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Our greatest natural resource is the minds of our children. —Walter Elias Disney Going on a family vacation is an exciting prospect, especially when the destination promises to be the “happiest place on earth.” When planning a visit to a theme park like Disneyland, remember to think of the trip from your child’s perspective. It is a thrilling, high-energy, and stimulating experience — and a very different environment than your Montessori child is accustomed to at home or school. Consider how you can make your theme-park adventure fun for everyone in a Montessori way. Here are some tips to get you started, using Disneyland as an example. Montessori Away From Home: Family Theme Park Vacation — Following the Montessori Child at Disneyland Adjust your pace. You may have a detailed and down-to-the-minute plan on how to ride every ride in the park, but your child might decide that the carousel is the only ride he wants to try. Stop and look at the experience through your child’s eyes. The th...

In the second plane, the children complete the foundation of their social selves. Through their reasoning minds and powers of imagination, they explore their universe, their community and their own place in social life. —Lillard, Montessori Today, p. 114. Before having the freedom to explore outside the immediate Montessori community, students must demonstrate responsibility within the Montessori environment. This freedom begins with choosing one’s own work during the day, working independently, and being a contributing member of the collective classroom community. Contributing members of any community help nurture and maintain the community. Within the Montessori environment, elementary students become responsible for the environment by learning to care for and maintain the classroom. Since the sensitive period for order occurs during the first stage of development, maintaining the classroom’s beauty and order no longer comes naturally. Instead, it must be modeled and practiced until ...

The child's development follows a path of successive stages of independence, and our knowledge of this must guide us in our behavior towards him. We have to help the child to act, will and think for himself. This is the art of serving the spirit, an art which can be practiced to perfection only when working among children. —Maria Montessori The Advanced Montessori Method, p. 257. Two years ago, my choir group decided to go to Germany to sing throughout the Rhine River region for 10 days. We decided that this was a good opportunity for a family vacation, so my husband and son arranged to meet me after the tour to go to Bavaria. Since the choir trip was planned for the group, I did very little by way of preparation. Conversely, my family planned together for months for our trip to Bavaria, excited to decide where we would go, what restaurants we would try, and the day trips we would make. And although we were only in Bavaria for 6 days, I remember more about that shorter leg of my tr...

Exploring and absorbing the world beyond the classroom are integral components of the Montessori elementary experience. At the start of each year, we discuss going out activities with our elementary students. We discuss our field trip budget and the richness these experiences can provide us. As a group, we brainstorm a list of places we would like to go. The students choose most field trips, but occasionally the directors may choose a field trip or direct their attention to excursions that relate to topics of study or interest. Planning Going Out Activities in the Montessori Elementary Classroom Each student is then responsible for collecting information about a destination and reporting back to the class. This may involve a phone call and/or internet research. Encouraging the students to research the information allows them to develop stronger communication, organizational, and practical life skills. It also builds their sense of independence. Beforehand, we discuss respectful phone e...