The Best St. Louis Summer Camps

Are you ready for summertime? It's just around the corner for Villa di Maria students - can you believe it's the very last week of school?! If the end of the school year has snuck up on you (as it has for many of us), and you're scrambling for summer camp ideas, rest assured that the St. Louis area is full of them. Below, a comprehensive list of the best summer camps in the area. Camp PegnitaWe may be biased, but we are very proud of Camp Pegnita- not only its rich history (it has been going strong for 70 years!) but also its dedication to keeping many of the great camp traditions alive over all these years. This is an old-school camp in which children spend nearly every moment of the day outdoors, enjoying archery, games and weekly themes, swimming, and more on the beautiful 6 acres of Villa di Maria's wooded green campus. This year is going to be even better, with new facilities and a beautiful big playing field!ArtScope St. Louis's Art of NoiseArtScope's most popular 4-day camp, Art of Noise, will explore sound, the idea of music, instrument making and alternative instruments in Tower Grove Park from 9am to 3pm daily for children ages 5 - 11. Sign up soon, this camp starts May 30th and runs through June 2nd! Check out ArtScope's other summer camps, including Planes, Trains, and Rickshaws, Magic and Mystery Camp, Printastic, Culture Club, and more here.The Magic House Summer CampsThe Magic House offers three different summer camp themes from which to choose: Electrify and Energize, Booms and Blast Offs, and Fantastic Feats. They also offer art-based sessions: Camp Artist and Camp Make-It. For the 4-5 year age range, there are Storybook Adventures, Fantastic Five Senses, and Naturally Curious sessions. Check out more here.Chess Summer CampSt. Louis is home to many Grandmasters (the highest level chess players), and we are lucky to be close to the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis, a non-profit, educational organization committed to making chess an integral part of the St. Louis community. Chess is a valuable educational tool that helps teach important lessons including problem solving, critical thinking, sportsmanship, patience and goal setting. Camps are offered all day, or mornings or evenings only. Check out the details and register here.Circus Harmony Performance CampLocated at City Museum, Circus Harmony Summer Performance Campis an amazing experience. Campers learn actual circus arts, including trapeze, juggling, wire-walking, and more! Then, these aspiring circus stars perform in the Circus Harmony ring daily during the second week of each session. After seeing these guys in action at our annual Circus Night, we're ready to sign up!COCA Summer Arts CampCOCA is one of St. Louis' premiere organizations for new artists and masters alike, creating an innovative environment for campers to learn, perform and appreciate the arts. This summer, the camps available include poetry, dance, drama, sculpture, songwriting, videography and much more. Options include week-long full or half-day sessions. COCA camps are held at two locations: at COCA's University City campus and in Creve Coeur at Whitfield School. Before and After Care is available. Check out the camp guide here.Dave Simon's Rock SchoolFor the musically-inclined, Dave Simon's Rock School is the place to go! Campers are placed into rock bands as they work together to record and prepare for their end-of-camp concert. Campers take private lessons on their instruments as well as every instrument in the band (guitar, bass, drums and piano). Summer Camp also includes workshops in songwriting, improvisation, and percussion. They have programs for kids ranging in age from 4 to 18. Check it out here.Endangered Wolf Center Summer CampFor your animal lover, check out The Endangered Wolf Center for their summer camp program. Located in Eureka, this camp provides children with the ability to explore the world of the wolf by visiting these amazing animals, playing fun games to learn about wolf behavior, and making crafts. Exciting hikes explore nature and some of the interesting places at the Tyson Research Center. There is also an option for younger campers, ages 4 -5, through the new Summer Pup Camp. Read more here.J Day CampsIn addition to swimming, lunch, field trips, and traditional sports, arts, and gymnastics, the J has added STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts & Math) Academies at and in partnership with Saul Mirowitz Jewish Community School.  The J offers eleven weeks of camps and programs for kids ages 3-10th grade. Sign up here.Laumeier Sculpture Park Summer Arts CampA place that has become very near and dear to our hearts, Laumeier provides opportunities for campers to learn about artists throughout history, explore Laumeier's woodland trails and find inspiration in the artworks on view for drawing, painting, sculpting and more.Each weekly session features a different theme, and an Extended Day option is available for full-day sessions. Summer Art Camps are taught by local, experienced Artist-Instructors and are structured to encourage artistic development and self-expression through social and individual skill-building experiences. Check it out here.Summer Science Blast at St. Louis Science CenterSummer Adventures include flying a real airplane, building a robot, developing your own video game and much more! They offer eight weeks of programming for Pre-K through 10th grade. Half-day, full-day, and flexible extended care options.Whatever you decide to do this summer, be assured that there is plenty to do in our neck of the woods!

Gardening with Children

It's officially planting season in St. Louis! The risk of frost has long since passed, along with a very wet early spring. The benefits of gardening on people of all ages are many; getting out into the garden on a regular basis keeps you active and improves hand strength and dexterity, can boost your mood, reduces stress levels, and even help regulate your immune system. Gardening teaches responsibility and cause-and-effect, as well as a great appreciation for nature and its workings. Plus, if you decide to grow vegetables, your children are more likely to eat them if they aided in planting them in the first place! Below, some tips on getting into the garden with young children. Lower your expectationsWith young children, expect a big mess and not much actual help. Drop the goal of having your toddler or preschool-aged child help you do every single thing. Instead, set up most of the job ahead of time, and let them enter to do a certain task. Expect that they will become distracted and want to play in the dirt instead. This is okay, and actually quite healthy!Start with a SeedA great way to introduce children to gardening can happen indoors! Start a "growing jar" by placing a few wet paper towels into a large jar, gently tucking a few fast-growing seeds (pole beans are a great option) between the side of the jar and the wet paper towel, and placing the jar by a sunny window. Leave the jar lid off, and keep the paper towels moist, adding water every day if needed. Your child can check the daily growth of your bean plant by simply observing what happens as it sprouts!Invest in Child-Sized Gardening ToolsJust as there are child-sized dustpans, brushes, brooms, and other Montessori materials, there are plenty of child-sized gardening tools*! Avoid the cheap plastic versions that won't actually do the work of digging and hoeing, and instead provide your child with smaller versions of the real thing. They will enjoy using real shovels to help dig holes for small plants, a small wheelbarrow for transporting dirt, or hoes to break up tough soil. Teach them how to use the tools safely, and demonstrate what each tool is used for. *If you plan to order these tools, be sure to talk to the school, as there are benefits to ordering through your local school instead of online!Consider Starting with ContainersYou don't need a big yard or plot of land to teach children about gardening. If you're new to it yourself, consider filling a few big pots on a patio or porch with tomatoes, strawberries, lettuces, or a variety of herbs. If you decide to grow a container garden, be sure to use big pots, as the soil will dry out much more quickly than if it were in the ground. Enlist your child to be in charge of watering the container plants every morning (avoid watering at night, as it attracts mold, slugs, and snails). Giving her the responsibility of a daily chore in the morning can boost confidence and make a child feel important.Get Out into the Garden Yourself!Children watch us constantly, mimic what we do, and take cues from how we spend our time and the attitudes we have surrounding the tasks we engage in. If you show delight and joy in gardening, chances are, your children will too! 

