Studying Nature the Montessori Way
Maria Montessori believed in keeping learning for young children self-paced, exploratory, hands-on, and multi sensory, even when it came to studying nature.
At Wildflower, our 3-6 Montessori class egages with nature inside and outside of the class, with independent explorations, small group discussions, class collections, and experiments.
But you don't need a full Montessori classroom setup at home to be successful with Nature Studies. In fact, engaging in Nature Studies the Montessori way isn't about the specifics of what things look like, it's about the mindset you keep when engaging in acitivties with your children.
Here are 5 key Montessori approaches to keep in mind:
Keep it Child-Led - Give your children the freedom to explore natural settings at their own pace, following their natural curiosities and focusing on the aspects that interest them.
Keep it Hands-On and Sensorial - Don't just read or watch about nature (though there is def a time and place for this!) Get outside and touch, smell, taste, listen, and observe plants and animals in their natural habitats.
Embrace the Seasons - Nature has it's own rhythms and seasons. Following along with them can help your children connect to and reflect on the cycles of growth, change, and the passage of time.
Instill Stewardship and Responsibility - Teach them to care for plants, animals, and habitats. Not only does this foster a sense of responsibility and environmental awareness, but it also helps instill a sense of gratitude for the beatiful creation that Allah, subhana wa ta ala, has blessed us with.
Go for Tools, Not Toys! - Help your child grow by providing them with useful and practical tools of the trade in their size, instead of imitation toys. They will last longer, do a better job, and empower your child to engage with real work rather than just pretending on the side.
How does this work with real nature studies projects? Well, it depends on what you're studying. Essentially, you can stduy any aspect of nature that your child is interested in. But for now, let's use Spring gardening as an example:
Keep it Child-Led
let your child pick which seeds they want to plant
allow your child to help pick and prep the best planting spots based on the seed's needs
Keep it Hands-On and Sensorial
let your child explore a variety of seed shapes, colors, and sizes
help your child plant a variety of plants that will provide different aromas, textures, and flavors
let them play in the soil barefoot and without gloves so they can feel the dirt, rocks, and worms on their skin
let them help make nautral mulch by crushing up and shredding leftover leaves or hay
Embrace the Seasons
help them understand cycles for plant growth from seed to fruit
help them plant seeds that for flowers that will bloom at different times throughout the year
collect rain water in barrels to use for watering the plants
plant a window seed inside of a wet napkin and watch it germinate
Instill Stewardship and Responsibility
discuss the rewards for planting seeds and feeding others with the fruit they bare
include your children in all garden care routines and tasks such as clearing, weed pulling, planting, watering, and harvesting.
Go for Tools, Not Toys!
skip the plastic playhouse wannabees and invest instead in kid-sized sturdy rakes, gloves, shovels, and trowels from Home Depot or Amazon.
Remember, Montessori nature study isn’t about turning everything into a formal lesson—it’s about providing the time, space, and freedom for exploration and discovery. Simple discussions, answering random or outrageous questions, naming and labeling important concepts, and just getting outside with your child ALL count as real learning and valuable experiences!
Maria Montessori said it best: “Let the children be free; encourage them; let them run outside when it is raining; let them remove their shoes when they find a puddle of water; and when the grass of the meadows is damp with dew, let them run on it and trample it with their bare feet.”
Click here to read about how to start a Montessori friendly Family Nature Station.