Eating in community is one of the signature moments in an Montessori toddler community. An important part of the day, the children often spend much of their work cycle preparing the foods that will be eaten at their meal.
Here are some of the benefits from such a wonderful ritual:
Social development: The art of conversation, passing food, saying please and thank you, and the benefits of enjoying food with friends.
Fine motor development: The dexterity and control required to use a fork and spoon strengthens the hands can be learned before the age of two.
Large motor development: Setting and clearing the table takes balance and coordination. Each step with a breakable dish or a glass of water takes concentration and the control of the whole body.
Intellectual development: The work a child does to understand the sequence of events to set the table and enjoy a meal is quite extensive. The memory is exercised as the return to the shelf for each item in their place setting.
I child waiting for his favorite fruit to be passed must be patient. He watches as the dish moves around the table.
For all of the reasons we offer a community snack in many of our classes at studio June. Check out or new class listings to see which schedule works for you.