4 Beautiful Locations Islandwide At House on the Hill, we strive to embody the true Montessori method and philosophy in every lesson and activity. Book A Tour How to make a capsule with your child that tells a story of 2023 Creating a time capsule with your child can be a fun and engaging activity that helps them understand and appreciate the current year. It’s important to teach children the importance of memories at a young age. By doing this, you teach them that the moments in life are greater than the objects we have. When you create a time capsule, you are preserving a specific time in life. And it gives children something to look forward to as they get older. Photo credit: Lit and Tech  Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to make a time capsule that tells a story of 2023: Gather Materials: Container: Choose a sturdy container that can protect the contents over time. Consider using a waterproof and airtight container, such as a plastic storage bin, metal canister, or even a decorated shoebox. Decorations: Let your child express their creativity by decorating the outside of the container. They can paint, draw, or glue pictures and objects that represent 2023 for them. Items to Include: Gather items that reflect the events, trends, and pop culture of 2023. This could include: Photographs: Take pictures of your child’s life in 2023, including family moments, special occasions, and everyday activities. Toys or trinkets: Include toys or objects representing your child’s interests and hobbies in 2023. Drawings or artwork: Let your child create their drawings or artwork that capture their experiences and feelings in 2023 Certificates/ribbons from sports game. Popular music or movies: Did your child have a favourite song or movie from 2023? You could include a poster or printed-out lyrics. List of favourites – write a list of all your favourite things, you can include everything from your favourite food to your favourite music and your favourite item of clothing. Handprints made with fingerpaint Future job aspirations – do you remember wanting to be an astronaut when you were older, only to change your mind 3 months later and decide you wanted to be a ballet dancer instead? Getting your family to write down what they want to be when they’re older is guaranteed to bring smiles to faces when your time capsule is opened. Family Questionnaire – this is a great way to get the whole family involved in the time capsule. You can decide together, ‘Who’s the funniest?’ or ‘Who likes being outside more?’ and see what’s changed when you open the capsule up again Personal notes: Write a letter to your future selves, reflecting on your child’s life, milestones, and the overall atmosphere of 2023. Creating the Time Capsule: Involve your child: Encourage your child to participate in the process of selecting and placing items into the capsule. Discuss the significance of each item and how it represents 2023 for them. Organise and label: Arrange the items neatly inside the capsule and consider labelling each item or grouping them by category. This will make it easier to identify and understand the contents when the capsule is opened in the future. Seal and Store: Securely seal the capsule to protect its contents. Choose a storage location that is safe and dry, such as a closet. Unveiling the Time Capsule: Set a Date: Decide on a date in the future when you and your child will open the time capsule together. This could be a significant milestone, such as their graduation or a family reunion. Anticipation and Excitement: Build up the anticipation by discussing the time capsule with your child regularly. Encourage them to think about how much they will have grown and changed by the time they open it. Unveiling Together: On the designated date, gather the family and make a special event out of opening the time capsule. Take turns reminiscing about the items and sharing memories from 2023. Creating a time capsule with your child can be a treasured keepsake that captures the essence of 2023 and provides a valuable learning experience for your child. It’s a fun and meaningful activity that strengthens your bond and creates lasting memories. We’d love to see your time capsules. Snap some pictures of your child creating the time capsule and the final product, and don’t forget to tag us @houseonthehillsg on Facebook and Instagram! Wishing you Happy Holidays from House on the Hill, and here’s to a joyful New Year!

