Archives for July 2015

Powerful message. Pass it on.

Great idea for an outdoor Practical Life activity!…shared by UMA graduate Kelda Adair, director of Gardenview Montessori School in Bellingham, WA.

Needed are:

• 1 large tree stump
• 1 sturdy hammer
• 1 basket with large-headed nails
• 1 set of goggles
• 1 very serious and eager child!

Developmental Purposes are:

• Hand-eye coordination (aiming hammer at center of nail)
• Small muscle control (grasping nails)
• Order (planning the motions)
• Concentration (holding hammer and nail, one in each hand)
• Independence (self-chosen activity without assistance)
• Self confidence (“I did it myself!”)

Sensorial benefits are:

• Smell, Sight, and Feel of the natural wood
• Sound of hammering (on wood & nail)
• Opportunities to experience all the other sounds, smells, tastes, feel, and sights of nature all around.
• Ahhhh…breathing fresh air, the calming rhythm of the activity, and so much more!