For children birth – age 10
Whether you have a one year old or an eight year old, you might be familiar with an explosion of toys in your home. If you are dreaming of ways to streamline your living spaces, keep your children engaged, and encourage a sense of order, take a look at these recommendations for setting up a Montessori-inspired play space.
Setting up a Montessori-inspired playroom does not require a great deal of time or expense. The goal is simply to create a space that encourages independence and concentration in your child. As your child grows, the space will need to evolve to fit their needs, but the guiding principles remain the same. Here are some key components to keep in mind:
Provide varied workspaces
The furniture in Montessori spaces is child-sized and the materials are kept on low shelves so that the child can access them independently. If you have the space at home, it’s ideal to include a child-size table and chairs, an open space allowing for movement and large floor work, and a safe cozy spot for resting or recovering from an upsetting moment. Providing your child with a space that they can navigate independently allows for them to feel empowered without the intervention of adults.
Limit choices (and rotate toys)
To help your child be successful in the space, consider reducing the number of toys available. If your child is having trouble cleaning up their toys, it could be a good sign that they are overwhelmed by the number of toys that are available. You may use a small shelving unit with two or three shelves and just a few items on each shelf. Putting out just a few toys at once, and rotating them regularly, allows your child to focus on what’s available. Also, rotating toys will rekindle your child’s interest in older toys that they haven’t seen for a while. When a toy has remained on the shelf for a whole week untouched, you know it’s time to put it away and put out something different.
| This is as true for toddlers as it is for elementary-aged children! Older children may be interested in choosing what should go on the shelf and what can be stored for the time being. Older children can also help decide how many toys should be out at once and when it’s time to rotate. |
Choose toys that invite purposeful play
While there is no need to fill your playroom with “academic” work, you can select toys that help your child develop in different ways.
You might think about including a variety of toys that focus on the following:
- Developing fine motor (small muscles) skills – such as Playdough, stacking toys, or a screwdriver set
- Developing gross motor (big muscles) skills – such as a balance board or Pikler triangle
- Art and music – xylophone or bells, paper and crayons
- Books – take a look at our Bookshop page for recommendations by age!
- Open-ended toys for creative play – blocks, legos, or magnetiles
It’s also important to include toys that offer a varying degree of difficulty. You want a mix of challenging toys and things that are easy and familiar for your child to play with when they need a mental break. Studies suggest that battery operated toys that light up and make noises are designed to entertain and do not foster a child’s development of concentration. Open-ended toys that engage rather than entertain will encourage creativity and concentration in your child.
Include nature
If possible, choose a room with natural light. House plants offer children a chance to take care of something, as well as add natural beauty to the room. Young children also love watching fish or other pets and they can learn to help feed and care for them as well. You might also consider setting up an outdoor play area where your child can dig in the dirt, water plants, enjoy sand and water play, and do messy art projects.
Every item has its place
Children have a sensitive period for order from birth through age five, peaking in early toddlerhood. You can see this through young children’s love for routine and repetition. Montessori environments support this desire for order by designating a specific spot for each material. In a play area, instead of a big toy bin full of many things, each toy has a space where it belongs on a shelf. Toys with multiple pieces, like blocks or play animals, can be organized in small baskets or trays on the shelf. You can even attach photos to each bin or shelf so that the child knows exactly where each toy belongs.
Provide a simple and beautiful space
Montessori spaces use more neutral colors and have very little hanging on the walls. What is displayed on the walls is carefully chosen and hanging at the child’s eye level. When choosing decor, choose artwork that is simple and thought-provoking for the child. Framed art hung at the child’s level can offer a peaceful feel to the space. Natural materials such as wood or wicker also offer a warmth and sensorial experience for the child. The goal is to reduce the visual stimulation of the environment so that the child will be attracted to the materials and be able to concentrate on their play and development.
Give it a try!
This might seem like a lot to think about, but you can pick and choose what works for your child and your home. You can experiment over time to see what works best. One of the most important pieces of Montessori philosophy is to take time to step back and observe. What do you notice your child is drawn to? Are there any spaces in the room that they are not able to access on their own? Feel free to “break the rules” and try new things in your space!
Photographs by Jen Snyder
Greetings from Florida! For those of you who don’t know me, I was a Lower Elementary guide and then the Director of Admissions at Greenspring before moving to Florida. I began this series on Montessori in the Home to help parents find creative ways to implement Montessori practices at home. My daughter, Lila, just turned four. Her play space has evolved since she was an infant, but the guiding principles remain the same.
