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Mackfam
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| Posted: June 07 2007 at 10:35am | IP Logged
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I might have to cry - I just found this  at Alison's. It's a miniaturized version of a number of the favorites. Has a ton of stuff included - pricey, but if you were going to spend about that much anyway, and you were dealing with space limitations as we all are - it might be viable. IMHO, if you had the $$ it would be an awesome starter set. Thought I'd pop it up here in case someone might be interested.
Montessori Miniature 20 piece set
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Jen Mackintosh
Wife to Rob, mom to dd 19 , ds 16, ds 11, dd 8, and dd 3
Wildflowers and Marbles
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Mackfam
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| Posted: June 07 2007 at 10:39am | IP Logged
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I have a couple of questions:
1. How many of you have the Pink Tower and Brown Stair - I think we've touched on it already, forgive the loss of brain cells, do your older kids use them too?
2. What are the extension exercises for the Pink Tower and Brown Stair. Found a box of 1cm cubes and a box of prisms from Alisons that extend both of those exercises. Anybody have any experience here?
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Jen Mackintosh
Wife to Rob, mom to dd 19, ds 16, ds 11, dd 8, and dd 3
Wildflowers and Marbles
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Meredith
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| Posted: June 07 2007 at 11:12am | IP Logged
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Genevieve linked this awesome extension here: Brown Stair Extension Sroll down to her first post.
This pretty much sold me on both materials for my two younger ones as well as my ds 8!!
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Meredith
Mom of 4 Sweeties
Sweetness and Light
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Mackfam
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| Posted: June 07 2007 at 12:56pm | IP Logged
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Thanks for the reminder - I knew we'd talked about this! That is a helpful link.
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Jen Mackintosh
Wife to Rob, mom to dd 19, ds 16, ds 11, dd 8, and dd 3
Wildflowers and Marbles
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SuzanneG
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| Posted: June 07 2007 at 1:43pm | IP Logged
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So, Jennifer....if you didn't have anything right now, would you go this route?
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Suzanne in ID
Wife to Pete
Mom of 7 (Girls - 14, 12, 11, 9, 7 and Boys - 4, 1)
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PDyer
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| Posted: June 07 2007 at 3:54pm | IP Logged
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Oh my goodness. Thank you so much for posting this. My five year old would love this, and it would be a very prudent option for us. Thank you thank you thank you!
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Patty
Mom of ds (7/96) and dd (9/01) and two angels (8/95 and 6/08)
Life at Home
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Mackfam
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| Posted: June 07 2007 at 5:01pm | IP Logged
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SuzanneG wrote:
| So, Jennifer....if you didn't have anything right now, would you go this route? |
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I would VERY seriously consider it!!!
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Jen Mackintosh
Wife to Rob, mom to dd 19, ds 16, ds 11, dd 8, and dd 3
Wildflowers and Marbles
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Angel
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| Posted: June 07 2007 at 6:41pm | IP Logged
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Mackfam wrote:
2. What are the extension exercises for the Pink Tower and Brown Stair. Found a box of 1cm cubes and a box of prisms from Alisons that extend both of those exercises. Anybody have any experience here?
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The 1 cm cubes and prisms are for calculating volume, I think.
We have the Pink Tower and Brown Stair, but not the cubes and prisms. Brown Stair seems to be more popular around here than the Pink Tower, but nobody actually builds it out long ways. They always make towers with it. My 20 mo old twins are using both right now and loving them. My 4 yo pretty much leaves the Pink Tower alone, but likes to use the Brown Stair... provided the biting twin doesn't try to bite him when he does. 
--Angela
Three Plus Two
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PDyer
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| Posted: June 07 2007 at 8:02pm | IP Logged
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Mackfam wrote:
SuzanneG wrote:
| So, Jennifer....if you didn't have anything right now, would you go this route? |
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I would VERY seriously consider it!!! |
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I am very seriously considering it. My youngest is going to be six this fall. She went to Montessori preschool this year and would dearly love to see a pink tower, etc. here at home and I'd love to provide it for her, but I can't afford to outfit a complete Montessori classroom for her or prudently make purchases of materials assuming I will have more children to use them (although there is always hope!).
There's a comment on the website that states the set is about half size. Does anyone have any concerns about its size? other concerns? Many of the items included would have a long interest-life for my daughter...
