One of the wonderful things about a Montessori classroom environment is the opportunity for extending activities to maintain a child’s interest. Along with extensions, there are lots of variations that can be made depending on the time of the year. This Autumn, we added new materials to some of our staple activities such as transferring with tongs/chopsticks, gluing on the x, and care of the environment. The addition of fall themed items peaks the children’s curiosity and regains their interest in the activity in a new way. Adapting activities to different months and celebrations also supports children’s understanding of each season and the markers of each special occasion. For example, children in a Casa classroom will often care for the environment by watering plants and washing plant leaves. This month, the children have an opportunity to wash and care for a pumpkin in preparation for Halloween.
