It is hard to believe another school year is almost completed. Even with the uncertainties of how it would go with Covid-19, it has been an amazing year. Your children have all grown so much. Each child brought something special to our classroom and it has been an honor to work with them and help guide them every day. Watching them grow and accomplish new tasks is always so rewarding, especially when you see that excited look on their faces and hear them say, “I did it!!”.  It has also been great getting to know each of you. Thank you so much for all of your support and all of the things you have done for our classroom. We couldn’t have done it without you!

“There is in the child a special kind of sensitivity which leads him to absorb everything about him, and it is this work of observing and absorbing that alone enables him to adapt himself to life. He does it in virtue of an unconscious power that exists in childhood…” -Maria Montessori

We know you are looking forward to summer with your children and we wanted to share some ideas for Montessori aligned summer fun!

Tips for Gardening with Toddlers:

• Embrace the Dirt & Water

• Give Them Their Own Tools

• Let Them Plant – Some plants need to be seeded according to the package, but other seeds do well with a little spontaneity. Toddlers can easily help plant.
• Harvest Time – Hardy plants like beans, peas can easily take a little toddler love in the picking phase. Other easily dug plants like carrots & potatoes can yield excitement as they are dug from the ground. As a bonus, if you grew it, you’re more likely to eat it – so this is especially great with children who are picky with their vegetables.

Frequent walks in nature provide fun adventures, promote healthy habits, and help to create a stronger bond with your toddler. Naming what you see on your nature walks is great for language development! Another fun way to get children moving in nature is to incorporate a scavenger hunt!

“There is no description, no image in any book that is capable of replacing the sight of real trees, and all of the life to be found around them in a real forest.” Maria Montessori

OTHER ACTIVITIES

Water play
Identifying Smells
Color Hunt
Shape Hunt
Care of Animals Sand play
Yoga
Sound Hunt
Counting seeds
Counting pebbles and rocks
Identify insects
Shadow drawing
Observe weather or clouds

As fun as these activities are, it is important to keep in mind that toddlers thrive on consistency and being able to “do” for themselves. We are excited to hear about all of the fun memories that are made 

Whitney Kimbro and Kendyll Murray.

Toddler A and B