Hooray! Christmas shopping is finally complete. We decided to keep it simple since M is far more interested in cooking, cleaning, listening to books and exploring the great outdoors than he is in toys. A few new toys and books are certainly exciting though. I am most excited about this Schleich animal set, featuring mom and baby pigs, cows and chickens. M was very interested in a set of animal flashcards that we inherited, so I thought these would be a nice way to expand that interest.
M is pretty obsessed with tools in general and under close supervision gets to carry around real screwdrivers and hammers. I hope he likes this hammering bench. It got great reviews on Amazon, so fingers crossed.
Ah yes, the crinkle cutter, a classic Montessori tool. I ordered this from Amazon based on the reviews that said it is very dull. M will be using this to cut soft things like bananas, pre-sliced apples or tofu. I have used other crinkle cutters in my classroom from the Joie brand that are rather sharp. They work really well, but I’m not quite ready for the real deal. This cutter happens to be huge. It will definitely allow M to use two hands.
An absolutely beautiful book about the birth of Christ. This is something he will grow into, but for now the pictures are beautiful to look at and talk about.
We are slowly building a kitchen of sorts for M to use from second hand pots, pans, spoons etc. I hesitated to buy this gift, because I value the experience of exploring real food for children, but in the end I think it will be fun for vocabulary and for putting into a shopping cart or shopping bag. 
And last, but certainly not least is the Potty book. We are casually giving the potty a place in our daily routine, be it standing in it, sitting on it fully clothed or taking out the pot and putting toys in it. This book will go in the bathroom next to the potty so that M can see that this character is trying out the potty too.
What gifts are your toddlers receiving this year? Please leave a comment to let me know!
Real Life Montessori 
Christmas presents at 21 months at our house. For sure: a harmonica and a helium balloon. Considering: a doll and a tiny sling or backpack he can use to carry his stuffed “kitty cat.”
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