Summer Preparations: Snack Time

Summer is the perfect time to unwind and to reflect upon the past school year. I love revisiting my observation records and trying to figure out how I can improve upon the current classroom set-up and how I can enrich the various curriculum areas.

With September just around the corner, my mind is flooded with all the things that need to be done. Not a moment goes by that I’m not thinking about my students and analyzing what worked well and what may require changes or adjustments. I have been thinking a lot about how I may challenge some of the returning Montessori students and how I’m going to best support the new students.

I have already spent countless hours organizing the storage room, painting materials, making repairs, searching for treasures in local thrift stores and creating new reading material. In past years, I have found that fitting in group snack prior to lunch time can be a challenge.

Montessori Summer Preparations: Snack Time Insights & Reflections

It seemed to be such a disturbance to the children’s work cycle and I always found it difficult to resettle them. To be consistent with the Montessori Method and the importance of promoting independence, I decided this year to change the routine slightly and create a space conducive for the children to choose their own snack as well as decide for themselves when they wish to eat their snack. I have prepared a lovely little snack table complete with a dainty tablecloth, four snack mats, a beautiful bamboo plant, a small table broom & dustpan, and a nearby shelf that houses the cutlery, plates, cups, a pitcher of water and sponges for washing their snack mats so they are clean for the next friend.

I am so excited to see how the new snack routine is received and to find out whether a more intimate snack setting will help the children bond as a Montessori community! I will keep you posted.