This is a beautiful invitation to envision, enjoy and beautify beauty. No, this isn’t a pleonasm, it is an accentuation of all things lovely. What can be more peaceful than a quiet and focused toddler making a flower arrangement with real sunflowers? I am excited to bring to you a lesson that may seem simple, but in reality, it is full of important values to instill in every child.
Maria Montessori emphasized love of nature, care for the environment and care for oneself. She understood the depth of empathy and what it means to model peace. It should be the goal of every educator and parent: seek and find peace. Share peace. Love peace. Invite peace. Live in peace.
Note
My images are blurry because I wasn’t interrupting my child during her focused work. Honestly, I prefer to show you blurry pictures than for me to see them and know that I asked my child to sit still to capture the moment. As a Montessori Method lover, I am sure you understand exactly what I am referring to. 😉
I just simply love to watch my children take off on their work and do their work independently. I am a silent observer, making sure they are safe and cordial to one another. How to Raise and Amazing Child the Montessori Way is a great book to read to learn more.
In our Home
Flowers make my heart so happy. They are probably (aside from breathtaking sunsets and the ocean) the objects that make me smile the most as I bask in their beauty. So once a month, I make a point of purchasing a bouquet of real flowers. I find the most inexpensive bouquet I can find (mini carnations) and every few months, I “splurge” and buy a bouquet that is a bit pricier, like these lovely sunflowers.
Sister does the flower arrangement peaceful work several times per month. It is her favorite thing to do. In fact, she requested to do it so much that she now has her assigned vase and I set aside a smaller bouquet for her to work with whenever she comes to the dinner table. 🙂 It is a great way to entertain little ones and foster peace in our home, especially while I am making dinner.
Goals
To foster a peaceful and calm environment through this activity
To inspire creativity and aesthetic sense in the child
To praise their interest and desire to make their environment beautiful
To strengthen object discrimination and process order
To encourage and support independence during everyday activities
To provide an opportunity to use gross motor skills with control and care
For the older children who use scissors, to refine fine motor skills
Materials
– a child-sized pitcher with some water in it
– flowers (we prefer real flowers, but artificial will work fine)
– a mat or a child-sized table
– a microfiber rag (for cleaning spills, if there are any)
For older children, you may want to provide a pair of child-sized scissors so they can trim the ends of the stems before putting them in the vase.
Steps
1. You child will model your presentation. Be flexible and give room for their own creativity to blossom.
2. Child unrolls the mat on the floor or walks over to table, if using one. The vase, flowers, rag and pitcher (include scissor, if desired) are already there.
3. Child slowly and carefully picks up pitcher and pours the water into the vase.
4. She puts the pitcher down and wipes up any spilled water.
5. Next, she studies the flowers on the mat. They might all be the same or there might be a variety of flowers.
6. Child picks up her first flower and places it in the vase.
7. Child keeps arranging the flowers as she sees fit best, always being calm, quiet and peaceful, focusing on the work at hand. This work is not to be seen as busy work to do as an afterthought while having a conversation with someone. It requires 100% of the attention and focus.
Note: The child may or may not want all the flowers in the vase. That is acceptable. And in this case, find an alternative vase for the leftover flowers. I wouldn’t toss.
8. Once the flower arrangement is done, the child will find a place for the vase; a place where their beauty can be displayed and enjoyed.
Note: You may already have a designated place for your flowers arrangements. That is acceptable, too. Simply encourage your child to carefully and slowly carry the vase to that area. If it is too heavy and may be dangerous for the child to carry, please provide assistance with this task.
9. Praise the child’s choice of flowers and how she arranged them. Praise how beautiful flowers are and how the environment is better with them there.
10. Switch water out daily, if possible, giving the child an opportunity to rearrange the flowers.
Tips
– It is recommended that this lesson be introduced around age 3, but I have been doing this peaceful work with my youngest since she was about 1.5 years old, so test it out and see if it will work sooner for your little one.
– When children are so enthralled in their flower arrangements and want to do it over and over, I hold off on the water pouring part until we are on our “last round” for the day. That way, if the vase accidentally tips over, there won’t be water spilled all over.
– This is NOT a gender-specific work. Girls may have a knack for arranging flowers, but boys are just as creative. My son (now 5 years old) still enjoys making a bouquet for Mom or for Sister. He does use scissors to cut stems, by the way. Please make this work available to girls and boys alike.
As you can see, this is a beautiful activity that will bring joy and wholesome entertainment to you as you watch your child express her creativity and releasing peace into her environment. I hope you decide to practice this with your child often. Feel free to share your images on our Facebook page.
More posts on flowers:
Amazing blogs involved in the 12 Months of Montessori Learning
Natural Beach Living ~ The Natural Homeschool ~ Living Montessori Now
The Kavanaugh Report ~ Mama’s Happy Hive ~ Study at Home Mama ~ Child Led Life
Every Star Is Different ~ Grace and Green Pastures ~ The Pinay Homeschooler
Visit our Montessori Pinterest Board!
“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
Kimberly says
January 17, 2015 at 8:30 amFlower arrangements by kids are the best. Wonderful read.
sylviadlg says
January 17, 2015 at 10:59 amI love everything that you ate teaching my grandchildren… I am amazed!
Brooke says
May 30, 2015 at 4:31 pmI absolutely love your site, and I am particularly interested in learning about the GORGEOUS butterfly triptych that can be seen in the flower arranging post. Did you do this painting? If so, what type of paint did you use? It’s absolutely gorgeous and invokes the most incredible sense of beauty in a person! Thank You!
Tanya says
June 1, 2015 at 8:34 amThank you so much! You made my day with your comment!
No, I didn’t paint that beautiful butterfly. I actually bought it at Ipanema Beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
The seller was an artist that had his art displayed on the street by the beach. 🙂
Sarah Lyle says
June 11, 2015 at 12:22 amWow! I had never thought of this idea. My husband bought flowers for my girls and they loved taking them out of the vase and playing with them. Wish I would have given them a vase, so they could arrange flowers. Sometimes I feel like I’m not engaging the kids enough (not that I have to be over their shoulders every minute). I’m really enjoying reading through your Montessori posts. I think I’ll read the book you recommended too (Montessori Today by Lillard). I don’t know much about Montessori except for passing by buildings in neat neighborhoods in San Francisco.
Tanya says
June 11, 2015 at 8:54 amAwwww! Thank you! You made my day!