Setting up a Montessori-inspired play space at home does not require a great deal of time or expense. The goal is simply to create a space that encourages independence and concentration. Here are some key components to keep in mind:
Simplify: Montessori spaces use more neutral colors and have very little (or nothing) hanging on the walls. What is displayed on the walls is carefully chosen and hanging at the child’s eye level. The goal is to reduce the visual stimulation of the environment, so that the child will be attracted to the materials (toys) and be able to concentrate on her work (play).
A sample play space for a young toddler A sample play space for a six year old
Reduce: Consider reducing the number of toys available. You may use a small shelving unit with two or three shelves and just a few items on each shelf. Putting out just a few toys at once, and rotating them regularly, allows your child to focus on what’s available. Also, rotating toys will rekindle your child’s interest in older toys that they haven’t seen for a while. When a toy has remained on the shelf for a whole week untouched, you know it’s time to put it away and put out something different.
Organize: Children have a sensitive period for order from birth through age five, peaking in early toddlerhood. You can see this through young children’s love for routine and repetition. Young children are most comfortable when their physical environments are orderly. Montessori environments support this desire for order by designating a specific spot for each material. In a play area, instead of a big toy bins full of many unrelated things, each toy has a space where it belongs on a shelf. Toys with multiple pieces, like blocks or play animals, can be organized in small baskets or trays on the shelf. You can even attach photos to each bin or shelf so that the child knows exactly where each toy belongs.
Provide varied work spaces: The furniture in Montessori classrooms is child-sized and the materials are kept on low shelves so that the child can access them independently. If you have the space at home, it’s ideal to include a child-size table and chair(s), an open space allowing for movement and large floor work, and a cozy spot for resting or recovering from an upsetting moment.
Include nature: If possible, choose a room with natural light. House plants offer children a chance to take care of something, as well as adding natural beauty to the room. Young children also love watching fish or other pets and older children can help feed and care for them as well. You might also consider setting up an outdoor play area where your child can dig in the dirt, water plants, enjoy sand and water play, and do messy art projects.
Choose toys carefully: While there is no need to fill your home with “academic” work, you can select toys that help your child develop in different ways. You might think about including toys that develop fine motor (small muscles), gross motor (big muscles), art and music, books, and open-ended items (like blocks) for creative play. It’s also important to include toys that offer a varying degree of difficulty. You want a mix of challenging toys and things that are easy and familiar for her to play with when she needs a mental break. Open-ended toys that engage rather than entertain (such as those that light up or make noises) will encourage creativity and concentration.
Give it a try! This might seem like a lot to think about, but you can pick and choose what works for your child and your home. I feel free to “break the rules.” I still keep all of Lila’s stuffed animals in one large bin. And though most gifts made of plastic or requiring batteries “disappear” after a few days, a few favorites have been allowed to stay. And despite my best intentions, getting Lila interested in “clean up time” is still a constant struggle. So don’t be too hard on yourself. Just have fun with it!
*By the way, you don’t need to spend a lot of money on toys, especially for young children. These have been some of Lila’s favorites over the years:
Scooping jingle bells into a metal muffin tin, posting poker chips into a coffee can, and posting ping pong balls through a paper towel tube.
As a toddler, Lila enjoyed the sound that polished stones made when dropped into a glass bowl; later she enjoyed sorting them by size and color; now she is interested in rocks and minerals.
Lila keeps a collection of natural treasures; recyclable materials make wonderful art supplies. Now Lila stops me on the way to the recycling bin and says, “Wait, we can make art with that!”
I have also written about setting up a Montessori kitchen, Montessori bedroom and a Montessori bathroom. Questions, comments, suggestions? Email me at mjarrell@greenspringmontessori.org.
Greetings from Florida! For those of you who don’t know me, I was a Lower Elementary guide and then the Director of Admissions at Greenspring before moving to Florida. I have begun this series on Montessori in the Home to help parents find creative ways to implement Montessori practices into day-to-day activities at home. My daughter, Lila, is now three and a half and loves to work in the kitchen!
Getting Involved
Lila has been an active participant in the kitchen since she was very small. Early activities included stirring batter, washing and scrubbing fruits and vegetables, peeling clementines and bananas, pouring coffee beans into the grinder, and dipping bread into eggs for french toast.
