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Eleanor
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| Posted: June 28 2007 at 3:50pm | IP Logged
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First, I wanted to say thank you to everyone for being so warm and welcoming -- and especially to Meredith, for being such a great moderator. 
With all the recent posts on classroom organization, toddler mayhem, etc., I wanted to share something that's been working for us so far. My 3-year-old daughter kept asking to do "more school things," but I didn't want us to be cooped up in the house during such nice weather. I was also finding it next to impossible to keep her little brother occupied while I worked with her, since he always ends up making a mess.
Our solution has been to set up a Montessori area outside on the patio. It's very simple: a portable gazebo for shade; some inexpensive pine utility shelves from Target; and a child-sized picnic table. To keep the materials reasonably clean, we've covered the shelves with a tarp. My daughter helps me to roll up the tarp when we're starting our work, and roll it back down when we're done.
(As a side note, we're probably more "schooly" than some other families here. As a child, I enjoyed the novelty and familiarity of the classroom environment: the rituals, the furniture, the supplies, etc. Montessori really plays up these aspects, which is one of the reasons I've always been attracted to the philosophy. From the beginning, I've presented "doing school" as something very special, and my daughter has responded in kind. I hope that's not contrary to the "real learning" concept... if so, please, no tomatoes!  )
When we're outdoors, we can do arts & crafts, pouring, gardening, etc. without much concern about mess. On the down side, because of the risk of breakage and water damage, we're not using most of our wooden materials, especially the painted ones. As a substitute, I've set out some pseudo-Montessori items that I bought when I was just starting out (Unifix number and letter cubes, plastic insets, etc.), along with some laminated cardboard materials. There are also puzzles and learning toys for the toddler, although he's much more interested in washing things... over and over and over. Our patio furniture has never been so clean!  It's such a relief to be able to hand him a bowl of water and a cloth, let him go wash things, and not worry about spills. (When we've tried doing water activities in the kitchen, someone invariably slips in a puddle, and ends up with a bumped head.)
We're working on setting up our guest room in a more traditional Montessori style, and we'll be moving our base of operations in there in the fall. I'm hoping that our little guy will be somewhat normalized by then. With the way he is now -- and with the lovely weather we're having -- our "patio school" is just perfect.
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Elizabeth
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Real Learning
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| Posted: June 28 2007 at 3:58pm | IP Logged
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What a charming idea, Eleanor! Thanks for sharing 
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Elizabeth Foss is no longer a member of this forum. Discussions now reflect the current management & are not necessarily expressions of her book, *Real Learning*, her current work, or her philosophy. (posted by E. Foss, Jan 2011)
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SeaStar
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| Posted: June 28 2007 at 4:46pm | IP Logged
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That sounds like the best of all worlds!
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Melinda, mom to ds ('02) and dd ('04)
SQUILT Music Appreciation
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lapazfarm
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| Posted: June 28 2007 at 8:04pm | IP Logged
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That sounds wonderful! We do a lot of school outdoors as well, but have never set up anything as elaborate as you have. What great ideas!
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Theresa
us-schooling in beautiful Fairbanks, Alaska.
LaPaz Home Learning
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Mackfam
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| Posted: June 28 2007 at 8:52pm | IP Logged
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Those are really great ideas! It gets sooooo hot and miserable here, I'd have to get out pretty early, but I was just starting to read on preparing the outdoor classroom, and your ideas sound so neat. I love taking pouring and sorting activities outside. If we spill lentils all over the deck - we can just sweep them into the compost bin. I'd have to pick up my yard and deck a bit I think - it looks like the Little Tykes factory exploded here. 
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Jen Mackintosh
Wife to Rob, mom to dd 19 , ds 16, ds 11, dd 8, and dd 3
Wildflowers and Marbles
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Cay Gibson
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| Posted: June 28 2007 at 8:55pm | IP Logged
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Eleanor wrote:
| Our solution has been to set up a Montessori area outside on the patio. It's very simple: |
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I just love this, Eleanor.
Eleanor wrote:
| From the beginning, I've presented "doing school" as something very special, and my daughter has responded in kind. I hope that's not contrary to the "real learning" concept... |
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I don't think it's contrary at all. Find what works for you and your family. That's our motto around here.
Thank you, Eleanor, for giving me some much needed insight into making "doing school" "something very special"...because it is.
So often we forget that learning should be a joyful process, probably because our own experience was anything but. You've inspired me, Eleanor. Thank you!
