Montessori is about exploring the natural environment and enriching the child with universal experiences. When learning about fruits and vegetables, going on a trip to the local farm is the perfect opportunity for the child to explore and see where fruits and vegetables are grown. This will not only reinforce the child’s knowledge about where fruits and vegetables come from but also gives a chance for parents to discuss with the child the process of how fruits grow as well as how vegetables grow. Taking a trip as well to the supermarket is another way for the children to learn the different names of the fruits and vegetables and discover where they come from around the globe.
In the Montessori setting, the knowledge and understanding of the world area allow the children to discover the variety of fruits and vegetables through sorting actual fruit and vegetables into their corresponding categories, puzzles, and cooking lessons. Making a fruit salad for the cooking lesson in the classroom allows the children to explore the taste of different fruits while practicing their cutting skills to make their own salads. It also promotes healthy eating habits for children. Another way to learn about how fruits and vegetables grow is through the mung bean experiment. This not only teaches the children the process of how a plant grows but also why the sun along with water is an important aspect of how plants grow. In addition, the children learn as well the biological terms of the parts of the plant such as (roots, stems, flower, and leaves, etc.)
“Education is a natural process carried out by the child and is not acquired by listening to words but by experiences in the environment.” - Maria Montessori -
