Quotes

Montessori Quotes for Outdoor Learning

By Marnie Craycroft Filed Under: Outdoor Education Tagged With: Outdoor Classroom, Quotes This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure for more info.

Maria Montessori felt strongly about the connection between indoor and outdoor classrooms. She wanted the indoor and outdoor classroom to be seamless. Montessori activities lend themselves to the outdoor education environment. This post includes my favorites quotes for outdoor learning.

“Anyone who keeps the ability to see beauty never grows old. ~ Kafka

There is so much truth to this quote. I chose to add this quote in outdoor learning because the ability to see the beauty is so present in the outdoor environment. Get outdoors and you will never grow old.

“All things share the same breath – the beast, the tree, the man. The air shares its spirit with all the life it supports.” ~ Chief Seattle

One of my all-time favorite books for children because it tells a historic tale with a huge message behind it. I love the illustrations of the book and the message is extremely powerful.

“Those who look for the laws of Nature as a support for their new works collaborate with the creator.” ~ Antoni Gaudi

Another favorite book on our reference shelves. The book is called Building on Nature. Every Antoni Gaudi work integrates nature. He had an eye and brought it into his work in an astounding way.

Montessori Quotes for Outdoor Learning

“Don't eat anything your great-grandmother wouldn't recognize as food.” ~ Michael Pollan

This quote embodies outdoor learning. Avoid processed, factory manufactured food. Stick to one ingredient and know from where your food came.

“Nature gives to every time and season some beauties of its own.” ~ Charles Dickens

“Live in each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit, and resign yourself to the influence of each.” ~Henry David Thoreau

“It is the life of the crystal, the architect of the flake, the fire of the frost, the soul of the sunbeam. This crisp winter air is full of it.” ~John Burroughs

“Must we always teach our children with books? Let them look at the mountains and the stars up above. Let them look at the beauty of the waters and the trees and flowers on earth. They will then begin to think, and to think is the beginning of a real education.” ~ David Polis

“Now I see the secret of making the best persons, it is to grow in the open air and to eat and sleep with the earth.” ~ Walt Whitman

“April hath put a spirit of youth in everything.” ~ Sonnet XCVIII

One of the most captivating moments of the year is when the birds begin chirping and the blossoms begin blooming. April is the month of showers but it truly does bring May flowers.

“Children are born naturalists. They explore the world with all of their senses, experiment in the environment, and communicate their discoveries to those around them.” ~ The Audubon Nature Preschool

Yes, yes, yes. Being outdoors is THE best teacher for young children, heck, for all of us! The fresh air, the movement of our bodies, and the multi-sensory experiences. Nothing beats that type of learning. Kids soak it all in.

“The world is but a canvas to the imagination.” ~ Henry David Thoreau

I can only wish for those “clean slate” moments when the world is truly at our fingertip. So much possibility. So much hope.

“The clearest way into the Universe is through a forest wilderness.” ~ John Muir

15 of the Best Montessori Quotes for Parents

By Marnie Craycroft Filed Under: Montessori in the Home, Positive Parenting Tagged With: Mindfulness, Quotes This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure for more info.

The Montessori theory in my view must be applied to all areas of life far extending the boundaries of the classroom. These Montessori quotes for parents highlight that belief.

Montessori is a way of life that must not end and begin at the classroom door. Montessori's philosophy extends out into the world and into the home. Subsequently, Montessori parents are an integral part of that extension and must pay close attention to their child's development.

Montessori Quotes for Parents

“The greatness of human personality begins at the hour of birth.”

This is the moment a child begins to experience the world and all its sensory glory.

“Children must grow not only in the body but in the spirit, and the mother longs to follow the mysterious spiritual journey of the beloved one who to-morrow will be the intelligent, divine creation, man.”

There is a delicate balance between guiding and observing a child as he leads his own development.

“The essence of independence is to be able to do something for one’s self.”

“Respect all the reasonable forms of activity in which the child engages and try to understand them.”

There is always some sort of intention behind a behavior – whether good or bad – that isn't visible at the surface.

“To let the child do as he likes, when he has not yet developed any powers of control, is to betray the idea of freedom.”

Both of these Montessori quotes lend to the idea of freedom within a disciplined environment. In other words, we do a disservice to the child if we don't offer boundaries. The ideas is to create a well planned, well-prepared environment and give the child immense liberty within that environment.

Observe the child. Do not intervene. This requires a lot of patience but it is absolutely necessary. From those observations, curate and prepare an environment best suited for his developmental stage and interests.

Montessori often gets criticized for being too structured and too serious. Here is the thing, though, children find great joy in work an often this work comes in the form of imitation. That is a good sign.

More Montessori Quotes for Parents

“Discipline in freedom seemed to solve a problem which had hitherto seemed insoluble. The answer lay in obtaining discipline by giving freedom. These children, who sought their work in freedom, each absorbed in a different kind of task, yet all belonging to the same group gave an impression of perfect discipline.”

“The child who concentrates is immensely happy.”

We often mistake this concentration for seriousness or a lack of joy when the experience is precisely the opposite for the child.

“The human being is a united whole, but this unity has to be built up and formed by active experiences in the real world, to which it is led by the laws of nature.”

