Let the children be free; encourage them; let them run outside when it is raining; let them remove their shoes when they find a puddle of water; and when the grass of the meadows is wet with dew, let them run on it and trample it with their bare feet; let them rest peacefully when a tree invites them to sleep beneath its shade; let them shout and laugh when the sun wakes them in the morning.

More quotes by Maria Montessori

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"The things he sees are not just remembered; the form a part of his soul."

- Maria Montessori

Self-awareness

"Joy, feeling one's own value, being appreciated and loved by others, feeling useful and capable of production are all factors of enormous value for the human soul."

- Maria Montessori

Happiness

"The goal of early childhood education should be to activate the child’s own natural desire to learn."

- Maria Montessori

Motivation

"The greatest sign of success for a teacher... is to be able to say, 'The children are now working as if I did not exist.'"

- Maria Montessori

Success

"The greatest sign of success for a teacher … is to be able to say, ‘The children are now working as if I did not exist.’"

- Maria Montessori

Success

More Joy Quotes

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"Don’t look at your feet to see if you are doing it right. Just dance."

- Anne Lamott

Joy

"Tuesdays are for chasing rainbows and dancing in the rain."

Joy

"You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; you have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness."

Joy

"Taste and see how good the Lord is! The one who takes refuge in him is truly happy!"

Joy

"The joy of brightening other lives becomes for us the magic of the holidays."

- W. C. Jones

Joy