Yoga in the Classroom

The many benefits of yoga have been well established over the years. Practicing mindfulness and relaxation through yoga can calm and clear the mind; relieve tension, anxiety, and stress; improve concentration and attention span; expand imagination and creativity, and even stimulate auditory processing and responsiveness. It's no wonder that yoga is a favorite among the Lower Elementary children at Villa di Maria! Some of the benefits of doing yoga in school can be seen in the almost immediate change in the energy of a classroom; a bustling, busy, light-filled room quickly transforms into a quiet, peaceful place as tables and chairs are moved aside and non-participating children move to other rooms to work quietly. This is the perfect opportunity for children and adults to "reset" during the day.In fact, the benefits are just as great for the Guide leading the yoga class as it is for the children participating in it! Recent research suggests that providing educators with training in yoga and mindfulness skills may have several beneficial effects for those educators, including increases in calmness, mindfulness, well-being, and positive mood, improvements in classroom management, emotional reactivity, physical symptoms, blood pressure, and cortisol awakening response, and decreases in mind and body stress (Harris et al., 2016; Jennings et al., 2013; Kemeny et al., 2012; Nosaka & Okamura, 2015; Schussler et al., 2016; Sharp & Jennings, 2016). Even short classes can have a big impact!For some students, practicing yoga can help them become more self-aware, especially when it comes to managing their emotions and tuning in to their bodies' stress signals. The practice of yoga can help children identify how their bodies feel as they become anxious or stressed, as well as teaching them how they can quiet and calm their bodies when these signals arise.Villa currently offers Lower Elementary students two sessions of yoga back to back in order to offer enough spots for everyone who chooses to join. Session One clearly enjoyed the class thoroughly!Mindfulness training from an early age can provide children with good tools for dealing with the stresses of a fast-paced world, as well as helping them slow down and notice the everyday beauty in that world. Hooray for yoga (and yoga teachers)!

On Screen Time

Beginning this Monday, May 1st, Villa di Maria will participate in our annual "Screen-Free Week," during which we ask our parents to spend the week engaging their children in activities that do not require a TV, smart phone, computer, iPad, or other electronic device. It's a time to get outside, or go to the library or museum, to go for a bike ride, or explore a new playground while leaving the screens behind. Screen-free week is the perfect excuse to reset the screen time rules in your household if you feel they have gotten out of hand - just blame it on us! Below, why it's important to rethink screen time, and several suggestions for how to spend your screen-free week! It's such a sensitive subject these days: how much screen time should our children be exposed to? It turns out, the age of your child is an important factor in making this decision, but experts agree that too much screen time has a detrimental affect on a child's brain - even the developing brain that continues to change rapidly until the mid-twenties.Research has shown that too much screen time actually damages the developing brain, including gray matter atrophy (a shrinkage or loss of tissue volume in areas of the frontal lobe, which governs executive function), compromised white matter integrity, reduced cortical thickness, impaired cognitive functioning, and impaired dopamine function. It turns out, we parents really should be setting limits for our children when it comes to screen time."The first five years have so much to do with how the next eighty turn out" - Bill GatesIt is an interesting, well-known fact that Steve Jobs, Apple chief executive and creator of so many of the devices we now use on an hourly basis, strictly limited screen time with his own children. After first launching the iPad, Jobs was asked whether his children liked the new device. Jobs replied: "They haven't used it. We limit how much technology our kids use at home."Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft, limited screen time for his children to 45 minutes a day, stating that his daughter had already expressed a strong draw to the technology:"She became very avid and discovered a lot of computer games, including one that runs on the Xbox 360 called Viva Pinata, where you take care of your garden," he told a business audience in Ottawa. She could spend two or three hours a day on this Viva Pinata, because it's kind of engaging and fun."Gates and Jobs are not alone; "Especially in Silicon Valley, there is actually a trend of tech execs and engineers who shield their kids from technology. They even send their kids to non-tech schools like the Waldorf School in Los Altos, where computers aren’t found anywhere because they only focus on hands-on learning," states one parenting piece.photo credit: Melinda SmithResearch supports that children under the age of 10 seem to be most susceptible to becoming addicted to screen time, so limiting time spent on devices is most important within this age group. It is particularly important to note that during a young child's most sensitive periods of brain development, hours spent looking at a screen equal hours lost in building the important neural connections gained when children interact with the world through playing, reading, listening to or playing music, learning to navigate the physical world with their bodies, talking to adults and other children, building relationships, observing nature, and just generally exploring the world around them.Setting limits around screen time can be easy, as long as parents are consistent. Adults often grossly underestimate the amount of time they themselves are on their electronic devices, and it's just as easy to lose track with children (especially when they are quiet!). Setting a specific time of day or even a couple of designated days for screen time can help monitor children's screen use.Here is a list of activities you can engage in with your child during screen-free week here in St. Louis:

• Join us at the book fair, held before and after school next week!
• Go to your local library
• Explore a playground you have never visited
• Go for a hike (here's a list of places near St. Louis)
• Join us for Circus Night this Tuesday evening!
• See a concert or show
• Go to the Science Center, Magic House, City Museum, History Museum, The Butterfly House, St. Louis Art Museum, Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis Zoo, The St. Louis Gateway Arch, or have a picnic dinner in Forest Park
• Take up a new hobby with your child!

Join us next week as we celebrate springtime in St. Louis and go screen-free! You may be surprised by how little you actually miss those screens!

