Montessori Botany and Art – Creative Learning at its Best
Preparing materials for Montessori Botany is one of my favourite things to do, and when I get to combine it with art, it’s even better.
At this time of the year in the UK, gardens are bursting to life. I’m outside at 6 a.m. watering the flowers, dead-heading the Sweet Peas and generally having a peaceful time, and I suppose that’s why I love it.
We all know that being in nature is beneficial to wellness, yet often we sit at desks through necessity. It’s no different for our children who are tempted indoors by modern distractions.
Over the next few weeks I will focus on creating some Montessori art materials which bring these two subjects together – there really isn’t anything better than doing this stuff outside! From an artist’s point of view, the colours are never the same in a photo. What better opportunity to practice mixing the phenomenal shades of green!
I have four plants on my radar, which means four projects. The Sweet Peas will have to be the last because they aren’t flowering yet, but at least I get to take photos of them in their early days.
The first four projects will be Lily of the Valley, Wildflowers, Sunflowers, and Sweet Peas.
They will include:
- A written summary about the plants, including any traditions associated with them, where they grow, and any health benefits.
- An art project (PDF and Video)
- A creative writing prompt.
- A research / non-fiction prompt.
- Three part cards for Parts of a Plant
Where Does Montessori Botany Fit with the Great Lessons?
The Montessori Great Lessons are a fabulous cradle in which education can take root and grow. Botany covers plants, and these first appear in the Second Great Lesson, but when you think about it they actually appear throughout.
Basic human needs include plants that we eat, cave-people used plants to paint (an early form of communication) and mathematics appears in many ways in the plant world.
It’s actually a mind-boggling but exciting prospect to drill down on these things! I can feel lots of articles coming; isn’t it great what education can uncover!
When Will These Materials Be Available?
I’m updating this post in 2024, and am actively working on this project in tandem with nature painting ideas and miniature ACEO paintings on my art website. It’s a long haul, but finally I’m doing what I love and combining travel, art, photography, and writing!
It will take a week per project, especially since I want to include video to demonstrate painting techniques.
If you would like to see how things are progressing, the best thing to do is to join my newsletter list below. You can also find me on Facebook and Instagram, but these days it seems difficult to reach you via these platforms. I’m also aware of several people with big audiences who have had their accounts restricted with no notice.
I do post everything to my Pinterest account, which seems to be a the safest place behind my own server!
My aim is to provide Montessori Materials at affordable prices, but it's a long game, so I would love it if you came along for the ride with me. You can buy an annual membership that will give you access to all of my creations, or even lifetime. It's up to you.
In the meantime, I will continue with making individual projects and writing books. I hope that this short blog post has given you a little food for thought, and has inspired you to think creatively about the wide reaching arms of Montessori Botany.
