OPINION - CAN TOO MANY TOYS STIFLE CHILDREN'S CREATIVITY?

What do you think about a nursery taking away all the toys, activities, pens, paper etc. for three months of the year? Is it realistic to leave the children with just tables, chairs and a few blankets to play with? This is exactly what a project in Munich encourages schools to do.

The idea may seem unfeasible at first. The owner of one of the nurseries involved says that the first two weeks are so noisy that she goes home with a headache every day! But - the children learn to rely on their imagination and develop their self confidence.

The idea behind it is that children can become so suffocated by toys at school, spending time being rushed around from one activity to another, that they end up with a ‘reduced space for life’.  The article goes on to say that children are ‘encouraged to do what they want, in their own way’.

The link to Montessori education…

The children in a Montessori environment follow their own interests and our three hour work cycle allows the children to choose their own work and work with it for as long or as short a time as they want. In a Montessori school, you will never hear a bell, signalling the children to stop what they are doing and move onto a different activity on a different table.

As a Montessori school, we take great care in preparing the environment. Our shelves are neat and the materials are appealing to the children, we do not have overflowing boxes of toys or shelves stuffed full of activities for the children to choose from. We are careful to rotate and change certain materials often (such as those in practical life), in order for them to ‘call out’ to the children and pique their interest.

Sometimes a child may spend an entire morning pouring. Montessori recognises that the concentration and discipline of keeping at one activity does wonders for a child’s self esteem and development.

Dipti Kanani is the owner and teacher at Casa Dei Bambini Montessori School in Hampstead. She says: “In Montessori schools, we place huge importance in nurturing happiness, security and self-confidence. So although we are not about to clear out the classroom for three months a year, we can understand where the need for this project came from. Rest assured that your children are spending time in an environment which nourishes a joy of learning and where they are free to make their own choices.”

Find out more about the project in Munich.

Read more about the welcoming environment our Montessori nursery and school.

Please do contact us if you would to discuss the proven education philosophy of Montessori further. We’re here to help.

Casa dei Bambini Montessori School