Children need to be given the freedom to have experiences, to fail, and to explore on their own and within their own terms.

“We used to say that it was the mother who formed the child; for it is she who teaches him to walk, talk, and so on. But none of this is really done by the mother. It is the achievement of the child. What the mother brings forth is the baby, but it is the baby who produces the man.”

Maria Montessori Quotes from The Absorbent Mind

“To recognize this great work of the child does not mean to diminish the parents' authority. Once they can persuade themselves not to be themselves the builders, but merely to act as collaborators in the building process, they become much better able to carry out their real duties; and then, in the light of a wider vision, their help becomes truly valuable.”

“To understand the baby's mind, it is absolutely essential to take the path of observation and discovery.”

“..it is well to cultivate a friendly feeling towards error, to treat it as a companion inseparable from our lives, as something having a purpose, which it truly has.”

Most of these quotes came from The Absorbent Mind, a critical book written by Dr. Maria Montessori. I have written about the concept of the absorbent mind. I encourage you to learn more about Montessori's absorbent mind!

Related Reads:

15 Maria Montessori Quotes About Teaching Children

By Marnie Craycroft Filed Under: Montessori Tagged With: Quotes, Simple Living This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure for more info.

You have heard me talk about the Montessori method as a lifestyle in every learning environment no matter if at home, at school, outdoors, indoors, or out in the community. In other words, Montessori is a life philosophy to embrace and carry with us through a lifetime. Dr. Montessori's work is full of wisdom. This post includes some of my all-time favorite Maria Montessori quotes about teaching children from the Absorbent Mind and other works. Furthermore, these education quotes serve both teachers and parents.

15 Maria Montessori Quotes for Parents & Teachers

“Imagination does not become great until human beings, given the courage and strength, use it to create.”
“Our care of the child should be governed, not by the desire to make him learn things, but by the endeavor always to keep burning within him that light which is called intelligence.”
“It is not enough for the teacher to love the child. She must first love and understand the universe. She must prepare herself, and truly work at it.”

“We cannot know the consequences of suppressing a child's spontaneity when he is just beginning to be active. We may even suffocate life itself. That humanity which is revealed in all its intellectual splendor during the sweet and tender age of childhood should be respected with a kind of religious veneration. It is like the sun which appears at dawn or a flower just beginning to bloom. Education cannot be effective unless it helps a child to open up himself to life.”

“The greatest sign of success for a teacher is to be able to say, “The children are now working as if I did not exist.”
“Within the child lies the fate of the future.”

“Of all things love is the most potent.”
“Do not erase the designs the child makes in the soft wax of his inner life.”
“Respect all the reasonable forms of activity in which the child engages and try to understand them.”

“The things he sees are not just remembered; they form a part of his soul.”
“A child in his earliest years, when he is only two or a little more, is capable of tremendous achievements simply through his unconscious power of absorption, though he is himself still immobile. After the age of three, he is able to acquire a great number of concepts through his own efforts in exploring his surroundings. In this period he lays hold of things through his own activity and assimilates them into his mind.”
“We must help the child to act for himself, will for himself, think for himself; this is the art of those who aspire to serve the spirit.”

Montessori Quotes about Teaching Children

“An education capable of saving humanity is no small undertaking; it involves the spiritual development of man, the enhancement of his value as an individual, and the preparation of young people to understand the times in which they live.”
“The child seeks independence by means of work; an independence of body and mind.”
“We must clearly understand that when we give the child freedom and independence, we are giving freedom to a worker already braced for action, who cannot live without working and being active.

All my best,
Marnie

My Favorite Montessori Resources for Inspiration

10 Quotes to Help You Get To Simple

By Marnie Craycroft Filed Under: Positive Parenting Tagged With: Living, Quotes, Simple Living This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure for more info.

Every day I struggle with escaping that feeling of being overwhelmed by life. Simplifying is hard work. I'm hoping these simple quotes help you.

So hard that most people never truly simplify their lives.

For years I have worked hard at creating a simpler life for me and my family. I have rituals, routines, habits, tools, and tricks that help keep me sane, productive, happy, and with time at the end of the day. It is about mindset, friends. What better place to start with mindset than to start with inspiration?

Below is my list of all time favorite quotes to get me back on my journey to simple. I am right there with you. Hang on and we'll get “there” together.

Journey to Simple Quotes

Simple Living Quotes

“It is desirable that a man live in all respects so simply and preparedly that if an enemy take the town… he can walk out the gate empty-handed and without anxiety.” – Henry David Thoreau

“The joy of a simple life is the greatest satisfaction.” –Laila Ibrahim

“Don't just declutter, de-own.” – Joshua Becker

“Simplicity is complex. It's never simple to keep things simple. Simple solutions require the most advanced thinking.” – Richie Norton

“We have too quickly bought into the lie that we’ll be happier with more—and as a result, too often miss the joy that comes from owning less.” – Joshua Becker

“We own too much stuff. And it is stealing our joy.”- Joshua Becker

“Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.”- Confucius

“We shall never know all the good that a simple smile can do.” – Mother Teresa

“But what is happiness except for the simple harmony between a man and the life he leads?” – Albert Camus

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” – Aristotle

So, what do you think, friends? Feeling inspired? motivated? Ready to get on that road to simple?

Marnie