"When the children walk to the rhythm, continuing on the line, it reminds us of the motion of the earth around its axis. "

DR. MARIA MONTESSORI

For the youngest children, time is an abstract concept.  With this regard the celebration of a birthday can be abstract for the child, too.  Although excited for the arrival of their birthday, the element of time can make the arrival of the birthday a hard idea to grasp.  In the Montessori Primary classrooms birthdays are celebrated in a unique way.  The celebration begins by inviting the parents to join.  In order to make this concept more concrete, the sun is represented by a candle and the earth by a globe.  The candle is placed in the center of a large rug.  The child then makes a complete circle around the "sun"  while carrying the earth in order to signify one year.  All the while the children sing a special song, "The Earth Goes Around the Sun".  In addition to this song, the celebrated birthday child will share a prepared timeline to signify growth and age. The timeline is prepared during the work cycle and created with pictures (one for each year including birth) sent in from home.  The final step of the celebration is the sharing of special treats. In preparation of the celebration, the birthday child has baked from scratch a dessert to share with her parents and friends. Delicious!  The children adore this celebration.  They love their parents' presence, making a timeline and sharing photos, and, of course, eating their hand-picked, homemade treat!  This simple and unique celebration helps to introduce the concept of time in more of a tangible regard.  It is a beautiful way to honor and celebrate the birthday child!