@playfully.curated

Unlocking a whole new level. I know life is not a video game and I’m not a gamer but I felt like I’m a beast #momofthreee #relatablemom #threekids

If you and your kids love playing with Magnetic tiles (@magnatiles, @connetix_tiles, @picassotiles) you should check these other magnetic options! @my_clixo is my definition of a clever toy, great idea, clever and well made. Also allows infinite possibilities to build. It’s light weight too so it is our go to toy to take for travels! @qbitoy.global is really fun, blocks are sturdy and make a satisfying clicking sound when they go together. Kids have to think about positioning to build lines that work for their cars. It comes with guides to build car tracks as well as pretend animals and structures @smartmax is absolutely great for young kids. My daughter played with them at 6 months old. Bigger pieces allow even the littlest hands to build @tegutoys is really fun for those who love wood. The whole pieces aren’t magnetic though so it can be challenging to build at times as you need to rotate. We have had these since early toddlerhood too cause the pieces are big and fun for little hands too. #magnetictoys #stemtoys #openendedplay #toddlertoys #intentionalparenting

My page is dedicated to high quality mostly open ended toys that grow with you kids. “Play is the work of a child” is a famous quote by Maria Montessori and I am a big believer in it. I have curated a solid (maybe too big) of a collection of toys and I am sharing my favorites In no particular order: @lego duplo for endless play, small world and fine motor skills @magnatiles for open ended play that lasts years @grimmswoodentoys for heirloom wooden blocks @waytoplaytoys for creative road building @maisonruekid for high quality wooden block and safe lucite acrylic blocks @qbitoy.global for magnetic road builds @brioplay for the best railaway system @flexi_tracks to connect duplo and your favorite train @ulanik.official for beautiful wooden sets @tickit_education for best sensory toys @sarahssilks for best dress up and playsilks @my_clixo for creative and portable magnetic play @tenderleaftoys for beautifully made small world play @glopals for unique sensory toys great for water play #intentionalparenting #openendedplay #montessoritoddler #toddlertoys #toddlerplay

Here is what actually happens. The toy does the thinking the sound making and your child just watches it happen. There is not a lot other than pressing a button that they could do and explore with these toys, so the interest fades. If you compare it to something plain- set of blocks, Lego duplo, basket of random household items. You are leaving the room for the kids to figure out what happens. They will still be learning cause and effect and all the other aspects these plastic toys advertise and also open ended toys will last them for years while these are done within a season. If you are curious about what kind of toys I’d recommend for babies and toddlers, I cover it in depth. #intentionalparenting #openendedplay #montessoritoddler #toddlertoys #deepnotwide

What do you need to get in order to have good play! #openendedtoys #toddlertoys #playeveryday #intentionalparenting #montessoritoddler

As a mom of three kids I have bought a fair share of toys. I used to teach at a Montessori preschool and I also love building toys so I went a little overboard. ☘️ invest in a solid open ended building toy in a deep not wide approach: meaning get a few Magnatile sets rather than one set of magnatiles and one set of CLIXO. ☘️ get one or two different building toys so you have options: magnatiles and Lego, Lego duplo and wooden blocks the choice is yours ☘️ get some dolls figurines or characters so your kids can get the play alive: think about creating small worlds of pretend play that they are familiar with. Think animals, wooden nins, Disney characters whatever works well for your kids. My daughter was recently playing a hot wheels family with her brothers cars. ☘️ get some pretend play items based on their interests. It could be a play kitchen, doctors set, superhero costume. ☘️ follow your child’s lead and interest as you add to this collection ☘️choose reputable brands to make sure your toys are safe #openendedtoys #toddlertoys #playeveryday #intentionalparenting #montessoritoddler

Here is my take on the 5 expensive items worth the splurge, baby edition. 🌺 @lovevery playgym: the true MVP of our first year of play. We are using it with all kids so cost per play is really low 🌺 @stokkeusa trip trap with a newborn attachment. We got this one for our second child so she could use it and be with us at the table and also for me to have a safe space for her when I needed it. 🌺 stroller with a basinnet: our neighborhood is walkable and it was great for naps on the go used again with all kids 🌺 solid ergonomic baby carrier. I know people love @artipoppe and I’m not familiar with it, but being Czech I put a lot of effort in finding one that works well from ergonomic POV. We are recommended to not wear front facing so babies back can be curved and legs in an M shape. I like @babytula and many smaller Czech companies that use natural fibers. 🌺 high quality pajamas and onesies. I know kids grow up quickly so this may seem like a waste of money. But if planning more kids a set of good onesies and pjs is worth it. I often wait for sales and I got neutral colors so all three could use them. Newborns have sensitive skin and I chose bamboo/cotton mix from @babymoriofficial and bamboo from @coco_moon_hawaii which is a local company that makes the nicest prints and kids don’t sweat in it. Any other onesie would leave my kids sweaty from the car seat. What are your top 5? #intentionalparenting #top5 #newborn #babyitems

Process art was a big staple of early childhood parenting. Just exploration and joy without any plans or fixed outcomes. Project art can be fun as bonding or for following instructions but I urge you to try to let them just explore on their own… when they are this little thru don’t worry about doing things perfectly, its just about the experience #processart #toddlerart #letthemplay #fingerpainting