Why Your Kids Should do Chores

At Villa di Maria, and other Montessori schools across the world, care of the environment is an important, integral part of the classroom experience. Children quickly learn to tidy up after themselves, whether it is after eating snack, accidentally spilling water, or finishing a lesson that needs to be returned to the shelf for the next friend to use. The elementary-aged children contribute to the tidiness of the classroom with their daily jobs, which they complete toward the end of every school day. Now, new research shows that children who grow up doing chores are more successful as adults. Here's why chores are important. A University of Minnesota analysis of data collected over a 20-year period found that "the best predictor of success in young adulthood, on measures related to education completion, career path, and personal relationships, was whether they had begun doing chores at an early age — as young as 3 or 4." (Boston Globe, 2015) Making chores a part of the daily routine for children of all ages can help them manage their time, a real-world skill that they will need throughout their adult lives both in the workplace and at home. Julie Lythcott-Haims, former dean of freshmen and undergraduate advising at Stanford University, argues household chores help kids build responsibility, autonomy, and perseverance — traits necessary to becoming capable adults. Pitching in at home (and at school) can lead to the mindset that it is important to pitch in in other settings.Below: the 15-minute TED Talk by Julie Lythcott-Haims about how to raise successful kids (without over-parenting). She brings up the topic of chores at around 8 minutes, 45 seconds into the talk. Enjoy!Thank you, Maria Montessori, for seeing, so long ago, the importance of responsibility, autonomy, and community-mindedness."Among the revelations the child has brought us, there is one of fundamental importance, the phenomenon of normalisation through work. Thousands and thousands of experiences among children of every race enable us to state that this phenomenon is the most certain datum verified in psychology or education. It is certain that the child's attitude towards work represents a vital instinct; for without work his personality cannot organise itself and deviates from the normal lines of its construction. Man builds himself through working. Nothing can take the place of work, neither physical well-being nor affection, and, on the other hand, deviations cannot be corrected by either punishment or example. Man builds himself through working, working with his hands, but using his hands as the instruments of his ego, the organ of his individual mind and will, which shapes its own existence face to face with its environment. The child's instinct confirms the fact that work is an inherent tendency in human nature; it is the characteristic instinct of the human race."                  -Dr. Maria Montessori, The Secret of Childhood

Montessori At Home: An Infant Space

Montessori education typically starts in a school setting when a child reaches around 2 1/2 years old. However, the Montessori environment is also accessible to parents who are just starting their families! Jess Jente, Villa di Maria's beloved P1 Assistant, who is currently on maternity leave (but returning to the classroom soon!), invited us into her home to meet her new baby boy Sam, and to share with us her infant Montessori space. A tenant to the Montessori visual experience is a calm, non-cluttered space. Walking into Sam's room, I was struck by how quiet, peaceful, and visually appealing it was. There were no bright flashing lights and noisy battery-operated toys, just a calm, soothing space, which is preferable to a child who is in the midst of the period of the Absorbent Mind. Sam, who is nearly 3 months old, takes naps on the mattress above, but still sleeps in his parents' room. Eventually, he will sleep in his bed at night as well.Jess shared that she and her husband purchased this thin, comfy mattress at Ikea. It is close to the floor to facilitate Sam's independence, and for safety.On one wall, many beautifully-colored mobiles hang. Jess switches them out frequently for Sam to look up at while he is on the floor. The blue Gobbi Mobile consists of 5 spheres that gradually change color from light blue to dark. The octahedrons seen in the first photo of this post are an introduction to geometric proportion, and make an interesting Montessori mobile for an infant.Above is a large bell hanging from a ribbon, which will encourage Sam to coordinate his movements once he bumps it by accident a few times and hears the sound it makes. He's getting closer - look at those little arms waving! There is a simple basket of board books beside Sam's bed, which will be easy for him to access once he starts crawling. A Montessori infant's bedroom should facilitate movement. The low shelves, low bed, and items that are within reach, will create this environment. As the child grows older, his space will adapt; "There is a mirror that can be hung on the wall that has a bar (similar to a ballet barre) that Sam will be able to pull himself up on for support when he gets older," Jess shares.The mirror on the floor next to the movement area provides an infant with stimulation. He can see and study his own reflection as well as begin to connect his movements with those he sees in the mirror. When he has "tummy time," the mirror can also encourage him to lift his head to look directly at himself, providing an opportunity to strengthen his neck and body.Jess shares that Sam's favorite mobile right now is the one that holds the butterflies, which he finds mesmerizing!The materials above are within a crawler's reach. Notice that the shelves are open and uncluttered.From left to right: Ball cylinder, basket full of bell on a ribbon, interlocking discs, ring rattle. A set of all 6 the items on the shelf (both top and bottom) can be found here. Above, from left to right: Ball teether, bell cylinder, and bell rattle What a lovely space for an infant. Thank you, Jess, for sharing Sam's beautiful space with us!For more information about creating an infant Montessori space, check out The Bambini Guide located right here in St. Louis! 

Why Dirt is Good for Your Children

Springtime is perhaps the muddiest of all seasons. And leave it to children to find the muddiest spots and make themselves comfortable! But aside from the inconvenience of cleaning up (or hosing off) a bit of dirt, it turns out that children are drawn to it for a reason; it's good for them.From the time they are infants, putting every little thing into their mouths, to the time they are toddlers, making mud pies and digging holes in the garden with their hands, to their elementary years when the most impressive mud puddles beckon to them, children seem to find dirt irresistible.There may be good reason for this; according to the "hygiene hypothesis" that many scientists are studying, ingesting small amounts of dirt (and the millions of bacteria, viruses, and other microorganisms that come with it) are necessary for the development of a healthy immune system. These bugs are the "police force that keeps the immune system from becoming trigger-happy. Basically, the immune system is now attacking things it shouldn't be attacking," notes Dr. Graham Rook, a professor in the department of infection at the Centre for Clinical Microbiology at the University College London (US News).Rook goes on to point out that research has shown that an overly clean lifestyle (severely limiting a child's exposure to dirt and germs through the overuse of antibiotics, hand sanitizers, and spending less and less time engaging in play outdoors, which is ultimately time spent just getting down and out dirty) is linked to the increase in our society's prevalence of severe allergic reactions; gastrointestinal disorders, such as inflammatory bowel disease and Crohn's disease; and autoimmune disorders, such as type 1 diabetes and multiple sclerosis.Some other reasons to let your children get dirty include dirt's benefits on one's mood, reducing anxiety and stress, and there are even benefits of simply having dirt on one's skin! (Read more here)But perhaps the most obvious reason to let your child get dirty every day has to do with the connection he or she will make with nature. Getting dirty requires being outdoors, and we all need more of that! Plus, playing in the dirt is just fun!The National Wildlife Foundation has many suggestions for getting creative with dirt, including painting with a mud and a twig paintbrush, making good old-fashioned mud pies, building with mud, and good old-fashioned digging in the garden for worms. So when your children start to get down and dirty, take comfort in knowing that it's good for them!Further reading:Let Them Eat Dirt, by R. Brett Finlay and Marie-Claire ArrietaWhy Dirt is Good: 5 Ways to Make Germs Your Friends, by Mary RuebushMud Pies and Other Recipes, by Marjorie Winslow, illustrated by Erik Blegvad"If your child isn't coming in dirty every day, they're not doing their job."   -Dr. Mary Ruebush, immunologist and author of Why Dirt is Good: 5 Ways to Make Germs Your Friends.Thank you, Melinda Smith, for taking (and sharing) these awesome photos!

