One of the main pillars of the Montessori philosophy is a connection with the natural world. Doctor Maria Montessori herself understood the important role of nature and outdoor play in a child’s healthy development:
“There must be provision for the child to have contact with nature; to understand and appreciate the order, the harmony and the beauty in nature.”
Montessori was so convinced of the power of the natural learning environment that she advocated for children to have unfettered access to the outdoors. In her ideal world, there would be no separation between the indoor and outdoor classroom.
Benefits of learning in nature
Montessori placed importance on a child’s experiences with nature, stating that “the best way of invigorating a child is to immerse him in nature”.
Some of the main benefits of incorporating outdoor learning into your curriculum or day-to-day life:
- Nature helps to drive the forces of curiosity and exploration in children while offering rich sensory experiences!
- Spending time in nature promotes physical, social, emotional, and cognitive development in children.
- Forming a connection with nature early on helps children become more environmentally responsible, and this viewpoint extends from childhood into adulthood.
- Learning outside supports creativity and problem-solving.
- Being in nature helps reduce anxious energy and promotes focus –an excellent stress reliever!
Top tips for Montessori activities outdoors and in nature
- Gardening – A garden can be an interactive playground for children that engages all of the senses. Have a go at growing your own vegetables or herbs. You don’t even need to have a large garden for this! Set up a small potting station with some soil, seeds, and a watering can.
- Movement – Climb trees, balance on logs, or try ‘walking on the line’. Walking on the line is a traditional Montessori exercise for grace of movement.
- Numbers and counters – Go for a walk to the local park and collect acorns, conkers, stones, or pine cones, and then use these as counters for numeracy activities.
- Notice the beauty of the outdoors – Watch insects at work, raindrops on leaves, all the colours in a sunset, ripples in a lake, the wind in the trees.
- Cloud spotting – Find a place to sit and watch the clouds. Use your imagination to talk about what shapes or things the clouds look like.
- Treasure hunts – Make a list of prompts (find something spiky, find something green etc.), head to the local park, and work together to find all of the items on your list.
- Outdoor art – Use mud, water leaves, flower petals, seeds, grass, and whatever other interesting materials you can find. Lay them into patterns and shapes, or work together to make a face or an animal.
- Stick rafts – Using twine, tie sticks together to make a raft and then float it in a suitable puddle. You can also make this a fun STEM activity by placing different objects on the raft (such as stones or pinecones) to see what it holds before sinking.
When it comes to children and outdoor play, the sky really is the limit. These Montessori outdoor activities will help your child’s development, well-being, and create an appreciation of nature, all while having fun!
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