Montessori Sports Visits Montessori Living
Expanding Movement, Learning, and Connection Across Generations
At Montessori Living in Kensington, Maryland, we believe movement is not separate from learning, it is essential to it.
Last week, we welcomed Jip Bartels and Patrick Oudejans, co-founders of Montessori Sports, to our intergenerational campus. Their visit created space for a meaningful exchange of ideas around one central question:
What becomes possible when movement is fully woven into everyday life, for children, adults, and older adults alike?
Bringing Movement Into Montessori Education
Montessori Sports is an international initiative focused on helping schools integrate sports and physical education into everyday Montessori learning across all planes of development.
Their work supports:
Schools, by introducing and strengthening movement-based programs
Educators, by providing training and tools to confidently bring movement into the classroom
Families, by creating opportunities to weave movement and play into daily life
This approach reflects a simple but powerful truth:
movement is not an extra, it is part of how we grow, learn, and connect.
A Natural Alignment with Montessori Living
During their visit, Jip and Patrick spent time with Ann Byrne (Head of The Nature School), Joanne Charnetski (Director of the National Center for Montessori & Aging), Kathleen, Founder of Montessori Living, and Paula Tarnachowicz, Director of Movement & Physical Development.
Paula brings movement to life on our campus through her work with children in The Nature School, guiding weekly physical activity experiences that support coordination, confidence, and joyful engagement with the body. Her presence reflects our belief that movement is not a separate subject, but an essential part of development and daily life.
Together, the group explored how movement can live not only in early childhood education, but across the full arc of life.
At Montessori Living, this looks like:
Children developing coordination, independence, and confidence through purposeful movement
Educators preparing environments that support both physical and cognitive development
Families engaging in shared rhythms of activity, play, and connection
Older adults participating in movement that supports dignity, memory, and well-being
Movement becomes something we share, not something we separate.
Why Movement Matters Across the Lifespan
Maria Montessori observed that the mind and body are deeply connected. Children construct themselves through movement, through repetition, exploration, and interaction with their environment.
But this truth does not end in childhood.
Across the lifespan, movement continues to:
Support cognitive health and memory
Strengthen independence and confidence
Foster social connection and belonging
Enhance overall well-being
On an intergenerational campus like ours, movement becomes a bridge, linking children, adults, and elders through shared experience.
Looking Ahead: Montessori Sports at Montessori Living
As our conversations continue, we are excited to explore what a future collaboration could look like.
This includes the possibility of hosting a Montessori Sports camp at our Kensington campus, building on the programs Montessori Sports already offers for children and families internationally.
A program like this would offer:
Developmentally aligned movement experiences for children
Opportunities for teamwork, coordination, and confidence-building
A joyful, non-competitive approach to sport
Meaningful connection across ages and experiences
A Shared Vision for the Future
What stood out most during this visit was not just the focus on sport, but the shared belief that movement belongs to all of us.
At Montessori Living, we are building a place where:
A child climbs, balances, and discovers
A caregiver participates and models presence
An older adult engages in purposeful activity
A community gathers in rhythm, outdoors and together
This is more than physical development.
It is a vision of learning, living, and longevity, connected through movement, care, and community.
Stay Connected
Follow along as this collaboration continues to grow.
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