How to Encourage Good Eating Habits (And Get Your Kids to Eat Their Veggies)

One of the biggest struggles of parenthood occurs each evening at the dinner table. Search "How to get kids to eat more vegetables," and hundreds of articles will pop up, suggesting anything from hiding vegetables in other foods to using garlic, bacon, and butter to make vegetables seem more appealing! It seems that, despite our knowledge of how important eating an abundance of healthy foods is (including plenty of fruits and vegetables), most of us still struggle with picky eaters, and worry about our children getting enough nutrients through these healthy foods. And worry we should; according to the CDC, 9 in 10 children do not eat enough vegetables.Why is it so important to offer a diversity of foods to our children? First and foremost, a wide array of foods means a wide array of nutrients. Science supports the "food first" theory of healthy eating, rather than relying on vitamins: “Nutritionists recommend food first because foods provide a variety of vitamins and minerals and also dietary factors that are not found in a vitamin or mineral supplement,”  said Penny Kris-Etherton, Ph.D., R.D., and Distinguished Professor of Nutrition at the Pennsylvania State University’s College of Health and Human Development (American Heart Association).Another less obvious benefit is hidden deep within our bodies: our microbiota. The human microbiota refers to the ecological community of commensal, symbiotic and pathogenic microorganisms found in and on the human body, and includes bacteria, archaea, protists, fungi and viruses. Our microbiota is what keeps us healthy, helps us absorb nutrients from the food we ingest, produces vitamins we cannot produce ourselves, and even helps regulate our weight. But a healthy microbiota requires a diversity of foods, including a wide range of fruits, vegetables, and other plant-based foods. When we stop eating these foods (or never start eating them), many healthy gut microbes die, and we lose the health benefits. Check out this interactive learning tool to understand more. For a more comprehensive look into the human microbiota and its important role in babies, children, and adults, read Let Them Eat Dirt, by B. Brett Finlay and Marie-Claire Arrieta.Here are some tips to encourage your kids to go for those greens (and oranges, purples, reds, and yellows) at dinnertime, and for snacks as well!Eat a Wide Range of Vegetables and Fruits YourselfThe first step to encouraging good eating habits is to set a good example. From a scientific standpoint, the best predictor of a child's eating habits is his parents' eating habits. Our children learn so much from us, including how and what to eat, so simply telling a child to eat his veggies while you eat around yours just doesn't work.Sliced avocado with a pinch of salt, a fresh green salad with cucumbers and pepitos, and pan seared tunaAlways Offer Vegetables Enforce a "one-bite" rule; meaning, a child must at least try a bite of everything on her plate, even if she doesn't finish the whole portion (and add a healthy load of veggies to that plate - research supports the idea that the more veggies you put on the plate, the more veggies your child will eat!). Keep in mind that it takes not 2 or 3, but closer to 9 or 10 times for a child to get used to a certain food. That means, on 7 or 8 occasions, your child may reject the same food - but with enough exposure, she will begin to rate the food more favorably, and even ask for it. Keep trying! Don't leave the veggie off the plate, and don't turn dinnertime into a power struggle.Keep a Light, Adventurous AttitudeAny parent can attest to the power struggle at dinnertime. It no doubt makes the whole experience less enjoyable for all, and doesn't seem to work anyway. Instead of digging in your heels and insisting that your toddler eat all of his salad, encourage one bite, praise him for trying a new food, and move on. Food should be enjoyable!Include Your Child If it is understood that there will be a vegetable on the plate at every dinner, enlist your child in choosing which veggie to serve one or two nights a week. Even better, encourage him or her to help prepare it (see Ms. Sophie's wonderful tips here). Enlist your child's help in choosing fresh produce at the grocery store or farmer's market, or even grow your own in a backyard garden or in pots on the patio.Consider Plain and FreshWhile we adults tend to prefer our vegetables cooked or with sauces or dressings, children may prefer theirs raw and separate. Consider placing different vegetables and fruits separately on the plate rather than cooked into something. The bright colors and different textures of cherry tomatoes, cucumber rounds, thinly sliced orange and yellow peppers, or whole snap peas can sometimes appeal to little ones more than a dish with many different flavors combined.Try lightly steaming broccoli (just a few minutes, so it retains its crunch) and squeezing a bit of fresh lemon juice on top!Avoid "Hiding" VegetablesSneaking vegetables into other foods by pureeing them misses the point; in order to form good eating habits, a child should get used to the flavors, textures, and appearance of all different types of food! Read more about this idea here.Offer the Vegetables FirstBefore serving the main course, offer the salad or vegetables first. This is when your child is hungriest, and she will be more likely to dig in. Or consider putting out a vegetable snack right after school when your child comes home ravenous! Veggies and hummus is a great, easy snack to make, especially if you cut up the vegetables ahead of time.Add a Bit of SaltJust a sprinkle of sea salt on top of a fresh salad does wonders in adding a bit more flavor - try fresh avocado with lime squeezed on top, sprinkled with a bit of salt, or just a pinch on top of salad.

