It’s Time to Explore and Enjoy Nature with Our Children!

We need to get outside and explore San Diego together now! 

Maria Montessori believed that children better connect and the natural world when they interact with it. 

“If for the physical life it is necessary to have the child exposed to the vivifying forces of nature, it is also necessary for his physical life to place the soul of the child in contact with creation,” she wrote.

In other words, nature talks directly to children.

Sadly, many children today are not getting their fair share of dirt in a world bombarded by TV, mobile devices, and home computers.

Now is the time to change that!

One of the great things about San Diego is its geographical and natural diversity. The weather is so temperate that we can enjoy outdoor activities with our little ones year-round. Hey, it’s summer! Let’s go out together and interact with the coast, mountains, valleys, canyons, and desert that’s all around us.

One of the best things we can do as parents show our children how the world around us is interconnected and how we should interact with it. Finding a balance between nature and man while educating our children about the natural world is very easy in San Diego. 

Let’s use nature as a playground for our children while reconnecting as a family with the outdoors. Let’s get dirty!

In San Diego, we have nearly 25 organizations whose mission is to help rid us of our ‘nature deficit disorder.’ And, a childhood love of nature in our children will foster a lifelong connection and responsibility for the natural world when they are adults.

So, put the key in the ignition, and let’s drive from our preschool to be part of the Family Adventures in Nature group. Once a week, they host Wilderness Wednesdays--pointing out the plants, birds, animals, and habitat of the open space world that we share.

Or how about a drive to the tide pools at Cabrillo National Monument at the tip of Point Loma? Here, we can observe marine life, birds, the ocean, and cliffs—all in the most beautiful setting in our region. It costs about $10 admission and the scenery changes twice daily.

Or how about visiting the Birch Aquarium at Scripps in La Jolla? Here, we can teach our children about ocean science in a hands-on manner. Do you think our kids would like to learn about seahorses, coral, kelp, and tide pools while looking out at the ocean? Of course, they would and we can build a stronger educational and familial structure just by going together.

Today, we seem to have lost our way by following all things man-made. But, our Montessori School offers us such an ecological, cultural, and recreational resource that we can rediscover—as parents—the reasons why we live and raise our families here.

For example, what about an afternoon in Rose Canyon off Highway 52 and Regents Road? Over 600 species of plants and animals live there. We can teach our children the names of trees and birds so they, too, know what is truly special about our region.

Or, if it’s hot, how about a trip to Volcan Mountain near Julian?

Here, we can teach our children about protecting and preserving water, unique habitat, wildlife, wildlife corridors, and recreation. Even take a short hike up the mountain. Admission cost: free. 

Then, there’s Balboa Park. What a century-old, natural tour-de-force. Ever been to the cacti gardens just off Park Boulevard? You just walk over the bridge from the Reuben Fleet Science Center and you can view roses and succulents amid the terrain and native birds. Is this something worth doing with our children this weekend? The fee? Free. And, of course, the Zoo is just next door.

Nature talks to children, Maria Montessori said. 

As teachers of the Montessori Method, we feel connected to a unique and special type of teaching that allows children to experience the world in individual and group settings that foster a lifelong love of learning. We are aligned to the philosophy that children feel everything around them—and that includes the natural world. 

Shouldn’t we just disconnect from the electronic world tomorrow morning for a few hours and reconnect with what is real and natural? Surely we can teach our children—and relearn ourselves—the connections we all share with the ocean, the mountains, the canyons, and the desert? 

Of course, we can! Besides, a little dirt never hurt anyone.

Interested in learning more? Book a tour so that you can see check out our classes. Applications for fall enrollment are being accepted now.