Beloved books for December

Detail from “A Child’s Christmas in Wales,” illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman

Tis the season for slow mornings and cozy evenings, for rich stories and deep dreaming. Here are a few of our family’s favourite books for this sweet season:

For babies, toddlers and kids up to five years old (and, of course, beyond):

Winter by Gerda Muller. Wordless, wintery wonder!

The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats. The beauty and curiosity of an ordinary day.

Red is Best by Kathy Stinson. Always a hit for those who like to dress themselves!

Alfie’s Christmas by Shirley Hughes. Alfie’s experiences as a three or four year-old person are told always with respect, care and attention — and this holiday story is no different.

Almost a Full Moon by Hawksley Workman. A sweet song turned into a gorgeous picture book, rich with themes of generosity, community, and sharing the harvest.

The Tale of Baboushka by Elena Pasquali. This has been Sage’s favourite for a few years running.

Night Tree by Eve Bunting. A family heads out after dark, to prepare a happy surprise in the forest. A classic.

The Shortest Day by Susan Cooper and Carson Ellis. One of today’s most amazing illustrators teamed up with a classic poem by an award-winning children’s author.

Sleep Tight Farm by Eugenie Doyle. The harvest season is over and the farmers are preparing the land for its long winter’s nap. The illustrations in this one are really worth seeing.

For six years and up:

A Child’s Christmas in Wales by Dylan Thomas. A classic story of Christmas past written with the voice of a poet, here beautifully illustrated by one of the best: Trina Schart Hyman (who also illustrated the next book).

Hershel and the Hannukah Goblins by Eric Kimmel. Jasper’s forest school leader has made a tradition of reading this story in December, and every time the kids have raved about it on the carpool home. A trickster hero versus the King of Goblins on the eighth night of Hannukah? The kids are here for it.

Fireside Stories: Tales for a Winter’s Eve – a collection of stories, matched to the season from Samhain through to the start of spring, this book is full of depth and wonder.

A Small Miracle by Peter Collington. No words, just beautiful illustrations telling a story of generosity and care. This is one my kids return to over and over for some quiet moments of simply looking.

Nine Days to Christmas by Marie Hall Ets. This 1960 Caldecott Prize winner tells of a Mexican girl’s beautiful, ordinary days of excitement and anticipation leading up to her first posada. A longish book, requested over and over.

A Coyote Solstice Tale by Thomas King. A very funny story with great illustrations that pokes fun at mall-centric celebrations, from an Indigenous perspective.

Once Upon a Northern Night by Jean Penziwol. Dreamy, contemplative quiet. Perfect for winter nights well beyond the holiday season.

Christmas, Solstice & Hannukah, parenting

Five links to slow you down this season

“The Snow Lady” by Shirley Hughes

Montessori wrote a lot about inner preparation of the adult, meant to culture the sensitivity, peace, and curiosity that is best suited to meeting each child. Whether you are motivated to prepare for the children in your life, or to cultivate a bit of space in your own heart this season, you deserve to move at your own pace, even in December.

Pour a cup of tea and read an article; fill the sink with warm soapy water and hit play. Here are a few bits of space and wonder I’ve gleaned on the web lately:

Shirley Hughes’ BBC Woman’s Hour Takeover I have such a fondness for the author of Alfie and Doggo (our favourite is her seasonal collection of poems called “Out and About“), and really enjoyed this hour of British radio where Shirley Hughes herself set the agenda. Pour that tea!

Mr Rogers wasn’t just nice — he wanted to take down consumerism

An introduction to storying – that is, telling a story as you craft it, or crafting a story outloud. Winter is the time for stories!

Take Peace! A Corgi Cottage Christmas with Tasha Tudor film on Prime Video. The beloved children’s illustrator shares memories of Christmases past, surrounded by her paints and her corgis. Quite dreamy.

Gaelynn Lea’s Tiny Desk concert (just a quick break from Mariah)

P.S. I’ve been asked whether I’ll have a 2019 gift guide, and the answer is yes! It’s on its way (in its own time).

Books, Christmas, Christmas, Solstice & Hannukah, Family life, gift guide

Milkweed Montessori’s 2018 Gift Guide

Tomorrow is December. December is tomorrow!

Currently, my notes to self sound something like this:

Finding gifts for the children in your life doesn’t need to feel like one more obligation. Tune in to the child, and where they are right now, at this moment in their life. Pay attention to what they need, or don’t need. Have you already won the global lottery? Acknowledge it. Apply the buyerarchy of needs (see below). Give from a place of peace, generosity, and unattachment. Receive in the same way.

We usually give one main gift, one book, and one stocking for each of our children. It winds up being more than enough (especially with generous extended family members), but helps to avoid gift-unwrapping overwhelm. You’ll find this list is longer than that, in part because I wanted to recommend books and products that our family has experienced and enjoyed. I’m also planning to offer myself the gift of a social media break during the holidays, something that I think the whole family might enjoy.

May your December be one of peace, joy, and gratitude.

