At House on the Hill, our children have been exploring this month’s thematic topic: Occupations. Through pretend play, practical life activities, songs, and art, the children discovered the many roles’ people play in our community — from pilot to tailor, nurse, farmer, and barista.

This theme not only enriches vocabulary but also gives children opportunities to practice independence and appreciate how different kinds of work contribute to everyday life. Parents can extend this learning at home with fresh, real-world experiences that go beyond the classroom.

What Are Occupations?

We began by asking the children: What do people do at work? Using stories, role play, and picture cards, the children explored different jobs and the tools people use. This sparked curiosity and lively conversations, as little ones pretended to fly aeroplanes, care for patients, and plant vegetables. 

Pretend Play
and Exploration 🎭

• I Am a Pilot: Children built obstacle courses and cockpit play areas to practice “flying” planes.
• I Am a Tailor: With fabric scraps and songs, children began a collaborative patchwork blanket and explored sewing motions.
• I Am a Nurse: Pretending stethoscopes and role play helped children practice caring for others.
• I Am a Farmer: Trips to the supermarket and classroom cooking introduced children to farm-to-table learning.
• I Am a Barista: Simple drink preparation and role play café activities encouraged independence and courtesy.

Creative Arts
and Crafts 🎨

To connect art with real-world roles, the children created:

• Patchwork Blanket (Tailor): Using fabric squares brought from home, children arranged colours and textures to design a shared class blanket. Singing the Sewing Song while mimicking stitching added fun to the fine motor practice.
• Vegetable Stamping (Farmer): With okra, carrots, and potatoes, the children dipped vegetables in paint to stamp colourful prints — a playful way to observe patterns while linking art to farming.

Activities to Explore
at Home 🏡

Here are some Montessori-inspired ideas to extend the classroom learning and give your child meaningful, hands-on experiences:

✈️ Pilot

• Map and Route Planning: Use a world map and string to trace “flight paths.” Talk about distances and directions.
• Paper Airplane Designs: Fold and decorate airplanes, then hold a flight test.

🧵 Tailor

• Button Art: Sort or glue large buttons into patterns to build fine motor skills.
• Design an Outfit: Use paper, crayons, or fabric scraps to create clothing designs. Older children can sew a simple felt patch or decorate a tote bag.

🩺 Nurse

• First Aid Basics: Teach how to clean a scrape and apply a plaster (with supervision)
• Kindness Cards: Create cheerful cards to give to family members as an act of care.

🌱 Farmer

• Mini Compost Project: Collect fruit and vegetable scraps to start a small compost bin.
• Farm or Market Visit: Talk about food’s journey from farm to table and meet a farmer or vendor.

☕ Barista

• Smell & Taste Exploration: Create a mini station with safe ingredients like cocoa, cinnamon, or mint.
  Menu Making: Let your child design a café menu with drawings of food and drinks. 

Tips for Parents 🌟

• Safety First: Always supervise when handling kitchen tools, scissors, or small items.
• Keep It Real: Use real materials — fabric, seeds, recycled cups — to make activities purposeful.
• Make Connections: Share stories about your job or those of family members.
• Grow Vocabulary: Introduce new words like route, design, monitor, and
• Follow Curiosity: If your child shows interest in one job, offer more books, videos, or real-life experiences.
• Encourage Independence: Give real responsibilities like preparing snacks, folding towels, or watering plants.
• Celebrate Their Work: Display crafts at home or use them in pretend play (menus for the café, airplanes for the pilot game).

Joy in Learning

Through songs, role play, practical life activities, and creative art, this theme gave children countless opportunities to experience the Montessori approach: learning through real-life experiences, independence, and joyful discovery.

By exploring occupations, children not only learn about the world of work but also build empathy, creativity, and a sense of belonging in their community.

Want to see Montessori in action? Book a tour of our campuses and download our Montessori at Home booklets to keep the joy of learning going at home.