The Nest Montessori
North End K9H6H6 Peterborough, ON, Canada

We’ve been collecting lots of pine cones when we’ve been out on our nature walks lately. I was telling the children about how the pine cones stay closed up tight when they are cold and wet, and then they open up and let their seeds out when they are warm and dry. We have brought several types of pine cones inside to observe this process, and today I overheard one child explaining to his little friend the story of the pine cones. It’s in these sweet moments that the beauty of ...the mixed ages in a Montessori environment really shine. I have had parents voice concerns about both their child being the youngest in the class, and the oldest, and I always wish I had some secret window into the room so they could see the moments like these. It is so wonderful to have older friends to look up to and share their experiences with you. And then, later, it is such an exciting source of pride being the one to take the lead, and reinforce your own learning by sharing it with others. The children aren’t worried about how old or young the other children are. They are simply classmates, others in the community - friends. . . . . #thenestmontessori #montessoritoddler #montessoritoddlercommunity #toddlerschool #montessori #montessoritoddlerschool #beautifulchildhood #littlefriends #montessoriclassroom #thisiswhatlearninglookslike See more

Look at these amazing fine motor skills in action! I love watching the children move from wooden stackers, to big, chunky beads on a lace, to smaller beads on a pipe cleaner or wire, to finally these little beads on a string. Each step is such an accomplishment, and each new challenge is such a source of pride! . . . .... #thenestmontessori #montessoritoddler #montessori #montessorischool #finemotorskills #finemotoractivity #finemotorfriday See more

We were reading a book with a picture of a child flying a kite, and the children were immediately interested in what was happening in the picture. One of the children asked me, Can WE go fly a kite? I paused. It’s not what I had planned for this week. But here we are, part way through November, with the sun shining and a gentle, warm breeze in the air. Last year at this time, it was already cold and snowy. And so I nodded and said, Yes. Let’s go try! Maybe it was the sun... and the warm temperatures and the lack of snow. Whatever it was, everything about this experience felt like a gift. Running freely across the field as fast as we could. Laughing until we were out of breath. Cheering when someone successfully got the kite in the air. It isn’t possible to say yes to every idea the children have, but sometimes saying yes is exactly what we all need! . . . . #thenestmontessori #montessorischool #outdooradventures #getoutside #outdoorlearning #montessoritoddler #thisiswhatlearninglookslike See more

All activities connected with looking after yourself and your surroundings, such as getting dressed, preparing food, laying the table, wiping the floor, clearing dishes, doing the dusting, etc., are activities belonging to what Dr. Montessori called ‘Practical Life,’ and are precisely the tasks that adults like least. But between the ages of one and four years, children love these jobs and are delighted to be called on to participate in them. ~ Silvana Montanaro, MD Never u...nderestimate the power of the ordinary, real-life experiences that surround us. These simple moments are such a gift to both young children and us, the adults in their lives. For children, being included in these every day experiences is where they take their first steps toward independence; it’s where they realize their abilities and foster a sense of confidence; it’s the launching pad for all other learning. As an adult, I love the practical life because these everyday tasks can serve as a release from the pressures and expectations we often feel to be doing more, providing more, and somehow always doing more for our children. Practical life is a reminder that you, your family, your life together, is all that your child needs. The simplest experiences we share together is enough, and the most ordinary moments can often be the most beautiful. . . . . #thenestmontessori #montessori #montessoritoddler #montessoriathome #montessorischool #montessoritogether #practicallife #thisiswhatlearninglookslike See more

It’s a new month!! I’ve just posted the November Nest at Home Kit on my shop (link in profile). This kit includes 7 of our favourite materials and activities that are out on our shelves here at The Nest this month, all printed, packed and ready for you to enjoy at home . Prices are in Canadian dollars and include all taxes and shipping. I can ship to the US too (and the exchange rate really works out in my American friends’ favour!) Do to the handmade nature of the items, q...uantities are limited! I’m forever grateful for the interest and support of this amazing community! . . . . #thenestmontessori #thenestathome #handmademontessori #montessoriathome #montessorifamilies #montessorichildren #montessoriinabox #learnathome #shoplocal #shopsmall See more

Days with my toddlers, nights packing boxes . The November Nest Kits are ready to go! There are a few left in the shop (link in profile) if you’d like one to head your way! They really are like a little piece of The Nest coming to your door . . . . #thenestmontessori #thenestathome #montessoriathome #montessori #montessoritoddler #montessorikids #montessorifamilies #montessoriinabox #handmademontessori

