In Montessori schools, the term “work” is used to signify the self-directed, intellectual activity that children attend to in the classroom. It would be logical to conclude that “play” is work’s opposite — especially because so many educational systems relegate play to recess or after-school activities. However, when Dr. Montessori was developing her method of education, she approached play not as a reprieve from learning, but as a critical extension of the ‘work’ happening in the classroom. Let’s take a closer look at how the Montessori understanding of play honors the purposeful effort of children of all ages.
Play as purposeful intellectual work
Grown-ups think of play as a purposeless occupation that keeps children happy and out of mischief, but actually when children are left to play by themselves very little of their activity is purposeless.
Dr. Montessori recognized that much of what adults characterize as “play” is, in fact, the refinement of critical developmental skills like independence, self-discipline, and intrinsic motivation. The more allowance children have to explore their unique interests, the more developed these skills become.
Furthermore, Dr. Montessori emphasized the importance of movement as a vital companion to intellectual development, recognizing that children learn best when their bodies and minds are engaged in tandem. Play, and physical education, are not considered idle activities intended to deplete excess energy, but are rather a deeply significant part of the learning process that complements and enhances the activity taking place in the classroom. Many of the skills children refine through independent play — such as problem solving, perseverance, concentration, and creative thinking — are the same ones they need for academic success.
It is also a powerful vehicle for social-emotional development, since collaborative play often requires children to practice communication skills, self-regulation, and conflict resolution. This is especially evident during play involving children of different ages, with the younger children observing and learning from the leadership, patience, and compassion of their older peers.
Prioritizing play at every developmental stage
The Montessori Method categorizes maturation in terms of distinct “planes” of development. The classroom environment, materials, and pedagogical approach are all carefully designed to support these developmental planes — and play is no different.
For our youngest learners, learning and playing go hand-in-hand. Play is an act of exploration, serving to expand sensory awareness, encourage independence, and stoke curiosity through hands-on activities.
Playtime for [young children] is a time of learning by practice. Every new movement which a little child makes is tried first of all tentatively and then repeated until the first clumsiness is gradually refined to an exact movement. Every plaything he uses is a tool for his work.
Many of the materials you find in our Young Children’s Community (YCC) and Lower School classrooms are designed to encourage play-like behaviors that indirectly support foundational scholastic skills like fine motor control, trial-and-error, sequencing, sensory differentiation, and focus. The WMS playground also has dedicated spaces for young children to engage in safe, independent exploration — such as gated outdoor play spaces directly connected to the classroom and a large sandbox with a water table.
As children grow, play becomes increasingly social and imaginative. Elementary-aged children can often be found on the WMS “wooden ship” (which is intentionally named to allow for a wide variety of imaginative interpretations) or expanding the network of forts in the woods surrounding campus. Their play reflects a growing interest in fairness, relationships, and activities that replicate real-world scenarios.
For adolescents, play takes on increasingly complex and communal forms. Students may organize pick-up soccer or basketball games, exercising their social skills to recruit players, establish rules, and referee. They may spend free time conducting scientific investigations or working on service-oriented projects. While this may not look like traditional “play,” this self-directed exploration and advocacy is developmentally essential for this plane.
The importance of outdoor play
When children come into contact with nature, they reveal their strength…
Regardless of a child’s development stage, time spent outdoors is a critical component of a Montessori education.
Freely interacting with the natural world not only supports the physical health of children, it also fosters a sense of wonder, respect, and responsibility for the environment. Children of all ages tend to the WMS campus, from our youngest learners raking leaves in their outdoor play spaces to the oldest students managing the school-wide composting program, helping remove invasive plant species, and implementing new sustainability efforts. WMS is also fortunate to have several outdoor classrooms, which serve as venues for observing nature, conducting immersive science experiments, and providing a space for quiet reflection.
Our school’s commitment to increasing the opportunities for outdoor education is ongoing and ever-evolving. At the start of the 2025 school year, we launched a Lower School Nature Program thoughtfully designed to provide children aged 3-6 with rich opportunities to learn and grow outdoors. The program promotes language growth through describing experiences and learning new vocabulary, early math skills such as counting, comparing, measuring, and recognizing patterns, and executive function skills like predicting, planning, and problem-solving.
Honoring the child by prioritizing play
Montessori schools recognize that play is not something to outgrow, but is a critical cornerstone of healthy childhood development. By giving children the freedom to explore on their own terms, we help create curious, independent, and purposeful lifelong learners. More importantly, children given the space to play — especially outside in nature — develop the emotional intelligence, resilience, and respect they need to become compassionate human beings.
