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

Comments

Další články

Absorbent Mind – A Key Principle In Montessori

As parents and members of a Montessori community, we often hear this term. But what do Montessori educators really mean by it?

A few minutes with Abdul from Kenya

We "made a trip" to Africa to ask our adopted schoolmate Abdul how he is doing.

Supporting Independence in the Toddler Child

In Montessori education, we often speak about independence. Helping raise children into confident adults is a priority for all of us – but why is independence so important and how do we nurture it in even our youngest learners?

Benefits of Practical Life for Toddler Development

“The first thing to realize about these exercises of practical life is that their aim is not a practical one. Emphasis should be laid not on the word “practical” but on the word life. Their aim is to assist development.” E. M. Standing, Maria Montessori: Her Life and Work

Learning Mathematics in our Primary Classrooms

Maria Montessori often stated that not only does every human being have an innate drive to understand the environment around them, we all also naturally have what she called a “Mathematical Mind”. In the Montessori classroom, mathematical learning begins through indirect preparation long before a child is ever introduced to any Math materials.