More unintended rubber band work! This little one was carefully and meticulously hanging rubber bands on the knobs of the boxes. Again, not work that I had thought of, but perfectly suited to her own skills and abilities. Child-led learning in action again! . . . #thenestmontessori #montessoritoddler #montessorischool #followthechild #childledlearning

Mornings spent outside. Wet, messy painting projects. Little flower arrangements on the table. And a sweet little group of kiddos, so ready to explore and learn together. In a back-to-school season where a lot has changed, I love these moments of realizing how many wonderful little details have stayed exactly the same . . . . #thenestmontessori #montessorischool #toddlermontessori #montessoritoddler #toddlercommunity #toddlerschool #differentbutwonderful #backtoschool #newschoolyear

I’ve had this vision of an outdoor classroom since I started The Nest, and this seemed like a good year to make it happen! This ground-level deck is built right outside our classroom door, and has been a great spot for many of our practical life and art materials this fall! As you can see, this space gets a lot of action, and it really allows me to share many of our traditionally indoor materials and activities with the children outside. The deck has a gate so it can be completely enclosed, so when it’s a little less chilly out, I love the possibility of keeping our classroom door open and having a free-flow of activity between our indoor and outdoor space! . . . #thenestmontessori #montessoritoddler #montessorischool #pivotandadapt #takeitoutside #outdoorclassroom #outdoorlearning #outdoormontessori #toddlerschool

These two ! Access to water is an important part of the Montessori toddler environment. Water brings with it a whole new level of independence for the child, and provides so many layers of challenge to the activities in our classroom. By having access to water, the child can set up so much of their own work (getting a jar of water to rinse their paintbrush, filling the watering can to water the plants, getting water to wash off the chalkboard, etc). As we can see here, even... the act of getting water requires so many amazing skills: coordination, balance, sequencing, gauging volume, pouring and transferring! I love seeing the interest and concentration on this little one’s face as she figures out the faucet and explores filling her container! It is SO good to be back to school with these wonderful little people again. Here’s to a great year, spills and all! . . . #thenestmontessori #montessorischool #toddlerschool #montessoritoddler #toddlercommunity #backtoschool #ptbo #ptbokids #handsonlearning #screenfreelearning #thisiswhatlearninglookslike See more

Good night, little school. Time to rest up for our first day of school tomorrow! . . . #thenestmontessori #montessorischool #toddlerschool #toddlercommunity #montessoritoddler #littleschool #goodthingscoming

Setting up my classroom, watching along with the incredibly inspiring @montessorieverywhere150, and feeling so, so grateful to able continue Maria Montessori’s beautiful legacy for another year. Happy 150th birthday to Dr. Montessori! . . . .... #thenestmontessori #montessorischool #montessoritoddler #toddlercommunity #backtoschool #montessori150 #happybirthdaymontessori See more

The September Nest at Home Kit is ready to go, and I am SO excited about how it has turned out . For those of you who haven’t been following along with this new side project of mine, I’ve developed The Nest at Home as a way of sharing the seasonal activities and favourite materials from The Nest with families at home, for you to enjoy with your child. I’ve set this up as a monthly subscription so that you’ll get a little bit of Montessori magic showing up on your doorstep ...every month! I have 9 more kits available for September, so it’s not too late to subscribe for a September start. Each month, you’ll receive at least 7 unique and beautiful materials (September’s Kit actually has 8!), corresponding videos about each activity, a printed Parent Resource with additional ways of bringing Montessori into your home, and 4 circle time videos with stories, poems and songs that relate back to the activities in the kit. This project has been a labour of love, and it truly feels like sending a little piece of The Nest your way! The link for subscriptions is in my profile! You can follow along and get some more information on my other account as well, @thenestathome . . . . #thenestmontessori #thenestathome #montessoritoddler #montessorichildren #montessorifamily #montessori #montessoriathome #learnathome #beautifulchildhood #inspiringchildhood #buildingyournest #subscriptionbox #smallbusiness #localbusiness

While I set up the toddler classroom for our upcoming school year, my 10-year-old has embarked upon a photography project and it’s kind of awesome . Of course Baby Yoda would be a Montessori toddler, right?! . . . #thenestmontessori #toddlerschool #montessoritoddler #babyyoda #babyyodagoestoschool #babyyodadoesmontessori #backtoschool #maytheforcebewithyou