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Patty
Mom of ds (7/96) and dd (9/01) and two angels (8/95 and 6/08)
Life at Home
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Mackfam
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| Posted: June 07 2007 at 8:57pm | IP Logged
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Patty,
I don't think size would be an issue for now. However, you'd need to be aware for instance that the smallest block on the pink tower wouldn't be 1cm, and so your presentations might not match up exactly size-wise. Same with other things, like I noticed the knobbed cylinders didn't have as many cylinders as a full size set. It did look to me like the whole set had been miniaturized consistently though. I might make a call to Alisons - from all I've heard here, the customer service sounds terrific.
I personally thought the whole set looked so neat, and the offering was so great. It seemed to be a great introductory set to me. Anybody else got an opinion on the smaller sizing of the materials?
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Jen Mackintosh
Wife to Rob, mom to dd 19, ds 16, ds 11, dd 8, and dd 3
Wildflowers and Marbles
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Mackfam
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Angel wrote:
Mackfam wrote:
2. What are the extension exercises for the Pink Tower and Brown Stair. Found a box of 1cm cubes and a box of prisms from Alisons that extend both of those exercises. Anybody have any experience here?
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The 1 cm cubes and prisms are for calculating volume, I think.
We have the Pink Tower and Brown Stair, but not the cubes and prisms. Brown Stair seems to be more popular around here than the Pink Tower, but nobody actually builds it out long ways. They always make towers with it. My 20 mo old twins are using both right now and loving them. My 4 yo pretty much leaves the Pink Tower alone, but likes to use the Brown Stair... provided the biting twin doesn't try to bite him when he does.
--Angela
Three Plus Two |
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Thanks Angela - I keep waffling back and forth on these. I really am drawn to them, and I see the 2yo loving them a lot!! I have plans for dh to make them for me, but his time is very limited right now, and so I may have to order after all. Just not sure!!
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Jen Mackintosh
Wife to Rob, mom to dd 19, ds 16, ds 11, dd 8, and dd 3
Wildflowers and Marbles
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PDyer
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| Posted: June 07 2007 at 9:31pm | IP Logged
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Mackfam wrote:
Patty,
I don't think size would be an issue for now. However, you'd need to be aware for instance that the smallest block on the pink tower wouldn't be 1cm, and so your presentations might not match up exactly size-wise. Same with other things, like I noticed the knobbed cylinders didn't have as many cylinders as a full size set. It did look to me like the whole set had been miniaturized consistently though. I might make a call to Alisons - from all I've heard here, the customer service sounds terrific.
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I'm now going 'round and 'round about it. I don't know what to do! So maybe the best thing to do is to step.away.from.the.website. 
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Patty
Mom of ds (7/96) and dd (9/01) and two angels (8/95 and 6/08)
Life at Home
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SuzanneG
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PDyer wrote:
| I'm now going 'round and 'round about it. I don't know what to do! So maybe the best thing to do is to step.away.from.the.website. |
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Aaaaggghhh! Me too. Patty. You're not alone!
OK....I'm stepping....away....from....the....website!
Mackfam wrote:
Anybody else got an opinion on the smaller sizing of the materials?
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What about wanting to add-on to things later? I don't know much about some of these items, so I don't know what exactly would be added on, if anything.
There is also this Miniature Sensorial Set.
(I know....I know...I said I was going to step...away...from...the...webste... )
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Suzanne in ID
Wife to Pete
Mom of 7 (Girls - 14, 12, 11, 9, 7 and Boys - 4, 1)
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SeaStar
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| Posted: June 08 2007 at 6:46am | IP Logged
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I think the mini set would be a great introduction to the whole Montessori idea. I am really thinking about it- I could make some of the things in it, but if I could jump in and have them and start using them, that would honestly be a relief, vs eking out time to make my own. My dh thought it was a good deal- not terribly expensive, considering, and not too space consuming.
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Melinda, mom to ds ('02) and dd ('04)
SQUILT Music Appreciation
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Mackfam
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Oh how neat! Please tell us when it comes in and how it looks! I thought it seemed like an awesome possibility!
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Jen Mackintosh
Wife to Rob, mom to dd 19, ds 16, ds 11, dd 8, and dd 3
Wildflowers and Marbles
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Kristin
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| Posted: June 08 2007 at 11:50am | IP Logged
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My friend, a former Montessori teacher who is homeschooling her children using Montessori, seriously considered buying the miniature set in a suitcase. She didn't seem to have any concerns about it, just decided to go with full-sized materials. Hope this helps! 
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Bunch 'o Honey to my Honey Bunch and Mama to five - Noah 10y  , Rose 8y  , Dominic 2.5 y  , Oliver 16m 
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4Real Forums : Nurturing the Years of Wonder
Topic: What are you ordering?
