When Council Oak Montessori School moved to its Blue Island location six years ago, enticed by the large plot of land that came with the building, their first order of business was to transform the playground.
Students and teachers knew what to do, and the first step was to repurpose the half-acre of rubber tiles covering the ground.
This innovative PreK-8 Montessori school focuses on outdoor education as part of its curriculum, so the students at Council Oak Montessori got to work planting native vegetation, providing food and water to the birds — and exhibiting a little patience.
Now, they have their music and monarchs and more.
“When we moved here, we did not have any birds or many pollinators,” says Lila Jokanovic, the Head of School at Council Oak Montessori. “Last spring, when the kids were out there, they counted over nine types of birds.”
Chicago kids in nature
Studies indicate that kids who play outside are smarter, happier, and more attentive than kids who spend most of their time indoors. While there is a whole host of benefits that come with spending time in nature, the trick is in creating an environment by and for children so that they are invested in its growth and well-being.
“Our teenagers enjoy screen time like any other 13- or 14-year-old, but they can also tell you how to save a dying yucca plant in the classroom, and the best way to space your tomatoes for a healthy harvest,” Jokanovic said. “The children see themselves as a part of the ecosystem.”
Here, Jokanovic pulls from her expertise of Council Oak Montessori’s “The Child in Nature Curriculum” to share three ways you can help get your kids in touch with their wild side.
1. Make nature rewarding
Whether you have one pot for the balcony or a patch of soil in the yard, you can grow a wide array of fruits, vegetables and herbs, depending on your season.
The important part: enlist your kids to help in meaningful ways.
Kids love plucking purple onions from the earth at Council Oak Montessori and tugging tomatoes and raspberries off the vine. They learn the gift of giving through participating in the life cycle of a plant, from seed to soil to harvest. They savor freshness by picking fruit from one of the school’s 13 fruit trees, which include peach, apple and fig.
When the students find worms and other garden bugs, it’s important to teach them that even the pests play an important role, Jokanovic says.
“The garden is an exciting place,” says Jokanovic. “The children learn to be in and not separate from nature — to understand the interconnectedness. Instead of trying to kill spiders, they learn why they’re beneficial.”
2. Make nature inspirational
Children are naturally inspired by dirt and bugs, tree branches and clouds in the sky. In following the interests of the child, we are better able to create learning environments that inspire.
The school emphasizes seed saving and seed sharing in their stewardship studies, so staff were not surprised to hear the story of a 4-year-old student who, while watching his family prepare breakfast, was surprised to see mango seeds being tossed into the garbage.
He told his family what he learned at school: that you can dry the seeds and plant them for more delicious mangoes.
While it’s hard to grow mangoes in this climate, and ultimately only one plant has survived in the greenhouse, the bigger lessons in science, geography and stewardship have taken root in this child.
Jokanovic remembers last year when one of the school’s neighbors was cutting down a tree. A middle school student from Council Oak Montessori was given permission to ask them if they would dump the wood chips in the school’s yard.
She had been thinking about the garden beds. Wood chips are helpful for garden beds by keeping the weeds down and moisture just right.
(Of course, they said yes.)
The students also discovered an ingenious way to fuse nature and a sense of community into the school’s entrepreneurship program by starting a compost business.
Local residents can donate their food scraps (in sterile buckets) and the children turn the donations into compost for the community members to benefit their own gardens.
“We’re sending out the type of leader into the world that is community focused and has an idea of how to improve things by thinking outside of the box,” says Jokanovic. ”I like to see the leadership-minded impact on the students.”
3. Make nature captivating
When children understand changes in nature, such as the changing color of a leaf or what makes a bee land on one plant but not the other, they grow curious about what’s going to happen next.
The natural setting at Council Oak Montessori fosters an organic study of plant life cycles, insects, and biodiversity. The Montessori curriculum is like a spiral, and mathematics, language, art, social studies and sensorial areas of study are all enriched by time spent outdoors in the school gardens. Students use art, math, an understanding of soil composition and research to build a diverse garden plot.
A spark ignites in Jokanovic when she watches students check their plants for signs of changes and growth. It’s in these moments that she recognizes the significance that nurturing this connection has on children. It’s more than just tending to plants. It’s a journey of self-discovery and empowerment.
Learn more about Council Oak Montessori at counciloakmontessori.org.