I am so excited to be moving furniture, pulling materials out of storage, touching up paint and getting ready to welcome children back into our school again! We are for sure embarking on what will be a new and different kind of school year, with a lot of unknowns, but I am dedicated to making this year just as wonderful as every school year before it. Change can be scary, working within new perimeters can feel frustrating and limiting, but ultimately, I’m grateful we are i...n a community that has stayed healthy and that I have the opportunity to safely open my doors again. . . . . #thenestmontessori #montessoritoddler #montessorischool #montessorischoolsofinstagram #toddlerschool #toddlercommunity #backtoschool #togetheragain See more

Dreaming of September and those last summer days in the garden, with a hint of fall in the air! I’ve been so happy this week as I’ve started to work in my classroom, setting things up and planning for our program in September. I like having the time in the summer to create new materials for the classroom: beautiful, seasonally-inspired things that will engage the children and make our classroom feel like a warm and loving space to them. This process has been extra fun this su...mmer because the materials I’m creating for our classroom will also be part of the September Nest at Home Kit. I really want each kit to feel like a piece of our classroom: beautiful, engaging, and full of intention and love, following the gentle rhythm of the seasons and inspiring exploration and inquiry. I’ve started a separate account for my at-home kits and materials, for anyone who is interested! You can find me @thenestathome and of course I’ll still be here too! . . . . #thenestmontessori #thenestathome #montessoriathome #learningathome #montessorimaterials #seasonalliving #seasonallearning #subscriptionbox #montessoritoddler #montessorikids #newprojects #backtoschool #newseasons #inspiredlearning

My new online shop, The Nest at Home, is open now! Link is in my profile! I’m launching a monthly subscription kit full of beautiful, handcrafted and unique activities and materials for children age 18 months - 5 years. Every month you will receive everything you need for at least 7 activities: a practical life activity, two art activities, a food prep activity, an outdoor activity, a language activity, and a beautiful, handmade wooden toy or puzzle. Plus, a printed parent re...source and access to videos about each activity are included every month! (Swipe to see what was in the summer kit!). I can’t wait to send a little bit of The Nest your way every month!! . . . @thenestathome #thenestmontessori #montessoritoddler #montessoriathome #smallbusiness #localbusiness #thenestathome #buildyournest #subscriptionbox #subscriptionkit #inspiringabeautifulchildhood #childhoodathome See more

Okay, friends, I’m ready to share my little project that has kept me going and has fed my soul while The Nest has been closed over the past three months. I’m so excited to share @thenestathome! My vision for The Nest at Home is to create and curate the same beautiful materials and resources that I make and use at The Nest, and make that Montessori loveliness available for families to use in their homes, too. I’ve created a monthly subscription kit for toddlers that will be launching soon! In the meantime, I would love it if you followed along for a peek at the materials and activities I’ve been working on! @thenestathome . . . #thenestmontessori #thenestathome #montessori #montessoriathome #learnathome #montessoritoddler #newprojects #newideas

Working on an end-of-year surprise for my toddlers so they can bring a little piece of The Nest with them into the summertime . I love the Montessori tradition of making handcrafted materials for the environment. The act of creating something beautiful to share with the children feels like love made concrete to me. During the past three months I have found a lot of peace in continuing to create materials and experiences for the children in my program, even while we’ve been a...part. I honestly cannot wait for our program to be up and running again, but this long closure has got me thinking about other ways to share Montessori and The Nest and bring some of that magic into other people’s homes, too. I’m *almost* ready to share my new project with everyone!! But first, I have a little more creating to do . . . . #thenestmontessori #montessoritoddler #montessoriteacher #madewithlove #montessorilife #montessoriathome See more

I will be honest, when stories of horrible injustices hit the news I often stay quiet because I’m so worried of saying the wrong thing, of accidentally contributing to the problem or overstepping my place. But I am trying to change that. This week, I will be staying silent here, not out of fear of a misstep, but to allow the voices of the communities who are often silenced to come forward and be heard. I’m trying to sit in my own discomfort, and listen, and learn what role these communities need and want me, and other white people, to play. I’ll be posting some resources to my stories as I come across them this week. But mostly I am determined to listen. And learn. And make space for other voices to be heard.