distraction from the weather. It needed to add
value to their learning experience.
When we realized how important it is to be
outdoors, we unleashed an unmet need to give,
volunteer, and to participate in efforts to keep
everyone safe. Parents, who were no longer allowed
on campus, could focus on something
they knew was important and necessary. Children
could go home and share developing
plans for garden boxes and flowering plant
containers. Plans included water elements, bird
feeders, and butterfly plants. Energy and excitement
grew around the need to spend more
time outdoors.
Families came together on virtual community
meetings to share how they could donate and
what they could do on our campuses while
maintaining safety protocols. They bonded and
connected either six feet away behind a facial
covering or in a virtual community meeting.
These bonds have nurtured friendships and
created spaces for children to grow, play, and
learn. We received, in abundance, donations
of time, talent, and treasure. Contributions focused
on a single goal—enhancement of our
outdoor classroom spaces.
We added to our toddler and early childhood
playscapes things previously thought unattainable
because of cost and labor. We doubled the
number of raised garden beds on our campus.
We partnered with a local master gardener
organization. We quadrupled our outdoor
seating capacity for our middle and high school
students. And, we have begun to embrace the
importance of walking with nature throughout
our day.
The silver-lining of COVID-19 is that we
have been forced to make time for things that
have always been put on the back burner. Parents,
staff, and even children have committed
to attending weekly virtual community
meetings. We have prioritized what is important
to us, staying healthy, using our indoor
and outdoor environments for learning, and
building community.
We honor the words of Maria Montessori
by dedicating ourselves to our outdoor environments:
“The child has a different relation
to “their” environment from ours ... the child
absorbs it. The things they see are not just remembered;
they form part of their soul. The
child incarnates in themselves all in the world
about them that their eyes see and their ears hear."
(adjusted to be gender neutral—The Absorbent
Mind.)
As parents, you have an opportunity to support
your school through this unprecedented time by
using your talents, treasure, or time to enhance
your outdoor environments. Look around your
school and offer ideas to support your teachers
in using their outdoor spaces more effectively. I
think you will be as surprised as I was that all
you have to do is build a creative outdoor space
for learning and call it a playground.
Footnote: my husband continues to have
conversations with the crew who helped
“build the playground” 24 years ago. For
us, “building the playground” has become a
metaphor for lifelong learning and lifelong
friendships. ��
Tanya Rykind has worked
with the Montessori
Foundation for many years.
Tanya brings a broad set
of experiences and skills from her years in
both the legal and educational fields. Most
importantly, Tanya has experience as a
Montessori teacher trainer, an International
Montessori consultant, motivational
speaker, author, and frequent presenter
at Montessori conferences around the
world. She currently serves on the board of
the Montessori Accreditation Council for
Teacher Education (MACTE), the agency
recognized by the United States Department
of Education to accredit Montessori Teacher
Education programs.
She holds a Bachelor of Arts from the
University of New Hampshire, cum
laude, majoring in Social Services, with
an emphasis on counseling. Her minor
was in Spanish. She went on to earn her
Juris Doctorate from the University of
New Hampshire School of Law. She holds
elementary Montessori certification from
both the American Montessori Society and
the International Montessori Council. Tanya’s
continuing studies include Neuroscience
and Learning through Harvard University,
Oceanography and Meteorology at the State
University of New York, Brockport.
TOMORROW'S CHILD © �� JANUARY 2021 �� WWW.MONTESSORI.ORG 11
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