Another way in which we develop awareness of and respect for the environment is through celebrations of the changes in seasons. Dr. Montessori felt that through engaging children in experiences with nature, where it’s magic and mystery were revealed, children would then naturally develop interest, respect and protective instinct for it.

In previous year’s the Winter Solstice celebration has been celebrated outside, with songs, stories and a log fire. This year due to unforseen weather restrictions, our celebration was forced inside. So we brought the logs inside and lit three candles, followed by a picture storybook read to the children, with the images reflected on the ceiling. The underlying message of the story focused on the love for the environment and the preservation of species. These logs were then saved for ‘Big Shell’ our resident Eastern Long Necked Turtle’s enclosure (which was also designed, built and maintained by the children).