Read This, Then Go For A Hike

 Florence Williams' The Nature Fix is a beautifully-written investigation into nature's restorative benefits for children and adults alike. Accessible, at times funny, science-writing combined with both history and hope for the future make this a must-read.For our children, who are, in William's words, "by nature, exploratory, kinetic and full of wonder, all qualities enhanced by time outside," the advice to get out in nature is at once timely and urgent: for our children's brains, their developing eye sight, their development of empathy, their sense of self, their emotional well-being, even their creativity.In one chapter, Williams interviews Park Bum-Jin, professor at the Lab of Forest Environment and Human Health at Chungnam National University in Korea, who compares nature time to eating healthy foods, when compared to the addictive screens to which children are glued hour upon hour every day; "... time spent in the forest is not more interesting than video games, like fruit is not more delicious than junk food. We cannot make them stop playing games. As we get older, we have a tipping point in judgment that we need more fruits than junk food. As far as some time in forest, they can't play games during that time. As long as playing in forest is just fun itself, it can make that tipping point come earlier."While we certainly can (and should) limit our children's access to screens during the day, the view of balance is perhaps more important; making time for nature now can develop good habits, memories, and feelings that will keep our children coming back again and again throughout their lives, in turn making them healthier and happier.Below are some wonderful nature areas to explore around St. Louis. So grab your water bottle and a comfortable pair of walking shoes, and hit the trails with your children! Photo credit: St. Louis Post-DispatchLone Elk ParkThis 546-acre wildlife management area is home to elk, bison, deer, wild turkey, and water fowl. There is a driving route that allows visitors to enjoy the view from their vehicles, but get out and try the 3.2-mile hike around the main lake, where you are sure to spot plenty of animals. Just be aware that no domestic animals are allowed, not even if confined to the car. One down side: if you hike during the winter and spring months when the leaves have not yet filled in the woods, you can spot the parking lot and roads from the trails - which sometimes makes you feel like you're not truly out in nature. Also, be prepared for some very steep climbs, as the trail ventures up and down consistently throughout!Powder Valley Nature Center and Conservation Located in Kirkwood, this 112-acre conservation of oak hickory forest is perfect for all abilities, and is a great way to introduce hiking to little ones. The longest trail is a 1.2-mile loop, and all trails are paved. Their indoor nature center is amazing, so be sure to check it out, especially on a rainy day!Elephant Rocks State ParkThis impressive, easy hike boasts a visual feast for the eyes. Giant, elephant-shaped granite boulders that were formed from 1.5 billion year old granite are a wonderful novelty for children to climb on and around. The park itself is situated on 7.5 acres. On the uppermost boulders (shown above), children can often find tadpoles in the small rainwater pools. The views from the top are amazing, and there is a picnic area and swings near the parking area. Plan to spend the entire morning exploring!Forest ParkA true St. Louis gem and voted by many as the "Best City Park in America," Forest Park makes up 1,300 acres and includes five major cultural institutions, including St. Louis Art Museum, the St. Louis Science Center, the MUNY, the Missouri History Museum, and the St. Louis Zoo. But don't forget that there is also plenty of nature and wildlife to enjoy, so be sure to drop by for a leisurely walk around the ponds, fields, and woods!Laumeier Sculpture ParkThis special gem is not only for the art-minded (but it certainly doesn't hurt)! The many outdoor sculptures and exhibits line a nice easy 1.4-mile hike though the woods and grounds. There's even a little creek meandering through, which children will love to toss stones into! Photo credit: St. Louis Post-DispatchTwo Rivers National Wildlife RefugeLocated across the Missouri River in Calhoun County, this 9,225-acre refuge is a stopping place for hundreds of thousands of migratory birds, and encompasses wetlands, open water, bottomland forests, and prairies. Choose from four different hiking trails, and check out the opportunities for canoeing and kayaking on Swan Lake. Bring your binoculars and reference this bird siting map. Enter 1 Hagen Road, Brussels, IL to find driving directions. Photo credit: Gateway Off-Road CyclistsCastlewood State ParkThis large, 1,818-acre plot of land has hiking and biking trails throughout, in proximity to the Meramec River. It is considered one of the best mountain-biking locations in St. Louis. Be aware that if you go to hike, you will most likely be sharing the trail with bikes!Shaw Nature ReserveLocated on 2,400 acres in Gray Summit, MO, Shaw Nature Reserve boasts prairie, woodland, wetland, and trails, and even has a "Nature Classroom," which consists of play structures, open-parts play, climbing structures, and even musical instruments made from natural materials for children of all ages. It's also a great place to meet up for an off-campus play date!Last, but not least, don't forget that a little dirt (or a lot of dirt, in this case) doesn't hurt!

6 Ways to Foster the Nurturer in Your Child

One of the most beautiful human gifts is the ability to express empathy for others. It signifies an important characteristic that sets us apart from other species, and has developed with us as a hallmark of humanity, going back to our evolutionary ancestors. Expressing empathy has been linked to feeling happier and having closer, more meaningful relationships with others. And though we are all born with the capacity to feel and express empathy, it takes years of practice to hone the skills needed to empathize with others. The first and most basic way of increasing a child's empathy is to model empathy yourself by understanding and meeting his or her needs. A secure attachment to a caregiver is an essential part of developing a child's ability to empathize with others.Modeling the act of putting yourself in someone else's shoes is one way to build the nurturer in your child. For example, during a conflict with a peer or sibling, you can model empathy by--for each child--commenting on how the other child might be feeling. This can help a child move past a black-or-white perspective on the situation--one that is often self-centered. A wronged child's view that, "Tommy is mean. He took my shovel," can be transformed into an exercise in empathy: "I wonder if Tommy is having a rough morning? Let's go talk to him."Empathizing with someone who has made a mistake or feels regret can also be a powerful way to practice this important skill. Practicing forgiveness is just as important as apologizing for hurtful words or behavior. Modeling these behaviors make them more likely to be repeated. Children are always listening and are very aware of these dynamics; hearing one parent apologize to another after an argument or disagreement is a powerful example within the home.Another way to boost the nurturer in your child is to help him identify feelings beyond happy, sad, angry. The emotional landscape rich and nuanced; consider a wide range of "feelings" words to shed light on a situation: frustrated, calm, surprised, envious, thankful, concerned, nervous, excited, discouraged, uneasy, embarrassed, suspicious, curious, enthusiastic, hopeful, brave, loving, and so many more. Children often struggle to identify what they're feeling, which makes communicating their feelings--beyond whether they feel good or bad about a situation--extremely difficult. Helping them identify what emotion they feel and why gives children the linguistic tools needed to navigate increasingly complex interpersonal relationships.One very effective way to encourage compassion in your child is to catch her being compassionate and praise her for her understanding, kind behavior. This can be as simple as stating, "Wow, that was so thoughtful and kind of you to offer your friend a hug and a tissue when she was crying. That must have made her feel very loved." Helping others feels good, and this feeling can be enhanced when an adult in the child's life notices! But, don't overdo it. An adult constantly stepping in to praise a child for kindness quickly becomes a distraction and can ultimately detract from the natural situation and feelings involved.Another important piece of fostering empathy is to limit screen time for young children. Aside from the many recent studies showing brain changes in young children who stare at screens for too many hours of the day, there is the commonsense knowledge that too much screen time takes time away from other important things, such as actual real-life social interactions with others. Face-to-face interactions with peers and family members provide a multitude of crucial opportunities for children to learn from conflict, as well as to develop empathy for others. Doctors recommend no more than one hour a day for children aged 2 - 5, and no screen time at all for infants 18 months and younger.All of these acts seek to develop the whole child, to recognize in him the ability to affect positive change in the world, to see her as a global citizen, and to set up our world for a better future. As "…the child begins to become conscious of right and wrong, this not only as regards his own actions, but also the actions of others…..moral consciousness is being formed and this leads later to the social sense." (The Absorbent Mind, p. 177)For additional reading on how to cultivate empathy in children, read this.