Gifts for birth to age 3:

Reflecting mobile, for the newborn in the family

Cozy, family-focused art by Katie Flindall, for the nursery or playroom (pictured)

A smart, seasonal subscription to Babybug magazine

Lola at the Library book

In the Town, All Year Round book — If you have a child in your life who likes to point at pictures in books, you owe it to them to give them this book. Jasper is 6, and he loves to pour over each page, but a beloved friend of ours (who was 18 months old when we gave it to him last Christmas) has literally worn the binding off the book with frequent page-turning.

My Heart Fills with Happiness — a book that’s a pleasure to read aloud

Ikea’s classic indoor play tunnel never gets old with the wee ones

A jar of homemade playdough

Gifts for 3-6 year olds:

The Little Book of Woodland Bird Songs

Julián Is a Mermaid book

The best quality crayons — pricier than other crayons, but the last ones you’ll ever need to buy.

Big movement toys like an indoor swing, triangle ladder or a tumbling mat

Amaryllis or paperwhite bulbs — hear me out: those boxed bulbs you find in any box store are fast-growing, with dramatic results. Kids of all ages will love to plant, tend, and observe their very own indoor bulbs, and they add such beauty to a January day. These also make great gifts for children to give to someone who will send regular updates on how the bulbs are growing, a connection Jasper and his great-grandmother have shared in winters past.

A straw broom

Micro Mini Scooter — my kids each have one of these sturdy scooters, and Sage has been riding hers since before she was 2! With their three-wheel design, they are safe, speedy, and stand upright on their own. A must-have for getting to the beach and the library.

Gifts for 6+:

Morakniv Rookie — a great first knife for use outdoors, with extra safety features. Perfect for sharpening sticks.

Rock tumbler — Jasper has been very interested on rocks, gems and minerals for some time now, and a rock tumbler is a tool that could help continue his hands-on explorations

binGO WILD animal riddle game

The beautiful and riveting adventure novel Where the Mountain Meets the Moon

Hand vacuum — something Jasper specifically asked for!

The Illustrated Harry Potter books

The Water Walker book — inspiration and encouragement for the keen and passionate second plane of development, from a modern day hero

Gifts for the adult who loved looking at this list (feel free to forward this to your Secret Santa):

“Montessori as an act of liberation” t-shirt raises funds to get Amelia to the Montessori for Social Justice conference

A donation to the Montessori school at South Bend’s Centre for the Homeless

All of the beeswax candles from Wild Luminescence

Toddler Discipline for Every Age and Stage book — a deep dive into practical and developmentally appropriate ways to connect with your toddler, even when times get tough, by Aubrey Hargis of Child of the Redwoods (and founder of the vibrant Montessori 101 Facebook community)

An unlined Moleskin notebook for notes & sketches

A supportive subscription to the in-depth anti-bias, anti-racist work Tiffany Jewell and Britt Hawthorne are doing

“Raise Them Curious” t-shirt for Mamas and Papas trying to do just that

Gift guides from years past:

A gift guide for the Montessori home (2017)

How to avoid rapidly changing holiday priorities: a gift guide (2015)

A Merry Montessori Toddler Gift List (2014)

Read more about our advent of adventure — an experience-focused holiday tradition. And a bit of evergreen holiday wisdom, from December of 2015.

Disclaimer: this list includes affiliate links in which I earn a tiny percentage of any purchases made via these links. If you do decide to gift any of these items, consider doing so through the links on this page.

Christmas, Christmas, Solstice & Hannukah, DIY, Family life

An advent calendar of adventure

Last year, we began a new tradition with an “advent calendar of adventure.” Each morning began with anticipation and surprise, as Jasper opened that day’s envelope to find what new adventure was on the calendar for that day.

Because I matched the “adventures” with plans we already had for overnight hotel stays or friends’ Christmas parties, and balanced busier week days with simpler activities, it wasn’t overwhelming to execute, and it made for a lot of sweet wintery memories. It meant offering real world experiences, slower times at home, and opportunities to connect with story and song. It’s that time of year again, and I’m making plans for our second December of adventure.

Here are some adventure activity ideas that you can use, or tailor to your own family’s culture:

pick out a Christmas tree
get out the decorations
go for a walk in the woods
bring out the Christmas books, and choose one to read at bedtime
celebrate the last day of any regular activities before the holidays
be sure to include a festive announcement of any holiday parties you’ll be attending, and let your hosts provide the magic for that day
make a gingerbread house or gingerbread men
make beeswax candles for the season ahead
have a board game night
feed the birds (simply fill the feeders or do a project like this one)
make soup for lunch, and surprise a friend or neighbour with a jar of soup
go to a holiday concert or ballet
gather around a backyard campfire
have a friend over for dinner
bake bread to give to a neighbour (here’s our favourite)
go to the grocery store and choose $20 worth of food for the food bank
go on a trip to the city
celebrate the solstice
make hot chocolate and sing carols
bake cookies
family movie night
make or choose a teacher gift
make a craft at Grandma’s house
go for a night-time walk to look at lights
make a thank you or holiday card for your local children’s librarian
buy or make a gift for your sibling
host a hot cocoa party
make and deliver Christmas cards
make salt-dough or cinnamon-apple sauce ornaments

How to build it:

Figure out a way to display your calendar.
Sit down with your calendar and make a list from 1-24.
Assign each day an activity, being sure to balance busier days and simpler adventures.
Cut small slips announcing each days activities, and number them.
Put each slip into its corresponding numbered envelope.
Keep your master list handy so that you’ll know what’s coming up, or in case you need to switch activities around as things change over time.
Have your calendar displayed and ready to go on December 1st.

