Gears Gears Gears

Young Minds at Play has invented a puzzle with gears...
geared (pun) to the young child. There are several developmental
levels. Check them out on their home page at http://youngmindsatplay.com/home
scroll down to their new product launch.
I also love the new ring toys...better and more beautifully finished that
the usual toddler toys with rings. I ordered this one for Christmas
and it is a hit with my grandson. We also got the geometry blocks
and inset, which he plays with every day he's here. They are just
the right size to fit in the hand and the right thickness. I got the ones
without knobs and a set with knobs for later.
(And no, I don't work for Jeff...just love his materials. The quality
is really amazing. He and his wife are a young family hand making
these beautiful toddler materials! I offered to put a coupon up on my blog for him...

please feel free to spread the news!)

Lovely Language Insets for Design

I think the language insets were one of my first and favorite
pieces of equipment. They have many uses other
than just tracing the basic shapes.  The connection
to the geometric cabinet and solids is the most
apparent. Montessori was congruent in her
approach, wasn't she? I have seen  pink or red and
blue,yellow and blue,yellow and green or
yellow and purple sets depending on the vendor.
Pink and blue is the most common set seen in North America.
Language insets come in other materials than just metal
which can be heavy and have pointy-pokey edges. While I do
own the metal ones, I also have a couple of sets of the
plastic ones made by Invicta out of England.
A plastic set is available at:
http://www.alisonsmontessori.com/Montessori_Plastic_Insets_Shapes_Templates_p/l96.htm
An Acrylic set is available here:
http://www.hellowood.com/store/cart.php?m=product_detail&p=337

A nifty inset stand is available here:
http://montessori-n-such.com/detail.aspx?ID=364
or here:
http://www.hellowood.com/newprodlanguage.htm

Patterns for making your own from whatever
material you like are here:
http://jmjpublishing.com/JMJpdfs4all/2010LAGeometricMetalinsetsOutline.pdf
(foam,colored tag board,mat board, balsa wood, polymer clay etc
are some choices).
Ideas for lessons and extensions for the insets are here:
http://www.ehow.com/how_4509635_use-montessori-insets-design.html
http://www.infomontessori.com/language/written-language-metal-insets.htm
http://homepage.mac.com/montessoriworld/mwei/Reading/insets/inset1.html


K.