Deep not wide approach over the years. I started building an intentional toy collection when my older one was about 1,5-2 years old. I knew I wanted Lego duplo and my husband wanted a train (we also added magnatiles and blocks pretty early on). ☘️ started with a solid Brio train set on sale ☘️ Lego duplo box and a fire station followed shortly after ☘️ bought train extensions to be able to build more ☘️ added more Lego duplo sets based on interest ☘️ @flexi_tracks that connected both toys and allowed us to build more elaborate. All of these toys were gifts for birthdays and Christmas over the years, all got played with extensively and none of it ended in the donate pile. Also I loved watching how it grew with the kids. The play became more intricate and builds more advanced. This principle works really well when you choose your starting point intentionally 😊 Also comment “TRAIN” if you want a link to the clever toy that connects Lego duplo and wooden train #openendedplay #deepnotwide #toddlerplay #buildingtoys #intentionalparenting

Has that happened to you too? The baby who was still in diapers became a giant overnight 😂 #relatablemom #newborn #twoundertwo #momoftwo

How do we want our kids to grow up? #montessoritoddler #toddlersoftiktok #momsoftiktok #honestparenting

When my kids were very little I took Montessori at home quite seriously. We had the shelf and the prepared environment and the age appropriate toys, not many of them open ended. Eventually I relaxed and got more into toys not just Montessori materials. But the kids go to a Montessori school and sometimes it shows- finishing their work and putting it back on the shelf is one of the main ones. This is a classic Grimms pyramid and I love that besides playing with it as an open ended toy the kids love to put it back into the pyramid. I like watching them work I sit back I am quiet and respond only after eye contact has been made by the kids. My 3 year old took a solid 15 mins working on this and was proud when she finished it “all by myself”. #intentionalparenting #openendedplay #montessoritoddler #montessoriparenting #toddlerplay

This magnetic toy has been on my radar for a while. I was excited when Qbi reached out and wanted us to try it. The first thing my 5 year old said when he started playing with it was “this is really smart”. The blocks are bigger than I thought and hold together nicely, they have different grooves on each side so kids have to rotate them and think things thru in order for the cars to ride on it. There are two little booklets that help with ideas, one is for the cars and one is for building different structures. My older one likes to build according to directions and was pleased when he was able to do it. Eventually he was coming up with his own creations too. This is a great toy for those who like building, cars and magnets 🧲! #Qbi #buildwithqbi #qbitoy #stemtoys #openendedplay

One of my favorite quotes of Maria Montessori may sound counterintuitive at first. If we aren’t engaging or praising a child are we neglecting them? Quite the opposite actually, our engagement can disrupt or destroy the activity and focus, just the fact of knowing that they are being watched can be enough. Think about this from your own perspective, of working on something in deep focus and someone coming and interrupting you to tell you are doing a good job. I always liked this quote and thought of it also as a sign of respect to the child however strange it sounds. Respect to their work and concentration. Once it’s done I’m happy to engage and hear about it! Furniture is from @sprout_kids and waterproof mat from @rudienudie_designs #montessoriparenting #montessoritoddler #montessoribaby #parentingtoddlers #firsttimemom

Muddy kids often mean happy memories #toddlersoftiktok #honestparenting #intentionalparenting #letthembelittle #raisinglittles

I’ve been lucky enough to spend all my pregnancies in Hawaii. So lots of time of the beach. And this has been my hack for the days I wanted to read in the shade on my belly without hurting it. And in the pregnancies after for the few moments of peace while someone else was watching the kids for a bit. #relatablemom #pregnanttiktok #thirdtrimesterbelike #momsoftiktok #9monthspregnant

Toddlers are so funny 😂 #raisinglittles #intentionalparenting #relatablemom #momoftoddlers #toddlersoftiktok

Shout out to all the parents out there putting in the hard work and care for their little ones. Specially to those who haven’t had the ideal childhood and are now creating it for their own kids. As an adult with still caring parents I wanted to let you know it matters and your kids will eventually appreciate all the hard work! Share this with a mom friend who is working hard! #momrant #momsoftijtoktok #pregnant #intentionalparenting #respectfulparenting

I’ve started posting on TikTok more this spring with the idea of helping parents find clever toys! The more I am here the more I’m noticing my own desire for all the stuff I see here. As parents we are a vulnerable group when it comes to marketing. We mostly get into this cold and there are all these toys and companies and parenting approaches. And we all want the best for our kids. So often when we see someone further ahead on the journey or with more toys and space we may feel this feeling of being inadequate. I have felt quite comfortable with my set up and I need to become more mindful of this happening. I wonder what is your take and what are you doing about it? I decided to start yapping in camera inspired by the friendly approach of @jessijeanhome and who like me is a fellow Eastern European 😂 #honestparenthood #momblog #yapping #openendedtoys #playbasedlearning

Masking tape FTW. Cheap, safe and endless fun!! #toddlersoftiktok #honestparenting #artistsoftiktok

One room, two toddlers and a space that does it all. #luckywelivehawaii #toddlersoftiktok #smallspaceliving #smallspaceinspo #sharedroom

Raising outdoor loving kids was always my dream! #luckywelivehawaii #trailrunning #hikingwithtoddlers #oahu #raisingwildlings

Here is how we change our bookshelf! Every month or two we do a rotation for the kids front facing bookshelf. Kids are always stoked to see what is there and we spend a good amount of time going thru the new books. What do you think about it? #booktok #raisingreaders #montessoribookshelf #loveofreading #books

Favorite toddler illustrated encyclopedias. So many fun interactive pieces so many topics covered thoroughly. Fun for kids and parents. Link in bio!

Beach is the best playground, endless sandpit, water play and fun. #luckywelivehawaii #beachtime #toddler