Each year, our community gathers to support our classrooms and teachers with some extra time and labor at our garden work day. We weed gardens, prepare garden beds, prune plants, plant flower boxes, paint and repair outdoor structures. And this year we also moved sand, woodchips, and gravel to beautiful our grounds and resupply our play areas! Thank you to all the parents and caregivers that volunteered to help this year!
The outdoor gardens and courtyards provide opportunities for learning and engagement with nature. At Namaste Montessori School, we know how vital beautiful spaces are for children. And we know children need changes of scenery and opportunities to move and work outside. We carefully design the garden and courtyard spaces to include sensory experiences through plants with scents and textures. We also design outdoor spaces that offer activities that are meaningful to the children and the community. Such activities include weeding, planting, harvesting, sweeping, using tools, art, washing, and cutting flowers. Often, the children have the choice to work in the garden at times throughout their day. This allows the children to self regulate, and follow their interests! Children can also take a favorite activity or snack outside to a table to enjoy.