Your Montessori daycare will tell you that the first 6 years are critical for childhood learning and development. Their minds are a blank slate soaking up information, and their bodies are growing and developing muscles. And through it all, they are learning to interact in an ever-growing world of social etiquette by practicing respectable and honorable behavior. The holiday season is an excellent time for development.
Explore World Customs
Take your daycare child on learning adventures to discover how people of different cultures honor the year-end holidays. The local library, festivals, and other events are excellent places to get a glimpse of how people honor holidays in far-off lands.Paper Chains
Montessori daycare believes that children learn by doing, and making paper chains to decorate for the holidays teaches important motor skills. All it takes are a few colors of construction paper, child-sized scissors, and a bit of paste to close the circles. You can even vary the plan by adding paste to the paper and dusting it lightly with glitter.Ornaments
In some families, each person makes a new ornament every year. This family custom builds a sense of inclusion in small children and is often the center of winter discussions about when each ornment was made and some interesting stories about that season. Ornaments can be made from anything, even bottle caps or painted bottles. Each ornament should be signed by the creator, along with noting the year for posterity.Giving and Receiving
There is a social art to giving gifts, and one for receiving them as well. Children need to learn how to offer an item politely, and how to respond when something is given to them. Because small children are naturally empathetic, the act of giving is often an exciting game in and of itself. Grace and courtesy are important Montessori concepts that help children learn to interact socially among their peers and elders.The holidays are important for a wide variety of reasons, and the more children learn about diverse cultures, the more they will be tolerant of the beliefs of others. The important thing is that your children remain active and inquisitive as they grow and learn.
