Montessori is a beautiful educational philosophy that focuses on child freedom, independence and natural experiences—all things that we want to instill in our children, and all qualities that are perfect to explore more during the summer. Ann Arbor is also brimming with local summer places to take kiddos that are aligned with the Montessori philosophy.
Independent play
This is one of the most important tenets of the Montessori philosophy. But encouraging independent play can be challenging, especially during a summer that tends to be more unstructured. Some ways to encourage independent play include:
Making a “yes space” for your child, whether that’s their playroom, bedroom, or a section of the living room, where they can play with everything that’s there.
Toy rotation: have a toy rotation system to keep things engaging without being overwhelming.
Playing together to help the transition to independent play: Start by playing together, then step back a bit and see if your child will continue playing by themselves. Don’t worry if they want to still keep playing with you; let them lead the playtime, which will build their confidence and their ability to play by themselves in the future.
When you see your child focused by themselves, try to avoid interrupting them—yes, even if dinner is almost ready! Give them the opportunity to deepen their concentration whenever you see it happening.
Use open-ended toys. Toys that have only one purpose, like a puzzle or many toys that use batteries, are considered closed toys. Open-ended toys have been shown to encourage creativity and independence. These toys include magnatiles, blocks, stuffed animals, art supplies and natural objects in nature like sticks and sand.
RELATED: Easing Back to School After an Extended Break: a Montessori Approach
Outdoor time, whether you’re in an apartment or a house.
The famous British educator Charlotte Mason said, “Never be within doors when you can rightly be without.” If your child spent the entire summer playing outside and with nature, that would be a summer well spent.
We have a great article here on 47 suggestions of how to get outside, even during a busy summer where parents are still working and kids sometimes have many summer camp commitments. Here are some of our favorite, low-effort suggestions:
- Take your technology outside. If your child is going to use their iPad, have them use it while swinging on a swing or sitting on the porch.
- Hang an animal feeder outside your window so kiddos can experience animal visitors even when they are inside.
- Take your child’s after-school snack outside as a picnic, and take a family walk after dinner at night!
Playgrounds
This deserves its own section as Ann Arbor is chock full of playgrounds around many corners and in many neighborhoods. Find the nearest playground to you and go visit once a week. Playing at playgrounds is associated with positive physical, mental and social health outcomes.
Visit a local museum, science center, etc.
Montessori is very hands-on. Sensorial exploration and connecting academics to the real world is always encouraged. Anything that provides hands-on learning about the world we live in follows the Montessori philosophy. Here are a few of our favorite places to take kids this summer!
- The Hands-On Museum and Leslie Science and Nature Center. Check out some one-day camps at LSNC, or the Unity in Learning camps at multiple locations.
Visit the Hands-On Museum in downtown Ann Arbor and enjoy their 10 science exhibit areas or their fantastic toddler space. - The LSNC is located on a public park and all outdoor public areas, including the Nature Playscape, raptor loop, and trails, are open every day of the year. The Nature Playscape, composed of wood, earth, and stone, is a beautiful Montessori-like space.
- The Ann Arbor District Library always has a plethora of summer programming for families at a variety of locations. Some of their current offerings are preschool storytimes, baby playgroups, Korean storytime and a Kids Move program.
- The Ann Arbor Summer Festival, starting June 12th, has a kids’ tent set up with a variety of activities, and family friendly artists at various times throughout the month. Some of the movies, which start at 10pm, are also family friendly.