These activities help build the essential skills of coordination, concentration, order, and independence. The work also exposes the child to tasting new foods. Lila was always more interested in eating something that she helped to prepare.
As her fine motor coordination increased, Lila started shucking corn, rolling dough, peeling and slicing eggs and bananas with special tools, and peeling carrots and cucumbers with a peeler and wavy chopper. Now Lila is also slicing vegetables with an acrylic knife, grating cheese, and juicing oranges. Child-size gardening gloves allow Lila to stir soup and flip pancakes without fear of touching the hot pan.
Involving a toddler at dinner time when everyone is tired can be challenging. If I have a few extra minutes earlier in the day, I will prepare part of the meal while Lila is still at school. This will allow me to focus more energy on her participation during the meal preparation. Sometimes I plan our joint projects for the weekends when I have more energy.
There are other ways besides cooking that children can help. Setting the table, sweeping up crumbs, and placing dirty dishes in the dishwasher are other ways that little ones can contribute. Montessorians know that children’s self-esteem comes from making meaningful contributions, rather than receiving compliments. So allowing children to be active participants in the family is a tremendous gift!
Learning Tower
The single most important tool you will need to allow your child to participate in the kitchen is a safe stool. We put the “Learning Tower” on our baby gift registry before Lila was born. Three and a half years later, we are still using it every day. When Lila was very small, we wrapped the sides with saran wrap so she couldn’t fall out. Soon she was able to climb in and out independently. The adjustable height allows the stool to grow with her. And you don’t need to worry about her falling off a regular stool.
I have seen some great “hacks” on the internet for converting an Ikea stool into a learning tower, for a much lower cost. If you’re handy, this is definitely worth a try!
Eating Independently
As much as your child will enjoy helping prepare food, she will also be highly motivated to eat independently. When Lila was very small, she sat in a Bumbo or high chair. As soon as she was able to sit in a chair without falling off, we moved her to a toddler-size table and chair. (The table was bought from Ikea with the legs chopped to make it shorter.)
While she still sat in a high chair for family dinner at the dining table, all other meals and snacks were eaten at her special table. Soon, Lila began rejecting the high chair. That’s when we switched to a booster seat in a regular dining chair.
Montessori Services makes child-size glass dishes that are very sturdy. While I don’t like to replicate too many Montessori lessons in the home (as I like them to remain special at school and be presented by the experts!), I did invest in two small glass pitchers so that Lila could practice pouring. I have a full list of recommended supplies below.
In order to further increase independence, you can make child-size dishes, utensils, kitchen tools, and cleaning supplies available at the child’s level. This can be a special shelf or just a lower kitchen cabinet that you dedicate for your child’s kitchen items.
You might consider creating a water and snack station on a low shelf or table. By having water and healthy snacks available at all times, your child can help herself to food when she is hungry. You can also dedicate a low shelf of the refrigerator for your child’s use and keep liquids in smaller containers that are easy to pour.
Don’t feel like you need to tackle all of this at once. Try picking just one new system to implement in your home and see how it works!
I have also written about setting up a Montessori bedroom and a Montessori bathroom. Next I will tackle the play area! Questions, comments, suggestions? Email me at mjarrell@greenspringmontessori.org.
Resources:
There are many wonderful tools to help young children work safely in the kitchen.
Some of my favorite resources include:
Montessori Services (child-size tools)
How We Montessori (blog)
Some of my favorite products include:
- Learning tower or sturdy stool
- Child-size apron
- Wavy chopper
- Banana slicer
- Apple slicer
- Egg and mushroom slicer
- Citrus juicer/grater
- Nylon knife
- Peeler
- Non-skid cutting board
- Non-skid mixing bowl
- Spatula, mixing spoon, scrapers, whisk
- Child-size rolling pin
- Child-size oven mitts
- Child-size pitcher, glasses, plates, and utensils
- Spreaders
- Dishwashing station
- Non-toxic cleaning supplies
Greetings from Florida! For those of you who don’t know me, I was a Lower Elementary guide at Greenspring and then the Director of Admissions before moving to Florida. My daughter, Lila, recently turned two and I would like to share a few thoughts on what it was like setting up a toddler-friendly bathroom.
Care of Self
As Montessori parents, our goal is to prepare the home environment for toddlers to be as independent as possible. The bathroom provides a wonderful opportunity to empower our toddlers and begin teaching them important life skills. Toddlers are innately motivated to take care of themselves, so they will be eager for these opportunities!
