The Hills Montessori

02/10/2026

“CAN I PLAY?” — THREE LITTLE WORDS THAT CAN FEEL VERY BIG.

Joining play is something adults can easily take for granted.

But for a young child, there is actually so much happening in that one tiny moment.

They have to notice what other children are doing.
Manage the excitement of wanting to jump straight in.
Find the words to ask.
Wait for an answer.
And sometimes… cope with an answer they didn’t want.

So we created Can I Play? — A story about playing with others.

Set right here in our Loose Parts area, the story follows Monty as his excitement gets ahead of him. He wants to be part of the play so much that he rushes in — and things don't quite go to plan.

But instead of making Monty “naughty”, forcing the other children to include him, or solving the problem for him, we help him learn what he can do next.

Pause. Look. Ask. Wait.

And perhaps most importantly, learn that asking “Can I play?” doesn't guarantee a yes.

Sometimes the answer might be “not right now.”
And that's okay too.

Because learning how to play with others isn't just about sharing and taking turns. It's learning about boundaries, communication, disappointment, repair, belonging and having the confidence to try again.

This little book will sit alongside our Can I Play? song, giving our children the same simple language they can actually use in the moments that matter:

“Can I play?”
Three little words.
A very big piece of learning. 🌿

Created by our team and the students of Children’s House 2.

Another little piece of The Hills Way. ❤️

PS You can listen to the Can I Play? song here >> https://suno.com/s/tu5vaeHuRINbya6A

25/09/2026

Learning about fermentation and how fruits and vegetables can be preserved and stored for a longer time than if kept fresh.

This was a cabbage and two giant zucchinis homegrown.

We added salt and will now watch over the next seven days - released gas build up and watching for bubbles and how the vegetables may physically change colour.

Knowing how to grow food, propagate and collect seeds are skills we should all have.

Knowing how to store food and ways to reduce wastage is just as important!

The Growth Project is on its way :)

14/09/2026

Child Safety has been a huge part of our sector for many years however there has been a heighten focus on it over the past two years which is very needed and important!

For anyone who would like this for their child or centre here is our song we created and the lyrics attached with our Centre characters - Hilly, Monty and Lani.

You can listen to the song here >> https://suno.com/s/rkgW7LIiuGeO0OO3

If you have any questions please reach out :D

08/09/2026

Our centre has grown even further and is almost completely full.

We are looking for a passionate Early Childhood Educator to join our team.

We are looking for someone to work 4 or 5 days a week in our Childrens House.

Check out if our centre is for you by completing this quick quiz to see how aligned you are to the way we do things here >> https://montessorifit.replit.app/

We would love to hear from you and have you come to meet them team!

Send us a DM or send email to [email protected]

Is Montessori Right For You? — built on Replit. Update this description to reflect the app.

08/09/2026

There is a question we wish more adults asked before correcting a child:

“What is this behaviour trying to tell me?”

Because sometimes the child who “won’t listen” is overwhelmed.

The child who keeps hitting might not yet have the language to say, "You’re too close. I wanted that. I don’t know what to do with this feeling."

The child who falls apart over the wrong coloured cup probably isn’t falling apart over the cup at all.

The child who refuses to join the group may not be defiant.

The child who cannot sit still may not need to “try harder”.

And the child who holds everything together all day and completely unravels when they get home might be telling you something incredibly important:

You are where I finally feel safe enough to let go.

Children are not adults with smaller bodies.

Their brains are still developing.

The skills we expect them to use when things get hard — impulse control, emotional regulation, flexible thinking, problem solving, perspective taking, communicating needs — are the very skills they are still building.

And they build them through us.

Through hundreds and thousands of ordinary moments where an adult lends them their calm before demanding theirs.

Where someone wonders WHY before deciding what consequence.

Where an Educator gets down beside them instead of standing over them.

Where a parent sees the child underneath the behaviour.

This doesn't mean we allow children to hurt others.

It doesn't mean there are no limits.

It doesn't mean every behaviour is acceptable.

Understanding behaviour and holding boundaries are not opposites.

We can gently stop the hand that is about to hit and say, “I won't let you hurt them.”

We can hold the boundary while acknowledging the feeling.

We can teach responsibility without shame.

We can help a child repair something without making them believe that they are something that needs repairing.

