Transitioning From Nursery to Pre-School...

...In the home of course.

I remember before Sweet Pea arrived, I made certain she had the best crib, bedding, toys that my resources could afford. But the preparation I made couldn't keep pace with this bouncing bundle of joy that kept me on my toes. Her interests went from buttons to pots and pans. Then from crawling around on the floor to running around the house. As our children evolve, their space needs to evolve as well. Below I offered some tips for your own pre-school at home.

1. Find a comfortable toddler table and chair. I like the Montessori ones like the one above because it really helps toddlers learn how to sit upright.

2. Create a writing center. A nook in the room can serve as writing center. You can have a basket full of paper, crayons, pencils to allow your sweetie to let their thoughts and imagination flow. I'm reading Growing Up Writing by Linda Leonard Lamme, PhD (my new BFF) and she recommends having a place for kids to sit and write as well as vertically write. If you don't want your children to mess up that nice coat of Sherwin Williams, try tacking up a big sheet of butcher paper on the wall.

3. Bring in some green. Plants are a great way to add life to any room and help children learn how to nurture something outside of themselves. Just be certain that they are not poisonous.

4. Alphabets, shapes, numbers, colors, and your child's name. Have all of these in constant view. If you don't want to buy the same posters your teachers put on the wall in the 80's, make your own. Use buttons to make a number chart and then frame it. Or try cutting different shapes out of varying colors to teach colors and shapes.

5. A reading corner. Nothing makes me more proud than when I see Sweet Pea pull out a book and read. Buy plenty of books and keep them in a bin so that your children can easily locate them.

If you have any other tips, I'll love to hear them.