Our theme for Term 4 is centered around the exploration of human organs and skeletons, providing an excellent opportunity for teachers, parents, and children to learn more about the wonders of the human body. To facilitate this learning, our Mount Sophia campus has created a science corner which children can explore and learn more about the topic. The science corner is a place where children can have fun and learn at the same time. By encouraging our children to ask questions and explore their own interests, we are helping them grow their understanding of how the human body works in a way that is fun and engaging.  Learning body parts is important for early learning because it allows children to start developing a sense of body awareness. Body awareness is the ability to recognize where your body is in space and how it moves. This is how we described the various body parts they were learning to the children: Brain – the brain is where thoughts and feelings come from. It controls the muscles, as well as some actions such as breathing and heartbeat, which take place without us having to think.  Skeleton and bones – is a frame of joined up bones that shape a body.  Lungs – air containing a gas called oxygen is breathed in and fills the lungs, which inflate like a balloon. Blood flowing through the lungs collects the oxygen. As waste gases are breathed out, the lungs deflate and get smaller Stomach and Intestine – The stomach is stretchy, bag-like body parts that food goes into after it is eaten. Muscles in the stomach move to break down the food and turn it into mush.  Joints – joints such as ankles, elbows and hips are where bones join together and allow the body to bend Heart – the heart muscle that beats non-stop to pump blood around the body. Blood flows through tubes called arteries and veins.  Here are some activities that the children have been exploring in the science corner: Build a skeleton model. This is a great way to learn about the different bones in the human body and how they fit together. You can use a variety of materials to build your model, such as pipe cleaners, marshmallows, and toothpicks. Draw or paint a diagram of the human body. This is a fun and creative way to learn about the different parts of the body and how they work together. You can label the different organs and systems, or you can draw a more detailed diagram of a specific part of the body, such as the heart or the brain. Make a model of a cell. Cells are the building blocks of the human body, so it’s important to learn about them. You can use a variety of materials to make a cell model, such as clay, Jell-O, or even candy. Play games and do puzzles about the human body. There are many different books, games and puzzles available that can help children learn about the human body in a fun and engaging way. One great book to check out is The Human Body – Shine-A-Light  by Carron Brown and Rachel Saunders, our book of the term. There are lots of books that are age appropriate and include fun and interesting ways for children to learn about the human body. Our parents, teachers and children have been enjoying reading books in the science corner about the human body to help them better understand how it is all connected. There are many great resources available to help children learn about the human body. You can find books and articles at your local library or bookstore, or you can search online too! These hands-on learning activities are fantastic ways to start introducing how amazing the human body is.  Try them out together at home!

The early years are a magical time in a child’s life. Play and connection with your baby set the foundation for a lifelong love of learning and play. The first three years of your child’s life are especially important, as their brain develops more during this time than at any other stage. Each new experience is a learning opportunity. We love sharing tips with parents on how to bring Montessori into your homes. Here are five Montessori at home activities that you can do with your little one to help them develop their love of learning and social awareness. We recommend these activities for infants aged two to seventeen months old. Leading Montessori Infant Care in Balmoral From birth to age 3, your child’s brain is developing more rapidly than at any other time. Book A Tour 1. Art in a Bag Mess-free sensory art is a great way for little ones to explore textures and colours without the mess! This activity supports your child’s sensory development and helps them to learn about the world around them. What You Need A4 Paper Ziplock Bag What To Do Squirt some paint onto paper Insert into a ziplock bag and seal Let infant squish, smoosh, rub, and throw bag around to their hearts delight Take the paper out and let dry You now have a piece of baby art to hang up! Tips Be as animated as possible while doing this exercise to engage more with your baby. Some talking points: Swirl the paint. Describe what you’re doing. Talk about the colours you’re using. What textures are you feeling? It may feel as though you’re talking to yourself – but you’re doing a world of good for your baby! 2. Starry Night Now you can make your own starry night masterpiece! Inspired by Dutch postimpressionist painter Vincent van Gogh, whose work was notable for its beauty, emotion, and colour, this activity is great way to introduce your little one to colour and sensory development. What You Need Aluminium foil (A4 size) Editable paint; Blue, Black, White and Yellow (for stars) Cardboard (A4 size) Glue What To Do Paste the aluminium foil to the cardboard. Drop some blue, black, and white paint on the foil. Get the child to smear the paint using their fingers to create dramatic effects on the night skies. When the paint is dry, help the children to paint some stars on the dry out paint and voila. You’ve made yourself a Van Gogh-inspired Starry Night painting. Tips Be as animated as possible while doing this exercise to engage more with your baby. Some talking points: Swirl the paint. Describe what you’re doing. Talk about the colours you’re using. What textures are you feeling? Painting can get messy, so plan for waterplay or bath time after this! Also, don’t forget to put down newspapers or plastic sheeting to protect the surrounding area from flying paint. 