Giving Introductory Lessons
Children will need to be introduced to each process, broken down into simple steps. All of the needed materials must be easily accessible and in child-size containers. After introducing and modeling each skill, your toddler will need many opportunities to practice. Important skills to learn include:
*Washing hands
Provide a bottle of pump soap (my daughter loves the foaming kind) or a small bar of soap and a washcloth on the counter. You might consider using a faucet extender so your child can reach the water more easily. View a sample lesson here.
*Brushing teeth
Prepare a tray with the necessary supplies: toothbrush, toothpaste (which you may wish to portion out in individual containers at first rather than make the whole tube available), a timer, and a small water glass. View a sample lesson here.
*Brushing hair
Prepare a tray with a hairbrush and/or comb and place with (or near) a mirror. View a sample lesson here.
*Blowing the nose
Have a box of tissues accessible. If you worry about your toddler enjoying this activity a bit too much and using the whole box (see photo below), you can place a few folded tissues in a small basket. View a sample lesson here.
*Washing with a washcloth & Washing hair
Toddler-size bottles will allow your child to pour her own soap without emptying the entire supply. You can use a small plastic basket, tray, or suction cup caddy to store supplies. A suction cup mirror will allow your child to see herself while washing. (You may still need to assist with the rinsing.)
Necessary Items within Reach
Keep all necessary items within reach. If you have room in your bathroom, a shelf set up with supplies is ideal. Or you can empty the cupboard beneath your sink to store some of these items.
Beginning Toileting
This is a weighty topic for another day, but just a few suggestions:
Start changing your child’s diapers (standing up) in the bathroom whenever possible. Allow your child to help with her own diapering as much as possible.
When your child starts to show an interest in the toilet, encourage this interest. Allow your child time to sit on the toilet, practice flushing, and washing hands.
If you are comfortable with it, allow your child to watch you using the toilet and assist with flushing and washing hands.
Have a floor potty available as well and allow your child to sit on it (clothed or unclothed) whenever she shows an interest. Keeping the floor potty in the bathroom is ideal if you have room – this reinforces the idea that toileting takes place in the bathroom. Now that Lila is fully engaged in the toilet-learning process, we keep a basket of underwear and books near her potty.
Have a child-size toilet seat and step stool for the adult toilet so that this is also an option. You can allow your child to choose which she wants to use.
Supplies
These are some of the items I recommend. (These are linked to Amazon.com.)
Sink faucet extender & Tub faucet cover
Stepping Stools: Kidcraft or Soft Grip
Two-in-one toilet seat (or Toilet seat with ladder) and a Potty chair with a soft seat
Articles & Resources:
Montessori Now (blog): Montessori Activities for Self Care
Montessori Teacher Collective: Montessori lessons plans for care of self
Michael Olaf: 1-3 Years Care of Self
Montessori Services has every basket, tray, and child-size dish you could ever want!
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In my next blog entry, I will discuss setting up a child-friendly kitchen. To view my previous blog entry about setting up a Montessori bedroom, click here.
Greetings from Florida! For those of you who don’t know me, I was a Lower Elementary Guide at Greenspring and then the Director of Admissions before moving to Florida in 2010. I am now the Director of the Greenspring Center for Lifelong Learning. I wrote this piece when my daughter, Lila, was one in order to share a few thoughts on what it was like creating a Montessori bedroom in the home.
The Elements of a Montessori Bedroom:
Floor Mattress
A floor mattress allows your baby to crawl in and out of bed as soon as she is old enough to move around independently. When she wakes up, your baby can freely explore her bedroom rather than crying out for an adult to free her from “baby jail.” If the environment has been set-up with accessible toys and books, your baby can learn to entertain herself for increasing lengths of time.
Lila slept in a bassinet at the foot of our bed until she was four months old. We then lived in several short-term housing arrangements; this kept us from putting her on a floor mattress until she was six months old. But my friend and Montessori colleague, Nicole, used a floor mattress from the moment her son came home from the hospital! She placed her newborn in a Moses basket directly on the floor mattress until she felt he was ready for more space. The first time Lila crawled out of bed on her own (at my parents’ house), she was so pleased with herself!
I started with an organic crib-size mattress, but quickly found that Lila rolled off it almost immediately (as you can see above). I placed blankets all around the mattress for extra cushioning and often found her sleeping on the floor with her head on the mattress. (That was one expensive pillow!) Soon, I switched to a twin mattress. (If you have room, you may even prefer to use a futon or full-size mattress.) Placed in the corner and framed on the third side with a safety rail, Lila tends not to roll off accidentally, but can still get in and out freely. I placed non-skid bathmats around the perimeter of the mattress instead of blankets.