Because there is an enormous difference between a child learning:

“What I did wasn't okay.”

and a child learning:

“There is something wrong with me.”

That difference matters.

It becomes part of the voice they eventually carry inside themselves.

Perhaps one of the greatest shifts we can make as parents and Educators is to stop asking only:

“How do I get this behaviour to stop?”

and begin asking:

“What skill does this child need me to help them build?”

Because childhood was never supposed to be a performance of perfect behaviour.

It is the place where human beings are learning how to be human.

And they need adults who are willing to see beyond the behaviour long enough to teach them how.

🤎

Before we teach, we seek to understand.

PS This is an illustration from the next book we are currently writing with our Childrens House 2 children about how to ask to play and what to do when we feel angry in the playground.

01/09/2026

For Book Week we created our first ever book with our Childrens House 2 children.

In the book our main character Hilly takes a new child on a tour of our playground. Its a wonderful opportunity for our children to talk about what happens in each of the 8 sections of our playscape and to hear all different ages speak about it has been wonderful!

We then wrote a song with choreographed moves for each part of the playground.

You can listen to those songs here >> https://suno.com/playlist/dcb63623-8304-44da-bb14-f226a0c6ac55

We have also created a document with the science behind our songs and how it supports nervous system regulation and emotional development of children under 6!

If you would like me to email that through to you - send us a message and we can send it through!

01/09/2026

Welcome to our incredible centre and to our new way of doing things.

We have been developing and creating characters based off our newly created philosophy.

We have Hilly who is our main character in our Social Stories and across our centre comms.

We will no longer be using real images of children and have created incredible resources, music, songs and books with our new characters whilst still showcasing our centre in as real a way as possible.

We are looking forward to sharing and creating posts in this new direction!

19/08/2026

WHAT IF BOOK WEEK WASN'T ABOUT DRESSING LIKE A CHARACTER BUT ABOUT STEPPING INSIDE THE STORY?

This year, we’re looking at Book Week a little differently.

Last year, we celebrated with a traditional dress-up day for the first time in a decade. It was fun, colourful and exciting — but afterwards, it prompted us to reflect.

What are we actually hoping children experience during Book Week?

For us, the answer wasn’t costumes.

It was a love of books.
A love of language.
Curiosity. Imagination. Wonder.
The joy of discovering that a story can take you somewhere you’ve never been before.

As a Montessori community, we also kept coming back to the way young children learn best: through hands-on experiences, movement, exploration, independence and meaningful connections with the world around them.

So this year, there will be no Book Week dress-up day at our centre.

Instead, we’re going to bring the books to life.

🌿 Children will follow a Book Week Adventure Trail, discovering story-inspired experiences throughout their environment.

👣 We’ll create Story Walks, where children physically journey through the pages of a book, stopping to wonder, predict, talk and explore.

🎨 During Storybook Art, books will become a spark for creativity — not a template to copy. Children will be given beautiful, open-ended materials and the freedom to create their own interpretations.

And through Stories Brought to Life, favourite books might become sensory play, small worlds, construction challenges, nature investigations, movement experiences or dramatic play.

There won’t be a room full of identical crafts.

There won’t be pressure on families to find or purchase a costume.

And there won’t necessarily be a picture-perfect end product.

Instead, we hope there will be muddy hands, big questions, wonderful conversations, unexpected ideas, deep concentration and children asking…

“Can we read it again?”

Because perhaps the most meaningful way to celebrate Book Week isn't asking a child to look like their favourite character.

Perhaps it’s giving them the opportunity to wonder, explore, create and experience how magical books can be.

Less about dressing up. More about stepping in.

And we cannot wait to see where the stories take us.

16/08/2026

The greatest compliment a child can hear isn't...

"You're so clever."

It's...

"I knew you could."

One creates pressure.

The other creates belief.

When we constantly rescue children...

we accidentally teach them they need rescuing.

When we constantly step in...

we accidentally tell them they aren't capable.

Confidence doesn't come from praise.

It comes from experience.

Pouring their own drink.

Sweeping the floor.

Helping a friend.

Trying.

Failing.

Trying again.

Every time a child succeeds at something they once thought they couldn't do...

their identity quietly changes.

"I can."

That's why Montessori environments are filled with child-sized tools.

Not because they're cute.

Because they whisper something powerful every single day.

You can do this.