Notes from my experience:

This advent calendar is all about the message, and not about the stuff. All you really need is a way to hold and hide away each slip of paper containing that day’s activity.

I used a jewelry rack that my dad created years ago out of an old wooden picture frame and wooden dowels, because that’s what I had on hand. That would be simple enough to replicate if DIY is your thing, or a simple clothesline-style string, or even a paper chain garland would do the trick.

I created my tiny envelopes out of our family’s watercolour paintings, paper bags and foil paper scraps, and labelled each one with number 1-24.

Then I slipped the corresponding message in each envelope, and hung them from the doweling with ribbon.

If it all feels like too much, another option is to celebrate 12 days of Christmas, or to have a shorter countdown leading to Christmas.

3-6 Years, 4-6 months, 6-12 months, 6-8 months, Books, Christmas, Christmas, Solstice & Hannukah, Family life, Preschool, toddler

A gift guide for the Montessori home

Surely I can’t be the only one who approaches the idea of gift guides, shopping and stacks of presents under the tree with something of a sense of dread? Some days, it can all seem like just too much.

In spite of these feelings, I know that a well-made gift can bring a spark of joy and creativity, and I treasure those memories from my own childhood. My husband David and I try to keep holiday gift-giving focused on experience, and quality over quantity, because we know how easily young kids can be overwhelmed, how generous our relatives are, and how finite our living space is.

In that spirit, here are a few of our favourite Montessori-inspired ideas for celebrating the tradition of giving and receiving gifts this time of year. Some are big ticket, some are small surprises, and all are sorted according to age.

May the coming season serve to remind you of life’s simple joys:

Stocking stuffers and small surprises:

Wooden egg shaker

DIY tiny flag bunting

Wooden snail with glass marble rollie – how sweet is this?

A candle snuffer

Egg slicer – In constant use at our Milkweed Montessori toddler group, it’s like a grand finale to peeling a hardboiled egg

A classic top

For the sweet and curious baby:

Balloon mobile

Manhattan Toys skwish – my #1 go-to baby toy

Pikler triangle for fun and motor development for years to come!

A hopping rabbit to pull along

Zoe’s Snowy Day book

For the toddler who always wants to do it themselves:

Grimm’s Rainbow

Apple Slicer/Peeler – I know this seems crazy, but the one we received for Jasper’s first Christmas has been working hard ever since and will for years to come.

The Snowy Day book

Walker push wagon (and a more affordable option from Ikea)

Cuddle baby doll – Toddlers love babies, and this one is soft, lightweight and durable.

Wooden drying rack – Because where there are toddlers, there are opportunities to wipe up spills, and a toddler-sized drying rack is the natural next step.

For the child (a three to six year old) who is always discovering something new:

A subscription to Ladybug magazine – Jasper has been a subscriber for a few years thanks to some loving grandparents who live far away. A sweet monthly reminder of their affection, and a new collection of songs and stories to match the season.

Cutter boat with loading tree

Sleep Tight Farm book

Modeling wax

Knitting needles or knitting tower

Alfie’s Christmas book

Beeswax candle making kit

Morakniv’s rookie knife* for small but capable hands. Our five year-old and a whole lot of his nature school pals got these this fall, and there have been rave reviews (and no serious injuries). An outdoors knife is a natural step for the child who started with the crinkle cutter as a young toddler.

For the grown ups who loved looking over this list:

A donation to the Montessori School at the Center for the Homeless

The Creative Family Manifesto book

Indigo-dyed tea towels

Winter nature activities for Children book

Handmade pure beeswax candles

Experiences for the whole family to enjoy together:

Family membership at the Art Gallery of Ontario The AGO has great programming and welcoming spaces for children. We have a long distance membership which pays for itself in 1.5 visits, and makes trips to the gallery really easy to justify. All of that means that our family is coming to recognize some really amazing pieces of art that have become familiar and beloved over the years, like Norval Morrisseau’s Man Changing into Thunderbird. If you’re not local, I encourage you to seek out art galleries in your area.

Ice-fishing This is five year-old Jasper’s idea – he’s interested in learning how to ice-fish, something we’ve never done before. An intriguing gift idea.

A family weekend away This is something that we’ve done for the past few years with my family, rather than exchanging Christmas gifts. The road trip, shared meal prep and hot tubbing (a non-negotiable in our Airbnb searches!) has been so much more memorable than anything we could have wrapped under the tree.

Note:

Many of these items can be found around the world, but I’ve linked to the Canadian supplier because I know how tough it can be to source things in Canada. Items noted with an asterisk ship to Canada from an international shop, and so may involve duty charges.

See gift guides from recent years here:

A Merry Montessori Gift Guide

How to avoid rapidly changing priorities: A Montessori Gift Guide

Milkweed Montessori

learning as we go

Category Archives: Christmas, Solstice & Hannukah