What do I mean by care of plants & how is taking care of plants a Montessori baby activity, you ask?
Well… Care of Plants is actually a subtopic within Montessori pedagogy that holds a bunch of lessons that are perfect to integrate into your daily life with your baby or toddler! And let me tell you why…
Involving our babies & toddlers in the care of our house plants teaches them so many amazing lessons during their earliest years. And while these lessons are unconscious absorptions as they make mental connections, it becomes a part of their foundation during a time when they are learning who they are to the world! And what is better than that?!
What is Care of Plants?
Care of Plants is a term for Montessori lessons that have to do with offering our children opportunities to take care of plants. For example:
- Watering Plants
- Dusting Leaves
- Germinating
- Flower Sorting
…. and so much more!
What’s the Purpose?
So one thing that is super special about Montessori education is that the lessons and activities have direct + indirect purposes. And those purposes are lesson specific, even between each care of plants lesson.
That said, there can definitely be a general overview of the direct and indirect purposes that taking care of plants teaches. So let’s go over them!
Care of Plants: Direct Purpose
Teaching our babies to take care of plants directly teaches them to water plants, dust plants, germinate, etc. Those lessons offer our sweet babies opportunities to try this care all by themselves!
Care of Plants: Indirect Purpose
I actually think that the indirect purpose of teaching our babies to take care of plants is equally, if not more powerful than the direct purpose. Indirectly, it teaches our children:
- To Care for Our Earth
- Balance of Nature
- Empowerment through Involvement in their Environment
- Aiding the Growth of Plant Life
- Opportunities for Gentle Touches
It’s truly something special to watch a young toddler practice using gentle touches while dusting a plant leaf. And it’s even more special to see the joy that they have when they did it all by themselves.
Have you gotten your young child involved in taking care of plants? What lessons have you tried at home? Let me know in the comments below!
Sending you love today and always… 🙂