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Cay Gibson
"There are 49 states, then there is Louisiana." ~ Chef Emeril
wife to Mark '86
mom to 5
Cajun Cottage Under the Oaks
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Donna Marie
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| Posted: June 29 2007 at 7:35am | IP Logged
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Our children really LOVE to be outside. We do the messier activities on the patio and I LOVE that. The worst thing that ever happens is that I get to hose down the area (and the kids) if I get distracted and they spill something
We don't even have a picnic table yet. We are fixing up the house and dh and the boys want to make a family sized one, so we are waiting patiently  (I can't wait for the boys to learn how to use the woodworking tools they crave under Dad's supervision.) Meanwhile, everyone knows how to set up our temporary table and cover it for work.
It is amazing what you can do out there that would be considered Montessori-ish. We make landforms in the sandbox, make a sand continents map and populate it with toob animals, and then there are sorting activities with rocks and sticks.
When it is hotter, we do sink and float activities in the kid pool...water transfer using unusual objects etc...
One of the best summers we have ever had was when there was 3 truckloads of topsoil in a pile in my backyard awaiting my father (the construction guy). We were using it to raise the grade slightly by the back door after waterproofing the foundation in the back of the house and put in a patio. We got the kids involved as much as we could. We learned so much out there with all of it, but that wasn't the GOOD part. My ds' dug out the center of this dirt pile and ran into the house and asked how MUCH baking soda and vinegar I had. (Mommy-radar alert!) When I found out what they were doing, I asked them to come up with a better solution. Instead they had their little brother "explode" out of the opening after covering the top with a tarp...LOL! I heard them discussing how different volcanoes are formed (as a teaching moment for the little ones) and the boys were asking them how they thought they could re-create most of them.
It was also a huge construction project in which they constructed a ball maze down the face of the "mountian" among other things. They challenged each other to dig using different tools without spilling...etc...their hidden "Montessorian" was coming out...
Painting, Art trays, color mixing with a pipette and colored water...we have done a lot of this and I LOVE it out there...mess-wise ...and they are calmer because they are soaking up fresh air and sunshine at the same time as indulging in their meaningful work. The only thing is, they want to be doing this ALLL of the time, and I have to pull the little ones in with me sometime so we can actually EAT
The neighborhood kids think I am a "cool mom" because I am constantly doing our science experiments out there. Their favorites are the soda bottle science and such from Steve Spangler. We re-enact several of his video presentations in real live 3D action The thing is, I really need shelves built OUTSIDE too!...you can never have enough shelves
God love you,
Donna Marie from NJ
hs momma to 7dc 
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God love you!
Donna Marie from NJ
hs momma to 9dc!!
Finding Elegant Simplicity
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Mackfam
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| Posted: June 29 2007 at 7:54am | IP Logged
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Donna Marie,
Your insights are always so inspiring to me! Thanks for sharing. I'm going to add your ideas to the new "outside activities" tab in my growing notebook.
Love the dirt-pile work! It's an awesome reminder for me to relax and enjoy the children's natural curiosity. God directs so much learning in that way. Thank you for your example!
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Jen Mackintosh
Wife to Rob, mom to dd 19, ds 16, ds 11, dd 8, and dd 3
Wildflowers and Marbles
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Donna Marie
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| Posted: June 29 2007 at 8:02am | IP Logged
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Mackfam wrote:
Donna Marie,
Your insights are always so inspiring to me! Thanks for sharing. I'm going to add your ideas to the new "outside activities" tab in my growing notebook.
Love the dirt-pile work! It's an awesome reminder for me to relax and enjoy the children's natural curiosity. God directs so much learning in that way. Thank you for your example! |
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Thank you! I have found that the boys (11,8,4) most especially have a NEED for the outdoors to teach them in some way or another. They come in at the end of the day so peaceful and happy. I guess out there it is real manly type work Throw water, dirt, and sand into the mix and it is an exciting place, evidentially...
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God love you!
Donna Marie from NJ
hs momma to 9dc!!
Finding Elegant Simplicity
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Meredith
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| Posted: June 29 2007 at 9:04am | IP Logged
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Eleanor wrote:
First, I wanted to say thank you to everyone for being so warm and welcoming -- and especially to Meredith, for being such a great moderator.
We're working on setting up our guest room in a more traditional Montessori style, and we'll be moving our base of operations in there in the fall. I'm hoping that our little guy will be somewhat normalized by then. With the way he is now -- and with the lovely weather we're having -- our "patio school" is just perfect. |
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Thank you so much Eleanor, it's a joy for me!! Your patio school sounds heavenly!!
Many blessings!
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Meredith
Mom of 4 Sweeties
Sweetness and Light
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4Real Forums : Nurturing the Years of Wonder
Topic: Moving the "classroom" outdoors
