Kid Baltimore | Family Activities with Children in Baltimore, Maryland

Learning Apps by Montessorium

I usually stay pretty lo-tech on this blog. On purpose. In real life I love my hi-tech gadgets, but on Kid Baltimore I usually focus on real life stuff. I'm also one of those mean moms, who limits screen time and absolutely refuses to break down and get a dvd player for the minivan. That said, sometimes teaching with technology just plain old works, and I am at a point where I could use a little help.

Math and reading are coming perfectly easily for one of my twins. And perfectly not for the other. I know, I know, I'm not supposed to compare them, kids learn at different rates, blah, blah, blah, but I also know that if someone (okay, fine, he), if he falls behind now, it will be harder to catch up later. He loves listening to stories, but absolutely digs in his heels when it comes to reading and math. They are a chore for him and I want them to be engaging, maybe even fun. I know he's smart, he's just not interested.

 

Enter, my latest gadget, my ipad. I love my ipad and many of the apps. None stand out as much for learning though as the ones by Montessorium. Their fist app Intro to Math, which is also available for iphones, won me over instantly with its clean interface. The activities are designed for kids from age 2-6, and focus on basic math skills like ordering, identifying numbers, and counting to 10.

I loved it so much, I was giddy when Montessorium agreed to let me test drive their next product Intro to Letters, before it hit the app store. Intro to Letters starts by introducing letter sounds, not names (that comes later) – a Montessori approach, which I think makes a lot of sense. It also has a section that focuses on phonograms, a great pre-reading skill. Last, but not least, a section where kids can record their own voice, repeating back the letter sounds, letter names, or phonograms. And hurray for Montessorium, as of now, Intro to Letters is available in the app store.

So is my little guy making progress? Yes, I think he is, slowly and surely. And having a bit more fun along the way.

My New Book!

When Skinner House contacted me to illustrate A Child's Book of Animal Poems and Blessings, I couldn't resist. 32 pages of animal pictures? Sure!

The publisher's description:

These poems, prayers and blessings about our animal brethren are drawn from around the world and throughout history. Speaks to a child’s sense of connection with the animal kingdom. By turns amusing and reverential, Blanchard weaves together a collection that inspires gratitude and joy for a world rich in diversity and wonder. Sources include the Bible, African and Native American cultures, Lewis Carroll, William Wordsworth and Christina Rosetti. Full-color illustrations by Joyce Hesselberth. Ages 5-7.

And while this project was months in the making, it flew by incredibly fast. Here are a few of my favorite spreads:

 

It is available on Amazon.

Homemade Yogurt

Growing up, my parents frequently made yogurt from scratch...cultured in handmade porcelain cups... and served with homemade preserves.

Not going to happen for my kids. For one thing, my family can go through a full quart of yogurt in one breakfast. As for the lovely porcelain cups. Nope. Mason jars with screw on lids for my crew. Homemade preserves? Maybe someday.

But why make yogurt from scratch? Oh, so many reasons.

1. It's cheaper. I gallon of milk makes 1 gallon of yogurt (actually a little more).
2. You can control the sugar. I'm pro adding a nice helping of honey (but never for babies), but not so convinced that my kids need more high fructose corn syrup.
3. It's a really entertaining science project. Who knew bacteria could do so many good things?
4. It's alive. All those live yogurt cultures are, well, alive.
5. It tastes amazing. Maybe that one should be first on the list.

The thing I like about this recipe is that you probably have all the equipment you need:

mason jars with lids
instant read thermometer
large heavy bottomed pot
insulated cooler

And the ingredients are simple:

1 gallon whole milk
1 cup plain yogurt as starter

You can make yogurt with lower fat milk, but this is a nice place to splurge. If you do use lower fat milk, you will need to a some powdered milk to act as a thickener. As for sweeteners, I keep it plain and let the kids add it later, along with nuts, or granola, or fresh fruit. For babies, try it plain. They might like it just fine that way. Mine did.

Here is the recipe:

1. Wash jars and lids in dishwasher to sterilize.
2. Pour 1 gallon of milk in heavy-bottomed pot. Heat on low until temperature reaches 190 degrees. Check temperature frequently and stir gently. You want to make sure the milk does not scorch on the bottom.
   
   
   
   
3. Remove pot from heat and place it in a cold water bath in the sink. Monitor temperature until it goes down to 120 degrees.
   
   
   
   
4. Add the plain yogurt. The bacteria from the yogurt needs to be spread throughout the milk, so stir until blended.
5. Pour mixture into jars. Screw on lids. Place jars in cooler.
   
   
   
   
6. Heat 1 gallon of water to 120 degrees and pour the water into the cooler around the jars.
7. Close the cooler lid and leave undisturbed for 4-6 hours 6-8 hours. The temperature in the cooler needs to remain warm the entire time.
8. After 4 hours 6 hours, check the firmness of the yogurt. A little sloshy is okay, but I prefer mine to be fairly thick. It will continue to thicken as it cools. Place it in the refrigerator when you are satisfied with the thickness.
9. The next morning you can have a taste test. As the yogurt ages, the taste becomes more tangy and the texture more firm. Yogurt will keep up to 1 month. Remember to save a cup of yogurt as a starter for the next batch!
   
   
   
   For more yogurt info, check out one of my favorite blogs, Frugal Girl. She make yogurt weekly and has more detailed instuctions.