In one of the previous posts we talked about the topic of Fantasy in Montessori. We said that in Montessori classrooms fantasy is not introduced to children until the age of 6. That’s why, in a true Montessori environment, you will not find any play kitchens and dress up corners or books with stories about dragons and fairies. And because of that, some may hold a misconception that Montessori does not welcome imagination and creativity either. Well, this is simply not true and today we would like to touch on the differences between fantasy and imagination and look at how you can encourage your Child to be creative, the Montessori way.
Before we begin, we would like to put a little "disclaimer": This blog is about a Montessori at home environment which is generally more flexible than a traditional Montessori classroom setting. Please, treat this post as a ‘food for thought’ rather than a direct guidance on what you should or should not do on your parenting journey.
Imagination vs Fantasy
The words 'imagination' and 'fantasy' are often used interchangeably though these are actually two very separate concepts.
Fantasy is the ideas drawn from a world which does not exist, like stories about some purple horse that can talk and fly.
Imagination is the ability to come up with images or scenarios in one’s own mind, that are possible in real life but are separate from present sensorial input. The examples of your Child using imagination can be staging pretend doctors checkups or taking care of the baby doll, or using toy cars and construction vehicles to replicate scenes that they might have seen when out and about. Imaginative pretend play is something based on the experiences that your Child is engaged in Her day to day life, and it certainly does not have to involve fairies and dragons.
Imaginative pretend play is developmentally normal for children approaching 2.5-3 years old mark, your role as a parent is to allow it but at the same time provide your Child with as many real life experiences as possible, so involve Her in practical life activities like cooking and cleaning, offer books based on reality with realistic drawings, spend time outdoors. And if your Child happens to be exposed to something based on fantasy, make sure you explain to Her that these things aren't real.
Creativity
Art, Music and Movement are the ways for Children to express their feelings, refine their gross motor and fine motor skills. These opportunities for self-expression foster children creativity and are 100% in scope for Montessori environment both in the classrooms and at home. There are so many possibilities to expose your Child to art, music and movement from a very early age. Here are a few ideas:
- Sing to your Child,
- Play different kinds of music (it does not have to be classical music),
- Add different age-appropriate musical instruments to your Child’s shelf,
- Dance with your Child and provide opportunities for movement, sing songs that are accompanied with actions (clapping, patting knees, etc),
- Set up an area for your Child to draw. This can be an easel with chalks, a small child size table with paper and crayons,
- Add an appreciation of beauty to your environment (a reproduction of classical painting mounted on the wall at the Child’s level),
- Building blocks, kinetic sand and play dough are great ways to foster creativity, even though these are open ended materials, there is nothing wrong in having them available to your Child.
To sum up:
Yes, Fantasy and Pretend Play is not encouraged in Montessori. However, it is up to you as a parent to decide how strict or flexible you are in your Montessori home. If you do allow a bit of a fantasy, provide your Child plenty of experiences grounded in reality too because understanding reality is the basis for true imagination. And as for creativity, there are really no limits here, so make sure you prepare your Child's environment with opportunities to express Herself through Art, Music and Movement.