This article draws on ideas from a piece about free play by Jane M. Jacobs, originally published in Ideas and Insights, Montessori Services (2014), and later reprinted in Montessori Life (Winter 2019, © American Montessori Society).
Jacobs makes the case for something many of us remember from our own childhood: hours of simple, free play, at home or around the neighbourhood, with no adult directing the activity. In today's world of scheduled classes and goal-oriented activities, it's worth remembering the value of simply letting children play.
Her argument is not that parents should disappear, but that they should prepare the environment much as a Montessori guide prepares the classroom — offering age-appropriate toys and materials, arranged simply and within reach — and then step back. Children don't need constant adult intervention to learn; free play is itself a rich source of discovery, self-regulation, and creativity, and interrupting a child's project to "improve" it can leave them feeling judged rather than capable.
How this play looks changes with age: a young toddler might feed a doll or load a toy truck; a three-year-old may happily play alongside a friend without much direct interaction; older children begin to seek out playmates and negotiate their own rules. Cooperative play develops at its own pace and doesn't need to be forced.
Jacobs' central message is simple: children thrive without a constant frenzy of organised activity. Setting aside a day or two a week for genuinely free time can mean less stress for the whole family — and more time to simply enjoy watching a child play. As Maria Montessori herself put it: "our little ones have the impression of continually 'making discoveries' in the world about them; and in this they find the greatest joy."
Adapted from "It's OK to Stay Home and Play" by Jane M. Jacobs, MA, a licensed marriage and family therapist and educational consultant at Montessori Services, AMS-credentialed in Early Childhood. Originally published in Ideas and Insights (Montessori Services, 2014) and in Montessori Life (Winter 2019, © American Montessori Society).