Montessori at Home

The Montessori environment at school is so lovely, organized, and practical — it is a painstakingly and thoughtfully-curated space that has been designed to promote independence and concentration, and to maintain order as children move through their work cycles during the day. And of course, each space is designed for particular age groups: the Primary environment supports 2 1/2 -- 5 or 6-year-olds; the Lower Elementary classroom is designed to support children from age 6 to around 9 or 10, and so on. A home environment, however, is a place for all ages: from parents and teenagers on down to infants (sometimes all at the same time!). This can make supporting Montessori at home trickier; we cannot leave a 7-year-old's scissors out for the 1-year-old to grab, or small items that infants can easily ingest or choke on. However, there are many ways to incorporate Montessori into your home environment. Depending on the age range of the children living within your home, you can tailor the environment to be more conducive to organization, self-motivation, independence, and order. As children grow, the home environment adjusts and expands to include more independence. One major benefit of introducing Montessori at home is that an overlap in the school and home environments can make transitions easier, can reinforce a sense of community and responsibility within the family, and can make life all-around easier for everyone. A young child who can reach his clothing is set up to succeed in getting himself fully dressed each morning, which frees up a parent to support other children or get other tasks completed in the morning.Below, one Villa di Maria family's Montessori-inspired home environment. Their children's ages are 5, 7, and 9 years.In the KitchenFor younger children, placing glasses, plates, bowls, and silverware within reach enables them to help themselves to breakfast in the morning, and can encourage them to set the table for dinner. If hand towels are in a low drawer or basket, they can clean up spills more easily, and put away laundry once it's been folded. For a child who enjoys watercolors, a small shelving unit meant for use as a spice rack can double as windowsill storage for paint, brushes, cloths, a jar for water, watercolor pencils, and watercolor paper stacked below.In the Living Area/Community SpaceShelving can support most art supplies, tools, and interesting items. If you are lacking space, these items can be removed and switched out to keep things interesting. Items should not be crowded together, but spaced out so as not to overwhelm. Discuss with your child expectations that, as with school, each item should be returned to its place when he is finished using it. Sorting like-items helps with this. For instance, puzzles can be stacked together, a science shelf can hold science materials, favorite books can be in a basket by the couch for easy access.In the Bathroom/WashroomA sink in the home is not like a sink in the Primary Montessori classroom! It may be just the right height for the adults in the family, but much too high for the young child. A step stool is necessary to encourage independent hand-washing and brushing teeth. If you are sharing a bathroom, there are plenty of fold-up versions of step stools that easily collapse when a young child is not using it. A nail brush is within reach for those grimy nails — now getting them to use it is another story! Binoculars set by a back window encourages bird watching. A guide book, some collected feathers, and other wildlife can go alongside to enhance the experience!In the Dining Room/Community SpaceChild-sized furniture is ideal, if possible. A low work table serves as a place to eat, a place to draw or paint or write stories, even a place to do crafts or flower arranging or prep foods for dinner. If chairs are lightweight and child-sized, they are easy to move around, another way to promote independence. If a dustpan and brush are readily available, a child can clean up messes and crumbs without needing help. Same with aprons!A great resource for starting Montessori in the home from the very beginning is our very own Montessori Guide, Maria Burr, who runs the Bambini Guide, offering parent-infant classes and home consultations for parents who want to provide a Montessori environment from the start.

5 Reasons to Get Your Kids Outside in the Winter Weather

It may be cold outside, but that's not stopping the children at Villa di Maria from running, playing, climbing, jumping, swinging, digging, balancing, chasing, and burning some energy! We shared why kids need recess here; now let's talk about why it's important in any weather. Below, 5 reasons to get your children outside even when it's cold!It is true that the winter months are the times when we see the most illness. It's flu season, it's cold season, everyone's noses are dripping and little mouths are coughing. But unless your child is very ill, it is still important for him to get outside and running around even in the cold weather. The CDC said, "It strengthens the immune system by allowing your child to escape from indoor germs and bacteria and helps form a resistance to allergies." When children spend prolonged time indoors where the windows cannot be open for circulation (such as during the winter months), germs pass easily from one person to another. The more time you spend indoors, the more exposure you have to germs recirculating in the air. So despite common belief that your child will "catch a cold" out in the cold, it's really the other way around; the fresh clean air is good for him!Playing outside in the winter months, even just for half an hour, can help boost Vitamin D levels, which in turn increases the amount of serotonin in the brain, and together these things can help boost a person's mood. Even a little bit of sunshine can help with that!Another reason to get your children outside during the cold months is for socialization! There is a kind of play that happens outdoors that is different from the kind that happens inside. Children are more creative, imaginative, and active outdoors, especially when their friends are available to join them!Of course, the obvious reason to get outside even when the weather is cold is for the exercise! It's important to remember that children are still growing during this time, and benefit greatly from moving their muscles and getting their hearts pumping. According to the California Childcare Health Program, playing outdoors in the winter "gives children an opportunity for a change of environment, a balance in play and routine, and large muscle activities (gross-motor development)."  And finally, a good reason to get outside during the cold months of the year is for the connection to nature and the observations that cannot be made at other times of the year. The child above fell onto the wood chips, then happened to look down and discover some frost that had formed on one of the larger wood chips. He looked at the ice crystals for some time, clearly happy and interested in what he had discovered, before shouting for his friends to come see it for themselves.As Villa does, just bring your tissues with you!And parents, don't forget to send your children to school with warm coats, hats, gloves, boots, scarves, and even snow pants for the winter weather. Also, Villa encourages your children to bring sleds and other snow-related fun things to share with their friends on extra snowy days! So over winter break, be sure to get outside and play!We'll have some great new blog posts up for you after holiday break. Happy New Year!

Gingerbread Cookies for the Holidays: A Recipe and Some Tips

The holiday season is a wonderful time to bake with your children, not only for the learning experience, but also for the sharing experience; delicious cookies make a wonderful gift for friends and family. Here, we share a favorite holiday cookie recipe (chewy gingerbread cookies) and a few tips about baking with little ones. While a stool at the kitchen counter works well, a small child-sized table is even better! We carried this one into the kitchen for these two Villa primary students. Having a small table at which to work makes it possible for more than one child to move freely around, and to easily measure, stir, and break eggs at a comfortable height. They're also steadier on their feet!Another tip: set up all the necessary measuring tools and ingredients before asking your child to join you. It gives a good visual of what all is needed, as well as saving time. Show them each step, then let them do it on their own. It's okay if the measurements here are a little off!Cracking eggs: while your child is still learning how to do this, let him crack the eggs into a small container rather than directly into the recipe mixture. That way, if any eggshells find their way in, you can easily fish them out before adding them to the mixture and losing them.