3. Sensory Bottles We love making our own sensory bottles. They’re easy to make, fun, colourful – and so good for cognitive development! What You Need Empty, clean plastic bottles (with the label removed) Superglue or clear tape Pour-ins e.g. rice, dry pasta, coloured sand, quinoa, beans, split peas, small toys, sand, feathers, beads What To Do (for parents) Pour the pour-ins into the bottle. Seal either with glue or tape What To Do (for infants) Pour the pour-ins into the bottle. Seal either with glue or tape. Shake to use. Ask them if they can hear the different sounds? Tips Sensory bottles are very good for children aged one to three years, who are in the sensitive period for small objects. During this period, children are fixated on small objects and tiny details, which prepare the child’s mind for understanding how little things make up their world. Here we have a dry sensory bottle – but do try out liquid bottles for visual sensory work as well. 4. & 5. Threading Two great threading activities for curious little hands. Have fun whilst strengthening grips and developing fine motor skills. What You Need Colander Container with cover Separate baskets for: Pipe cleaners Sticks Yarn Straws Presented Place a mat on floor. Place the item which you would want to start first and show them to your child. Introduce to them how the activity is being done. Invite your child to the activity Activity 1 Show child how to thread the pipe cleaners through the holes in the colander. Complete the work cycle by removing all the pipe cleaners from the holes and place them back into the basket. Activity 2 Poke a few holes through the plastic lid of the container. Make sure they’re big enough for the sticks to go through. Show child how to thread the sticks through the holes from the top of the container. Complete the work cycle by opening the lid of the container and place the sticks back into the basket. Tips These activities help to develop fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination for mobile infants (over 12 months). Don’t just leave them to play on their own. Fill the time with plenty of eye-contact and talk to them! This helps develop the natural pattern of language and conversation. Additional Resources Check out our blog for more Montessori at home activities and information about Montessori.

The Mid-Autumn Festival is right around the corner. Along with the lanterns and festivities, one particular goodie comes to mind — mooncakes! Mooncakes are delightful sweet treats that are typically shared on the night with family and friends. They come in a variety of crusts (also known as ‘skins’, a direct translation from its name in Mandarin) – e.g. crusty, flakey or snowskin. There are many types of fillings, with the more traditional flavours of lotus paste and red bean, to more modern ones that have ice cream or salted egg! 4 Beautiful Locations Islandwide At House on the Hill, we strive to embody the true Montessori method and philosophy in every lesson and activity. Book A Tour To celebrate this festive occasion, we’ve found a fun-filled, easy to make mooncake recipe for both you and your child. Let’s grab our ingredients and mooncake mould (alternatively, you can use cookie cutters or your hands) and start cooking! No-Bake Snowskin Mooncake Ingredients: 600g Lotus Paste (alternatively Red Bean Paste) 250g Snowskin Premix 50g Shortening 50g Glutinous Rice Powder 120g Water Blue Food Colouring (Optional) How To: Measure the Snowskin Premix into a bowl 2. Mix the Snowskin Premix and Shortening together in a large bowl 3. Add a few drops of Food Colouring into the Water (Optional) 4. Add Water into the Snowskin Premix and Shortening mixture 5. Using your hands, knead the dough until it is soft and fully combined 6. Divide the dough into approximately 20g pieces 7. Divide the Lotus Paste into 15g balls 8. Flatten the dough piece, then wrap the Lotus Paste filling with it 9. Lightly dust the mooncake mould with Glutinous Flour 10. Place the dough ball into the mooncake mould and press gently 11. Enjoy the yummy mooncakes!   Montessori Tips: Including your child in everyday tasks such as grocery shopping, cooking and cleaning is an easy way to include Montessori learning out of school. First of all, engage with your child when shopping by creating a grocery list with the pictures of what you’ll need to purchase and allow them to find it! This is an enjoyable and exciting way to introduce different foods and products to your child, as well as have open discussions on healthy food. Then, create a prepared environment  at home when you’re ready to start cooking. Make sure all the materials are ready for your child and you to create the mooncakes. Do let them try to do the recipe steps independently! Lastly, it’s always important to clean up together, so that they understand and finish the whole process of cooking together. Happy Mid-Autumn Festival!

