Menu

Planting Toddlers in Mud

April showers bring May flowers... here we are in the blustery, chilly beginnings of Spring. It is a time of much anticipation as the first leaves and flowers appear, but also often much frustration for parents as seemingly endless mud, rain and puddles interfere with outside play.

Kids plaing in the school garden in the rain“There is no bad weather, only bad clothing” is a mantra that we might need to consciously remember more often this time of the year. Good rainboots, waterproof “rain pants”, warm fleeces and rubberized jackets are a must for small children who are just as likely to fall flat onto their nose into a puddle as they are to slip and sit down in the biggest pile of mud they can find. However, for them, nature now is a magical trove of experiences and opportunities. Splashing in puddles, poking mud with sticks (and there is so many great sticks lying around after a windy day), discovering tiny plants, finding bugs and worms, building with sticky, wet sand – all of these are endlessly appealing (and developmentally beneficial!) activities that just offer themselves right now.

So whilst holing up in a blanket fort with tea and story books has its plays, please don’t forget to spend some squishy, splashy, muddy times outside this Spring!

Michaela Tučková – toddler teacher in IMSP

Want to learn more? Read our next article:

READING FROM A YOUNG AGE MATTERS

Další články

Positive Language: How to turn a ‘no’ into a ‘yes’

“Life can become much easier, simply by changing the words that we use” - Alicia Eaton, AMI Montessori Teacher and Child behavioral specialist 

Read more

IMSP’s LIDOVÉ NOVINY

Introducing IMSP’s LIDOVÉ NOVINY, a Czech-language newspaper written, edited, and assembled by our Upper Elementary students. This project was inspired by renowned Czech writer Karel Čapek. Čapek, best known for inventing the word „robot“, was beloved for his versatile and multi-genre pieces. Bouncing between modern fairytales, short stories, travel-logs, and biographical work, Čapek also had a particular affinity for the feuilleton, a short newspaper essay designed, not only to inform the reader, but to amuse them as well.

Read more

Montessori Sensorial Materials Lead to Sensory Awareness

The materials in the Sensorial area of the Montessori classroom are quite unique – they speak to the tactile observer in all of us. When you consider the way humans take in information, you realize how often we use more than one sense to explore. Maria Montessori’s work in the Sensorial environment was designed to take advantage of this tendency. Today, I will discuss the materials featured in the Children’s House classroom (ages 3-6). 

Read more

Toilet Training: A Key How to Succeed

How to handle toilet training? It’s often considered one of the first big parenting “tasks,” and can bring a lot of anxiety and frustration. But it doesn’t have to! In Montessori Infant and Toddler classrooms, we use a time-tested and practical approach to toilet training that is (dare I say it) easy on both parents and children.

Read more

IMSP Podcast: Meet Alumnus Caleb Miller

Introducing our first guest on the IMSP podcast series: Caleb Miller. After graduating from IMSP, he moved back to the United States, finishing his university degree. Caleb and our host, Mariana, chat about independence in childhood, the benefits of multi-age classrooms, and what advice he has for current IMSP Elementary students. While reflecting on his time at IMSP, Caleb looks towards the future as he pursues a career with a global focus. “That's one thing that Montessori, our school, planted in me,” Caleb tells us, “the desire to engage with the world”.

Read more
13.04.2019
Interactive Open House Register for
Baby & Me
Register for
Toddler & Me
Enroll your child
at IMSP
Virtual tour