Play, a Montessori lens
“There is an age when children play; we call it the age of play. But what is play if not to do those things which entail the movement of the hands? Children need to touch, to move all the things which they find in the environment.”
Play as work, through a Montessori lens
In a Montessori environment, play is the child’s work: purposeful, self-chosen, and done with the hands in a space prepared for real exploration. Materials are reality-based and beautifully ordered, freedom sits inside clear limits and concentration is protected. Because of that, what feels like play to a child becomes deep, intentional learning that runs through every area of an early childhood (Primary) classroom:
Practical Life — real care of self and environment (blowing one’s nose, greeting a visitor, pouring water, cutting an orange, mopping up a spill, walking on a straight line while holding a glass object). These build coordination, independence, and self-regulation while meeting a child’s genuine need to carry out meaningful real-life tasks.
Sensorial — materials that isolate one quality at a time (dimension, weight, texture, color, temperature, pitch, scent, taste, etc) so children refine perception, language, and the habits of careful observation that later serve math and science. The play in sensorial involves physically carrying objects one by one, grading them, matching them, problem solving, making connections with other areas of the classroom, etc.
Mathematics — concrete, hands-on explorations (number rods, spindles, bead chains, number symbols) that let quantity, sequence, and place value be experienced before abstraction. These sensorial experiences build the child’s capacity for symbolic representation - for example, seeing and feeling the difference between 1, 10, 100, and 1,000 and then linking those quantities to numerals and operations.
Early Literacy — sound games, movable letters, and rich spoken language that make written language exciting and allow decoding mysterious symbols (letters) to unfold like a grand discovery — connecting phonological awareness to real word building and later reading.
Language & Community — stories, songs, conversations, and grace-and-courtesy that grow vocabulary, narrative, community, a feeling of belonging, and social problem-solving.
Science & Arts — hands-on investigations and creations (gardening, outdoor investigations, classifying, drawing, music) that invite curiosity and careful noticing, while deepening imagination and creativity.
Geography & Culture — maps, landforms, artifacts, food, and cultural appreciation that grounds imagination in real people and places.
The question of fantasy vs. reality through a Montessori lens
“(The young child) cannot distinguish well between the real and the imaginary, between things that are possible and things that are merely ‘made up’.”
– Dr Montessori, Times Education Supplement, 1919
For children under six, experiences should be anchored in reality - using real tools, doing real tasks, learning real information. A young child’s sense of reality is still forming and easily swayed by adults; they’re working hard to sort out what is true. So we show them. They are just as captivated by learning about, searching for and finally discovering a real ladybug as they are by fantastical creatures in a storybook or film. Children are naturally drawn to learning about the natural world, so the added benefit of following the child to help ground their curiosity and imagination in the world they inhabit is wonder and awe — and, over time, a deep love for the natural world.
“Imagination relies on a solid foundation of real-life experiences, accompanied by ample opportunity for exploration and experimentation- this includes exploration and experimentation through pretending or imagining alternative outcomes.”
– Sarah Werner Andrews, “The Development of Imagination and the Role of Pretend Play”, 27th International Montessori Congress
Many Montessorians suggest reading only stories grounded in reality (people doing people things, animals doing animal things), keeping fantastical creatures on the shelf until children are 5–6+ and have a firm grasp of reality vs. fantasy. After exploring the role of fables and fairy tales in the psyche of children (Susan Perrow; Bruno Bettelheim), I’m personally torn on this subject. My current preference is to include fairy tales around age 3½–4, while continually teaching the difference between fiction/nonfiction and reality/fantasy. For example, when I read a story with fantastical elements, I introduce it with a qualifier: “This is a fairy tale — that means it’s a fantasy world. Do bunnies really wear waistcoats in real life? No.”
Imaginary and sociodramatic play through a Montessori lens
Every Montessorian will have a different opinion on this topic, and all opinions have merit. My view is that children naturally engage in dramatic play in any and all scenarios, whether they are given high exposure to fantasy worlds or real-life/pretend objects. My preference is to offer materials and experiences grounded in reality outside of the time devoted to a Montessori work cycle: baby dolls, dollhouses, farm animals, trains, blocks, play kitchens, doctor/vet briefcases, cash register, open ended materials, etc. There is a way to offer all of this without adults furthering a fantasy (such as telling children fairies and dragons are real), and instead, offering grounding experiences. Children often engage in dramatic play, solo or with others, to work out situations in their lives — things that have happened, that they’ve witnessed, or that they’re curious about. It is their way of understanding and making sense of the world.
My preference is to offer wooden/natural materials (i.e., felt food, wooden blocks, etc.), and open-ended objects (baskets, shells, wood, etc) and to step back, allowing children to engage in play scenarios on their own or with their peers.
The adult’s presence
The adult presence is warm and intentional: observe, offer just-right challenges, turn skills into games, offer beautiful, enticing materials and lesson invitations, and step back when needed. To transfer learning to the real world, engage children in games that heighten visual and auditory discrimination, stretch spatial reasoning, and exercise problem-solving. For example, play guessing games (“I’m thinking of an animal that runs super fast, lives in the savanna, and has polka dots”), notice objects in the environment (“I spy with my little eye something that begins with /s/”), and create challenges (“I wonder if you’d like to show me how to build a city with these blocks”). You can also weave playful routines into daily life to support learning and community, for example, walking like quiet forest creatures to move from one place to another, or counting down together from 100 (or 50, 10, or 5) to ease transitions.
Through a Montessori approach, play and work are the same: real, self-directed activity that builds the whole child. We set the stage, observe, and give only the minimum effective help. We trust in the child to do the rest.
