Having a prepared environment is so important for children. Montessori recognizes the importance of the environment for children of all ages. She knew that it was through experience in the environment that children are able to blossom most naturally and reach their fullest potential.
And, when you're at home or school, this works great. You can take the time and make changes to make your environment meet the needs of your child. This isn't so easy when you're traveling! This past week, we have been on vacation along the North Shore of Lake Superior with my entire family. During our vacation we've made some special considerations for Augustus to prepare the environment as best as possible, to allow him the freedom of movement to explore while also keeping him safe {and keeping our own sanity.}
Playtime
- Bring a few toys from home to help occupy your baby if you spending lots of time indoors
- Pack a small basket or two to help contain and organize the materials
- A large blanket helps to define the baby's play space -- and remind others to keep small objects away from this area
- Bring outlet plugs because hotels and rentals often don't have them and this way your baby can still play on the floor
- Remove any knick-knacks from the space and don't be afraid to push some of the furniture around to create a safe play space
- Organize the toys as if you had a shelf, along a wall or the blanket
Sleeping
- Consider if a floor bed is the safest option for the space, crawling around the room can sometimes let you see hazards in a new light
- Consider if a portable crib or pack 'n play {this is personally what we do} is safer for a couple of nights
- Use crib/container only for sleep and allow freedom of movement and exploration for play
- Again, consider safety, access to the bathroom and open plugs were the biggest considerations for us
- Include common reference items that you use at home in your temporary sleep space, for us this meant Gus' topponcino (which yes, he is still using)
"Education is a natural process carried out by the child and is not acquired by listening to words but by experiences in the environment." Maria Montessori
Weaning/Eating
- Bring familiar weaning objects -- a cup, a bowl, a spoon, etc. -- with you on your trip to allow similar self-feeding
- Be flexible about where feeding has to occur -- maybe in your lap, in a highchair, booster seat or other chair
- Placing a towel on the floor under the seat -- I wish we would have done this -- can make clean up a lot easier {especially if like me you're used to having dogs come along and clean for you!}
Doing these things made our vacation so much more enjoyable for everyone. Gus easily adjusted to the new environment and was still able to play and move independently. We could sit back and let everyone just soak up the fun.
Have you taken your baby on vacation? Have you made any special Montessori considerations along the way?
