Art is an essential part of a Montessori program. It nurtures creativity, supports language and cognitive development, strengthens fine motor skills, and encourages children to communicate their thoughts and emotions with confidence. It allows children to see themselves as capable, creative thinkers, and provides the opportunity for children to reveal aspects of themselves that may not come out in any other part of the classroom.

Each classroom at Winfield includes an art area where children have daily opportunities to create, experiment, and express themselves. The focus is on process-based art; the exploration, not a final product, is the important part of the work. As with all other areas of the classroom, the learning is structured in a way that allows the child to build upon success - hand before tool, dry before wet - developing skills that they can continue to apply to all aspects of their learning.

In the Children’s House, we also have a dedicated art studio - Casa Colore - to provide even more in-depth opportunities for art exploration. Just as Casa Natura, the outdoor classroom, enhances the exploration of the natural world, Casa Colore takes the art learning even further, providing a beautiful, inspiring space where children can immerse themselves in creative exploration. Children can work on large-scale projects, collaborate with their peers to create shared works of art, and spend extended time exploring a particular medium or technique.

Overseen by our full-time Creative Arts Guide, Casa Colore invites children to discover that art is so much more than painting and drawing. Children explore visual arts alongside architecture, music, dramatic play, sculpture, design, storytelling, and creative expression in all its forms. They are encouraged to wonder, imagine, take risks, and develop their own unique ideas while discovering new materials, techniques, and ways of expression.

The importance of art at Winfield is also reflected in our annual Arts Festival, a time when our outdoor space is filled with artists sharing their craft. The children have the opportunity to explore and create with them for the morning, and it is such a joy to see the entire school immersed in art. Children freely move between the artists on their own inclination; some children want to be sure to visit each artist, others will stay in one place for a significant part of the morning if something speaks to them. No matter the approach, what is clear is that every child naturally sees themselves as an artist, capable of and naturally drawn to creative expression!