Chewy Gingerbread Cookies

• 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 1/2 cup molasses
• 4 cups flour
• 4 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 2 tsp cloves
• 2 tsp ginger

Preheat oven to 375. Cream butter and sugar together for 2 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each. Add molasses, scraping down the sides of the bowl to incorporate. Mix dry ingredients with a whisk, then add to wet mixture. Mix well. Place into refrigerator for 10 minutes so that dough will not be too sticky.Roll tablespoon-sized amount of cookie dough until round, then place on cookie sheet with parchment (or use nonstick, or grease cookie sheet), being sure to space out evenly, as the cookies will spread in the oven. Bake at 375 for 10 minutes. Allow to cool before removing from cookie sheet. Enjoy, and don't forget to share!Another tip: if you have more than one child helping, be sure to divvy up the tasks so that everyone gets a chance to do each step. We alternated adding dry ingredients and using the whisk to mix it up.A true Montessori moment: cleaning up without being asked!Another opportunity for independence is operating the stand mixer: under supervision, let your child experiment with the different speeds (of course, remind her to never ever put her fingers into the mixing bowl while it is going!).And anything involving an opportunity to get hands messy is a plus…… especially when the mess tastes as great as these gingerbread cookies!Happy Holidays, and we hope you enjoy this recipe!

Books to Inspire Gratitude

With Thanksgiving right around the corner, we are eager to share with you some of our favorite children's books to inspire gratitude. The act of showing and experiencing gratitude is an extremely important practice in daily life. Studies that have been conducted since 2000, including one from UC Davis, have shown so many benefits to daily practice of gratitude — such as more positive states of alertness, enthusiasm, determination, attentiveness - that it goes without saying it is a good practice to share with our children. Gratitude can lead to an enhanced feeling of well-being, and children who practice gratitude show more positive attitudes toward their school, their peers, and their families. They show less judgement of others, less jealousy, and are more likely to offer to share and help others. What a powerful mindset gratitude instills!Reading to your child is a wonderful way to introduce daily gratitude, and there are plenty of books to help you get started. Below, our picks. Thanksgiving with Me, by Margaret Willey, illustrated by Lloyd BloomA heartwarming, joyous story about the anticipation a little girl feels as she anxiously awaits the arrival of her six uncles. To pass the time, the little girl asks her mother to tell her a story about each uncle. This story is about getting past the "what to wear" and "what to make" surface issues of Thanksgiving and back to the cherished family stories, which is what brings the most joy.The Thanksgiving Door, by Debby AttwellThis is a cross-generational celebration that honors inclusion and tolerance of those different from ourselves. When an older couple burn their own Thanksgiving dinner, they head out to eat for the holiday and come across an open door. Inside, they meet an immigrant family celebrating their own version of Thanksgiving. A wonderful read for those who want to share open hearts and open minds with their children. Though this book is now out of print, many libraries still keep a copy or two.Gratitude Soup, by Olivia RosewoodThis story has such a wonderful message! It teaches children that they can carry gratitude in their hearts at all times. Violet the Purple Fairy, the main character, makes gratitude soup by conjuring up all of the people, places, things, and experiences she is grateful for, then puts them into an imaginary pot of soup. The book incorporates pretend play and catchy rhymes for young children. The mixed collage and watercolor art in this book are a beautiful bonus.Did I Ever Tell You How Lucky You Are? by Dr. SeussA tale of all of those who are less fortunate, but still full of plenty of the silliness characterized by Dr. Seuss, this book is another good one for practicing perspective-taking and empathy for others. This story takes the idea that if you're having a bad day, remember that it could always be worse, and lifts it to a whole new level!An Awesome Book of Thanks, by Dallas ClaytonThis is an awe-inspiring book full of thank-you's to things, places, people, and phenomena that you've never imagined or considered thanking before. It is the biggest thank you with some pretty great illustrations. Great for any age. The Thankful Book, by Todd ParrThis is the perfect book for the very young child to recognize the feeling of gratitude. From Todd Parr himself: "There are lots of things to be thankful for. Try to remember some of them every day!"Happy reading!

Loose Parts Play: A Montessori Playground

There's a minimalist thing that has been going on in the open play spaces at Villa di Maria for years, and it's not from lack of resources. The logs, buckets, wood chips, stumps, chalk, sticks, stones, and naturally moveable pieces that litter the school grounds are not junk; rather, they are the evidence of the children's collective creativity. What architect Simon Nicholson proposed as "loose parts" in 1972, they are the materials that can be moved around, carried, redesigned, repurposed, and reimagined to become anything a child can imagine. Nicholson believed that the loose parts in our environment are what inspire and empower our creativity (read his original paper from 1972 here). The open-ended play that results from loose parts — the sticks and logs and things found in nature, provided by nature itself, allows for deep creative experimentation: the crucial element being the children's freedom to adapt the materials in a large variety of ways. These logs can become structures, machines, vehicles, absolutely anything a child (or group of children) decides.The power of loose parts lies in its infinite possibilities. It does not dictate a story or purpose; the child does so.If you are interested in creating more loose parts play for your child, consider the following in your back yard: stones of varying size, slices of wood rounds, sticks, pinecones, sand, wood chips, chalk, gravel, acorns, planks, tubes, and wheels.For indoors: popsicle sticks, dominos, wood blocks, felt balls, yarn, pipe cleaners, marbles, cardboard tubes, washers, buttons, shells, magnetic building tiles, strips of fabric (silk, wool, cotton), and even dried seeds or beans!Happy playing!