As we celebrate Singapore’s 58th National Day on 9 August 2023, seeing the red-and-white flags all over our country always evokes a sense of pride and joy in all its residents! Discover Singapore with this National Day Craft, which will help to build map reading and visual-spatial skills, as well as create a lasting connection with this little island that we call home. There are two parts to this fun project. The first involves collecting maps of Singapore and working with your child to identify landmarks and places of interests to them. The second is a collage craft where you will help them to build cardboard figurines of these places, to form a unique Singapore map that is personalised to their experiences. Part 1: Map Collection Materials Tourist Maps – you can find these in hotels, the airport, Singapore Tourism Board or places of interest for tourists Here are some free, online resources that you can zoom in on: Jessica Tan’s Artwork Babysits.sg Where Singapore Maps To begin, sit down together with your child and your collection of maps. As you point out the places of interest around Singapore, try to have your child recall some of the familiar places that they have been to before. Share and recollect events and activities in each place. Some suggested talking points: Who was with there with them? What did they do? What did they like about the place? Would they like to go back? As you identify more landmarks, guide your child to find your home. You could ask, how far away is this place? How can we get there from home? Look where our home is in relation to this place! This will help your child to gain a sense of relevance and perspective about where home is and distance to other places that they could go to. Part 2: Map of Singapore Collage Craft Materials Required · Large Cardboard · Pencil to draw a map outline of Singapore with · Crayons for your child to colour in different parts of Singapore in different colours · Scrap material (e.g. cardboard, single use cartons, bottles, newspapers, containers, etc.) · Glue and scissors Step 1  Draw an outline of the map of Singapore on the cardboard. Divide it into the different parts of Singapore: North, South / Central, West, North-East, East. Highlight the area where the family home is. For example, H in the photo lives in the East. Let’s make a list! Discuss and identify with your child the places of interest in Singapore that they remember. Pinpoint where these places are using the maps we read earlier. Now, if you haven’t already, collect lots of different scrap materials to create the different places your child wants to recreate. Step 2: Process For H, these were his ‘special’ places: East Singapore – Home, Changi Airport, The Jewel North-East Singapore – Punggol. H specifically wanted to make representations of the HDB blocks where his relatives live. North Singapore – the Zoo of course! Central Singapore – the Merlion and the Flyer Here’s an online resource from Mini Wings to make the Singapore Flyer West Singapore – the Chinese and Lakeside Gardens Step 3 : Assembling Once you have created your landmarks, allow your child to assemble them on the map of Singapore. This will help create a visual representation of the places they identify with. Step 4: Making the Backdrop Make a backdrop by painting the flag of Singapore. Have your child cut out the crescent moon and five stars. Perhaps you can talk about the significance of each element as they are working on this. The crescent moon represents a young nation on the ascendant, and the five stars depict Singapore’s ideals of democracy, peace, progress, justice and equality. Step 5: Label the Landmarks It is good writing practice for your child to write out the names of each landmark and label them, if they are able to write already. Ta-da! Admire your handiwork together. (Optional) Extension of the Craft Here are some other Singapore-themed craft activities to do with your child. Creating a Diorama with the Elements of Singapore  Imagine what Singapore will be like in 2065 This project is not just limited to Singapore. You can extend this exercise by discovering other places together. Perhaps you can work on a place that you’re travelling to on holiday, your own home countries, or create maps of individual places such as the Zoo or the park. You might even want to create a map of your journey to school every day! Finally, we would like to take the opportunity to wish Singapore a very Happy 58th Birthday!