking bites into the characters, we need little nibblets.
BoPoMo is a loose equivalent to the English "ABC's" in that it is a building block to phonetically sound out the way a Chinese character (or word) is spoken. As if it's not already hard enough, we have to learn the characters to the SOUNDS in order to sound out the written final characters...the alphabet before the alphabet?
So...Our first letter is "Bo", shown in the green square in the photo.
This is the preferred way to learn to read Chinese when I grew up in Taiwan. Learn your BoPoMo's, then learn your words. Perhaps a similar introduction to English can be done in this manner as well?
The Goal Sight Recognition
Memory exercise
Hand eye coordination
The Set Up
1) Tray
2) Photocopy a page out of a book
3) Clear sheet protector or laminate the page
4) Photocopy a second page and cut out the various words or sentences
5) A container or small basket
The Presentation
1) Bring the tray to the work table or mat
2) Take the basket of loose letters out
3) Start with the main character/letter being introduced
4) Continue with the other sentences
5) Hover each new sentence over the base sheet in a linear and systematic fashion, doing an exaggerated motion of comparing, shake head if not a match and move on till a match is found. Can even start with a sentence up-side-down, then reversing it upon hovering over the key sheet
6) When a match is found, place the loose sentence over the existing one, then keep going until all sentences have been placed
7) Have the child try, when done, place all pieces into container and return tray to shelf
This is both a typical memory matching game and a basic Chinese lesson.
Our boy seems to be playing it like a picture puzzle, not yet really reading the characters. But since Chinese characters are considered Sinographs, it's basically a bunch of little pictures anyways. Although Z did note that the target BoPoMo character was highlighted in pink to the right of the Chinese word. So he's noticing that these parts make up the sound. We'll need alittle more exposure and practice on this front, but a (free) and good start on pre-reading.
Ahhh...my long lost home tool, the Fabric Squares.
This was one of the first tools I made for Zozie for our home classroom.
Just found it again sorting through our video files.
A typical Montessori tool, it costs quite a few bucks when buying from the catalog but is a cinch to make at home.
The Goal
Refine tactile sense
Memory exercise
Hand eye coordination
The Set Up
1) Container (small basket or wooden box)
2) 4x4 Fabric Swatches
3) Pair of Pinking Shears & Random Fabrics in various natural textures
4) Cut the fabrics into 4x4 squares, then place in basket; can also hem the fabrics if preferred.
The Presentation
1) Bring the tray to the work table or mat
2) Set the basket down and slowly remove the first fabric swatch
3) Start setting down each fabric in a row until you have 4 squares
4) Then continue the same until you come across a match
5) Hover each new swatch over the old swatches in a linear and systematic fashion, doing an exaggerated motion of comparing, rubbing of the texture, shake head if not a match and move on till a match is found
6) When a match is found, place the fabric swatch over the existing one, then keep going until all swatches are paired up.
7) Have the child try, when done, place all pieces into container and return tray to shelf
This is the same as a typical memory matching game. Instead of picture cards, we used just a variety of fabric samples (leftovers from my design library). A mix of textures is key. Some were sheers, felt, silk, canvas, spandex, velvet. The focus was NOT on color variation since I did not want Zozie to complete the exercise by matching colors. In fact, I chose alot of "beige" color fabrics that had distinct texture differences for him to take note of the more subtle lesson here. He got progressively better at it within a few days once he got the concept. A quick and fun tool to try.
One of his first attempts at the tool @ 2.5 years old (9months ago). *I miss the "Tiny Zozo" in the video...they grow so fast..sigh.
Time for a new water tool!
I was thumbing through my toiletry closet for something and came across a simple but often forgotten about item: The medicine dropper.
You know, those HUGE droppers they give you at the pharmacy when your kid gets an ear infection. You take the dropper and think... there's no way that they could ever choke that pink stuff down. But they always do, and the infection clears. I was watching Zozie have a ball with some new bath toys, squirting away, and aiming for various bucket and water pails. Hummmm.....dropper time!
Goal
Using the dropper to transfer fluids
Hand-eye coordination
Muscle control
Set Up
Tray
3 Same glass bottles
3 Color glass beads
Small water pitcher (Creamer)
Small Sponge
Clear funnel
Medicine dropper
Presentation
1) Ask child to bring tray to the table
2) Place a colored glass bead in each glass bottle
3) Place the funnel into the empty glass
4) Fill the small pitcher with water
5) Insert dropper into the pitcher with bulb PINCHED
6) Release bulb, watch H2O rise
7) Place the dropper into the first bottle, then SQUEEZE
8) Repeat till the bottle is full, then do the same to the other 2 bottles
9) When all 3 bottles are filled, then place funnel over the pitcher
10) Pour each bottle in, the glass beads will be caught by the funnel
11) Replace the glass beads back into each bottle
12) Wipe any drips or spills with the sponge
The dropper went well for a week, then he wanted to pour again...
