Plant and Animal Life Cycles ~ Exploring the Wonder of Our Natural World

When children come into contact with nature, they reveal their strength.

~ Maria Montessori



Since the beginning of her work over one hundred years ago, a basic tenet of Montessori's psychology and curriculum for children is the universal need for attachment to nature and the subsequent personality integration that evolves from outdoor activity.   The Montessori casa (preschool) curriculum should be filled with real experiences in nature.  Our little yellow school ~ with two playgrounds, towering pine trees, separate flower and vegetable gardens on half an acre of land ~ provides our students with numerous opportunities to become intimate with nature daily and throughout the year.

Preschool children are natural scientists who enjoy exploring the natural world.  The study of life cycles is an exciting way to learn about the biology of plants and animals and is rich in new vocabulary.  This year was chock full of experiences from the life cycles of an apple tree and pumpkin in the fall, to frogs, butterflies, ladybugs and dragonflies in the Spring.  The following is just a little taste of our life cycles work this year:


Life Cycle of a Ladybug

Here is a child's life cycle work.

Life Cycle of a Dragonfly


Here are Dragonfly Pupas and a Dragonfly that the children explored with magnifying glasses.  We found these specimens in one of our playgrounds.

We are so fortunate at our little yellow school that our children are able to experience nature daily, yet very few Montessori schools and daycares are able to offer children this level of intimacy with nature.  In today's world, a child's intimacy with nature on a day-to-day basis is fading.   Richard Louv has coined a term, "nature-deficit disorder" to describe the human costs of alienation from nature.   Richard Louv has written a very interesting book about this subject, Last Child in the Woods:  Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder.  It is a wonderful book that gives all of us much to think about.