Summer gives children something they deeply need: time to create, explore, experiment, and follow their own interests without rushing from one activity to the next.

At Wheaton Montessori School camps, this happens all day, every day.

The Process Is the Point

A foundational principle behind Montessori's approach to children's artmaking is that the process of making art is far more important than the product. Whether children are painting at an easel, building with clay, arranging natural materials into collages, drawing sidewalk chalk masterpieces, or inventing entirely new creations of their own, the focus is never on producing a perfect craft to bring home. The process itself is the point.

What Not to Say and What to Say Instead

One of the most important things we can do to support young children's creative process is to be thoughtful in our comments. Even well-meaning responses can shift children's focus from their own inner experience to an adult's reaction. Once that shift happens, children begin making art for the audience rather than for themselves.

Comments like, "That's beautiful!" or "What is it?" or "Can you make one for Grandma?" are all, in different ways, asking children to produce something for someone else or to explain and justify what they've made. Neither of these supports genuine creative development.

Instead, focus on objective, process-focused observations. For example, "I can see you used a lot of green and purple today," or "Your lines extend all the way to the edge of the paper," or "It looks like you really enjoyed making that." These responses acknowledge children's work without judging it, and they communicate that what they made matters, and what they experienced while making it also matters.

Young children often cannot (and should not have to) explain their art. The experience of making art is enough.

A Summer Opportunity: Freedom to Explore

Our teachers understand that creative experiences are doing important developmental work. As children paint, sculpt, draw, cut, pour, build, and experiment, they are developing fine motor coordination, problem-solving skills, concentration, confidence, and innovative thinking. Just as importantly, they are learning to trust their own ideas and creative impulses.

That is why Wheaton Montessori School teachers carefully avoid over-directing children’s work. You will not find rows of identical projects made by adults with children’s hands. Instead, you will see children deeply engaged in open-ended exploration, making independent choices, and expressing themselves in ways that are uniquely their own.

The slower rhythm of summer creates space for this kind of meaningful creativity to flourish. Children spend time outdoors, work with beautiful hands-on materials, collaborate with peers, and move freely between activities in thoughtfully prepared environments designed specifically for their developmental needs.

At Wheaton Montessori School camps, creativity is not treated as an occasional enrichment activity. It is woven into the fabric of the day because we believe children grow through creating, exploring, experimenting, and discovering for themselves.

The goal is not perfect products. The goal is confident, capable children who feel free to imagine, create, and think independently.

Get your art materials out and explore! And if it’s too messy to do at home or there’s not enough time for this in your days, enroll your children for camp here with us! We’ve got you!

What to Do With What They Make



Not every piece of art needs to be saved or displayed. Keeping a small collection from throughout the summer can create a meaningful record of your child’s creative growth. A simple folder or envelope works perfectly for storing special pieces.

The goal is never perfect products. The goal is children who feel free to explore, experiment, create, and trust their own ideas.

Summer is long, and the canvas is wide! Let children fill it however best suits their needs!