So here's the clip, with him pouring. But fun nonetheless.
Pour me ANOTHER!
On the heels of the last pouring post, here is an extension to that fundamental exercise.
This time, add a small wooden spoon and a funnel.
Goal
Pouring objects between containers
Hand-eye coordination
Set Up
Tray
2 Same glass tumblers
Handful of Rice
Small scooper or spoon
Clear funnel
Presentation
1) Ask child to bring tray to the table
2) Place the funnel into the empty glass.
3) Lift spoon to scoop some rice out of the other glass.
3) Use the thumb, and 2 fingers to support the spoon.
*I tell Zo to hold it "like a pencil" and not fist grip it.
4) Slowly tilt and pour out the content into the empty glass.
5) Deliberately miss and have a couple pieces fall out into the tray. Then clear the tray and tilt all the contents out into the glass. This is to show how to gather small loose objects on a tray.
6) When the contents have been transferred, repeat & switch pouring directions.
7) Allow the child to scoop as much as he wants, the let him pour the entire content for variety.
the pencil grip.
the transfer.
the confirmation.
Let the pouring begin!
Zozie tries to gather the scattered grains with the spoon...then proceeds to make "eyes & a mouth" with the containers and the spoon. A pretty simple "cause & effect" lesson. Try with a variety of beans, grains, pebbles, or sand, anything that fits the funnel. Nothing fancy but the fancy rice, premium grade.
The pitcher pouring tool is a CLASSIC in the Montessori tool shed.
We found our creamer "Pitchers" at our local Crate N Barrel outlet.
Also picked up some white coffee mugs in 3 sizes: Espresso (S), Regular (M), and Big (L).
These days, we like having the same things in 3 sizes. It helps Zozie understand the concept of Small, Medium, Large as it applies to our daily lives. He often refers to me as the "Medium Mama" since large items are for daddy and small ones for himself.
Now, we just need some warm porridge.....hummm.
Now back to the pitchers...
Goal
Pouring objects or liquide between containers
Hand-eye coordination
Set Up
Tray
2 Same Pitchers
Objects (Pebbles, marbles, grains, beans)
Or Liquid (Water, milk, juice)
Presentation
1) Ask child to bring tray to the table
2) Lift with handle, elevate the first pitcher over the other one.
3) Use the thumb, and 2 fingers to support the spout portion.
4) Slowly tilt and pour out the content into the second container.
5) If using objects, deliberately miss and have a couple pieces fall out into the tray. Then use index and thumb and grab each stray object and place back into the pouring pitcher. Repeat the pouring motion to empty the jug. *(This is to show how to take care of spills).
6) If using liquid, deliberately miss and have a sponge ready to wipe
7) When the contents have been transferred, repeat with the other jug, switching pouring directions.
Just DON'T GET PLASTIC. The breakable ones feel more weighted, look more beautiful, and most of all, they are a reflection of the real world physics that a child should be exposed to rather than guarded from. It's only a few dollars if broken, let them try the real thing and they will master how to function better...faster.
White Porcelain Pitchers. We have these and they come in S,M,L sizes that will "grow" with Zozie's hands and muscle control. The large spout is easy for pouring, as is the closed loop handle for shaky tiny hands.
Clear Pitcher. This a great alternative so the child can see the liquid or objects inside and the various levels as a result of his pouring something out. Great for "cause & effect" lessons.
Pitcher with Lid. The clear glass allows the liquid viewing, but the lid is a great "baby step" to Pouring Independence. Minimizing spills, this is a great little pitcher to set out on a tray in the snack area of any homeschool classroom. "Pour yourself some water!" Being able to get your own drink is VERY empowering for a tot!
At 29 months, we started our pouring tool with some smooth river rocks.
A month later, we upgraded to milk and self-serve cereal.
Short Mini-Series Below:
Dispense.
Reverse Dispense.
Refill.
The "Pouring Skill" is actually really useful, more than I ever realized. Zozie dispenses ALOT of things now with minimal supervision: Laundry detergent, watering cans, measuring cups, and pouring of cereal into a bowl (& milk to follow). A must try!
The Goal