In the Kitchen with Children

With Thanksgiving fast approaching, many of us will be spending more time in the kitchen than usual. And what better excuse than that to include our children alongside us while we prepare the delicious food we will serve to our family and guests!Today, Sophie Andre, a wonderful Lower Elementary Aide (who also teaches French to the Lower Elementary students here at Villa di Maria) who hails from one of the culinary epicenters of the world, France, has offered her tips and tricks (and even a simple recipe) for working in the kitchen with children. Sophie is full of ideas for little hands eager to help in the kitchen, especially because she has been including her young daughter Lynne, in all of the fun. First, some tips:Do not expect your child to finish every step. Most of the time, Lynne starts the task, and I finish it (with her or by myself). I try to set up the environment as logically as possible: moving from left to right, providing different containers for prepped ingredients versus trash.When working with garlic, cut one end off the clove so that little fingers can more easily peel the skin.My daughter loves to use the Hachoir, the curved blade with handles on top shown in the top photo (also called a Mezzaluna). She feels so proud, and there's no stress on the parenting side, as the child needs to keep both hands on the handle in order to use it. That way, no fingers should be on the cutting board while the tool is in use (of course, keep an eye on him or her anyway).To mix ingredients, I put the pan on the table and my daughter pours everything into it. I pour olive oil into a small pitcher so she can pour it more easily and to avoid accidents. Usually, I cook the dish, but sometimes, Lynne helps stir while on her stool.Below, Sophie's beautiful pictures of Lynne in the kitchen (and a recipe!): Pouring, mixing (with her hands, with a whisk, and with a spoon or rubber scraper) Peeling using fingers (egg, garlic, mandarin orange) or using a peeler Cutting and chopping (*make sure your child is using knives and other sharp tools properly, putting her hand in the right place. Remind her again and again that no fingers should be on the cutting board) Grating, kneeding, scooping, egg cracking (be sure to have a full carton of eggs to sacrifice the first day your child tries this… and plan to have a crunchy omelet to eat that day!), spreading, and shelling peas Washing vegetables, washing dishes, washing table And, the best part: using the senses in the kitchen: tasting, touching, and smelling!Now for the recipe! Sophie has shared a typical easy French recipe: Carottes Vichy (Vichy Carrots). This recipe uses many skills: peeling with fingers and with a peeler, washing, cutting leaves, chopping, cutting, pouring, and mixing.Vichy CarrotsNo specific proportions here, just prepare according to your own taste: parsley, garlic, carrots, salt, ground pepper, and olive oil.First, make a "persillade," (chop together parsley and garlic). Next, cut carrots into rounds. Mix everything, then sauté in a pan with olive oil, salt, and pepper.Et voila! Bon appetit!Thank you, Sophie, for inspiring us all to include our children in the kitchen — such a wonderful thing to do together as a family! 

Why Kids Need Recess

Recess. The word alone may bring back vivid childhood memories — the sounds of happy screeching, yelling, and laughter, the feeling of the breeze on your face as you ran as fast as your legs could carry you while your friends chased you, the experience of trying to catch your breath from a fit of giggles, even the bittersweet memories of trying to work out a problem or disagreement with a peer as you stood face-to-face in anger. Whatever your experiences were of recess, they were undoubtedly important to your social and emotional development.Recess, as it turns out, is about far more than exercise.Studies have shown time and time again how important play is to the developing human. It boosts healthy development of the physical, intellectual, social, and emotional realms of growth. What happens when children play? They learn to interact and solve interpersonal disagreements with each other in safe, often imaginative ways. They challenge their bodies; sensorimotor development is enhanced during physical, rough-and-tumble playground play.Science has also recently linked play to healthy cognitive growth and academic success. These links have been specific to writing, reading, abstract scientific and mathematical concepts, critical thinking, and creative problem-solving skills. Play helps children "reset" their brains for the rest of the day, leaving them ready to learn new things when they re-enter the classroom. What is happening here? Coordination with one's own body in addition to coordinating with others' bodies, balance, teamwork, joy, and relaxation all in one! Imagination, abstract thinking, and a self-imposed time-out: this child was upset and went to be by herself for a few moments. Her friend, standing, checked on her and took a position of protector. They ran off together minutes later. Pure joy!Simply observing children at recess is enough to see the evidence of this complex and important part of a child's day. What an honor to be a fly on the wall! Let those kids play!

The Role of the Contrarian in the Lower Elementary Classroom

The contrarian is best defined as a person who opposes or rejects popular opinion, someone who challenges or goes against the usual. For parents, it is the child who questions or challenges everything: from the rules of the household to the clothing the parent deems appropriate for weather or special occasion. It is the child who disagrees with much of what is presented to him; he must find out for himself a thing to be true rather than being told and simply believing.At first glance, a child who proves to be contrary can be a real challenge; he or she shakes up group dynamics and can slow down decision-making processes or even rattle and frustrate other children. However, in the Montessori classroom, particularly within the age group of the Lower Elementary classroom where the social piece is so important, a contrarian can be the source of growth for all. With gentle and thoughtful directing from the adults in the classroom, handling the situations that come up with a contrarian in the group can actually be a benefit to the others. Below, Anna Schwind, one of the Lower Elementary Directresses at Villa di Maria, shares the importance of the contrarian in such a setting. In her words:It is so very important to have a contrarian in the classroom. Elementary children can be like lemmings. If you know the concept of the threshold model of collective behavior, then you will understand that the threshold for elementary children is ridiculously low. This is why they can all so easily agree to pull in the same direction. They joyfully and enthusiastically band together for a cause, and much of my job is making sure those causes are for a greater good rather than to devastating effect; they don't have all their long-term thinking in place yet. It is in their nature to want to do a thing, together, where everyone participates, and it doesn't much matter to them what the thing is.This quality of elementary children — the drive to work together — is a fantastic and powerful quality, and one of the things I enjoy about spending time with them, but it has a dark side. It easily leads to the tyranny of the majority. It easily goes to a place of ostracizing whomever doesn't go along.In every elementary class I have ever led, I have needed a contrarian: someone who won't just go along because that's what is being done by the group. Without a person of that character, the class culture quickly becomes a place of enforced unanimity. In addition to developing as social creatures and collaborative actors, elementary children are also still developing themselves as individuals, and they need opportunities to stand out, to stand apart and to be distinct from the herd, even if most of the time they are happy to go along.Some children, who aren't by nature contrarian, will not develop the ability to mark themselves out or to oppose when it's important to them without the example of a peer who does so consistently. When someone says "no" to the general chorus of "yes," it also provides ample opportunities for respecting the minority, encouraging diversity, and practicing empathy. These are critical opportunities.All of the children have a part to play and a story to make of themselves in each class. But some roles are hard to fill and take a rarer set of qualities. Sometimes, in some classes, they remain unfilled because no one is up to it, and the classroom experience as a whole is less rich and a little less complete. The contrarians, as I think of them, are scarce. Their special gifts have often been thought of and treated by the culture at large as burdens instead of opportunities — even when they are yet children! — so I prize those ones especially.Thank you for [your contrarians].And thank you, Anna, for never failing at the magical ability to see the good in every child. Your perspective and words are truly inspiring!