Planting

Stage 1: Planting

Montessori Materials

USD $169

These learning materials will make the planting exercises easy for child and guide. The included soil bin is the perfect depth to allow access for the child while preventing spills. A special tamper fits the planting trays precisely. The planting trays are of the correct depth to make the most efficient use of space. Where possible the materials are made of stainless steel. Most are simply beautiful!

A small planting tray makes clean up easy.
A soil bin of perfect depth complements the classy scoop.

Take our course to learn what materials you have and which you wish to supplement with the NatureTot curated collections of materials. A simple cycle of life naturally designed for the young child to maintain largely themselves puts cosmic education in the practical form! The planting exercises are the beginning of this cycle, if a circle can have a beginning.
Brush
The brush fits conveniently in the child's hands and simplifies clean up.
Worm Composter
The worm composter is small enough that the child can access it independently.
Soil Bin
The soil bin comes with a lid. Made of stainless steel, it fits well on the Planting Cabinet.
Soil Scoop
This elegant shiny, stainless steel scoop is the perfect size for the child.
Tamper
This handmade soil tamper fits in the hands of the child and the trays.
Small Watering Can
This little stainless steel watering can prevents over watering and spilling from the top with the covered edge.
I already have planting exercises in my classroom. Why should I purchase this?

The unique value of the NatureTot system is that it provides the children with the ability to independently engage and maintain a complete growing cycle, from soil, planting, growing, harvesting, composting to soil once again. It is this isolated focus on a nutrient cycle that allows the child a concrete, experiential understanding of the interdependencies in nature. Additionally, this nutrient cycle adds purpose and value to every exercise in the system because it becomes clear to the child that they are needed in the next stage.

While it is quite possible for you to set up in your classroom yourself, the NatureTot System is simply meant to make this a real possibility for our Montessori community. It adds elegance, beauty and functionality to your prepared environment that takes significant work to set up.

It must be added that there are many exercises that extend the value of any practical life, grace and courtesy, science, cultural and sensorial activity. You can expect this system to add incredible value to your prepared environment, beyond just caring for plants.

How long does a growing cycle take?

A growing cycle of the microgreens from planting to harvesting is complete within about 14 days.

Please note that the cycles overlap each other as the plants progress in stages on the harvesting cabinet, and you can expect the children to work at the system throughout the week, planting, watering, harvesting daily.

A completed cycle of the microgreen waste in the composting cabinet can take a couple of months once the worms are well established, but of course, the harvesting cabinet offers daily exercises as well.

I am not Montessori trained. Can I use this in my ECE classroom?

Currently the guidance and exercises are for the trained Montessori educator. If you are interested, please leave us your email and we will update you when we have support for the non-trained Montessori educator.

What are the opportunities for the child to repeat activities?

The NatureTot system is designed and built to provide independence, spontaneity and repetition. Its size allows for multiple repetitions of an activity daily. Although there may sometimes be limitations on one exercise in order to manage the living cycle (plants may only be watered once, for example), there are several trays to be watered. It must be noted as well, that there are variations on repetitions of a basic practical life exercise, for example the spooning of seeds, soil, or eggshells, or the many different variations of watering included in the complete system.

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