I also fashioned a wall bumper out of foam core, batting, and an extra sheet to prevent her from rolling into the wall and bumping her head.
The idea of a floor mattress makes some parents nervous. But in actuality, many crib accidents occur every year when babies climb and fall out or get stuck in the slats. By setting up a completely baby-proofed Montessori bedroom, a floor mattress can actually be safer than a crib. You may also find that using a video monitor in the baby’s room helps you feel more secure. (One friend uses a Dropcam to view the entire room and even enables her to watch from her smartphone.)
Baby-Proofing
Because Lila can move about her room freely, we had to baby-proof the entire room. We covered outlets, hid wires behind furniture, and bolted shelving to the wall. By placing a safety gate in the doorway, the entire bedroom is safe and there is no need for a crib. (Fair warning: Lila is deeply insulted when the baby gate is closed, but we figure it is still friendlier than a closed door. I know that she is safe and I feel free to go to the bathroom in peace!)
Low Shelves
We placed toys and books on a low shelf so that Lila can access them independently. Lila was delighted when she first saw her new space; she seemed to know this room was designed just for her. In the morning, Lila often wakes up and starts playing with her toys.
We are trying to resist the urge to fill the room with toys and instead carefully select just a few toys, which can be displayed in baskets. I rotate toys from time to time to keep options limited and her interest high.
We try to select toys made from natural materials whenever possible. It can be challenging to keep plastic and battery-operated toys out of the home, especially when given as gifts. A few of these toys have actually been very nice but most mysteriously “disappear” after a while. I subscribed close family and friends to several Montessori catalogs so they would have plenty of gift ideas. You can also keep an Amazon wish list for friends and family to reference when they wish to buy a gift for the baby.
Alternative Perspective: My friend, Nicole, found that her son had trouble falling asleep in a room filled with stimulating toys. She decided to place only a few stuffed animals and books in the bedroom, reserving it as a place for nursing and sleeping only. Instead, her son’s toys are in a separate play area in the family room.
Diapering area
Ideally, the diapering area would be in the bathroom so the child learns to connect toileting with the bathroom, but as our bathroom is very cramped, I keep a changing pad on the floor in one corner of Lila’s room.
A few items – such as diaper ointment and wipes – are kept inaccessible on top of the dresser, but safe items are kept available so that Lila can learn to help with her own diapering. Lila actually prefers to be diapered standing up, which was challenging at first, but we encourage this as it is actually the first step toward toileting independence. Now Lila prefers to be diapered while walking, which is really challenging!
Darkening shades and white noise
The Florida sun is intense and it is often still bright as mid-day at Lila’s bedtime. As a consequence, we have installed black-out roller shades in her bedroom. We also use a white noise machine to help mask the sound of Lila’s daddy crashing around in the kitchen each morning. It’s a fine line – while I don’t want Lila to require pitch black or total silence to sleep, I also find that these measures ensure that she is well rested.
Décor
We have tried to keep Lila’s room functional without too much clutter. Montessori recommends decorating with beautiful artworks framed in plexiglass and posted at the child’s eye level. Confession: I have not yet implemented this. I still have framed artwork (that is special to me) at my eye level. When Lila is a little bit older, I promise to get with the program and add some lovely items behind plexiglass at her eye level.
Many Montessorians mount a long, horizontal plexiglass mirror next to the baby’s bed. Taking Nicole’s advice, I decided not to place the mirror next to her bed so as not to overstimulate Lila as she is falling asleep. Now that she is one year old, I find that Lila gets very busy playing when she senses it’s bedtime. So I may be soon converting her room to a sleeping-only room and relocating the toys elsewhere…
As a teacher, I was constantly tweaking the classroom environment based on observation of my students and how the space was serving their needs. It’s just the same when preparing the home environment! (For example, I recently moved the mirror to Lila’s diapering area in an attempt to keep her distracted during diapering, but it didn’t work.) I am trying not to get too attached to any one solution. As Lila’s needs change, so must her space.
In my next blog entry, I will discuss setting up other rooms of the home. Questions? Suggestions? Email me! My email address is mjarrell@www.greenspringmontessori-b.dev.
Recommended Reading:
Books & DVDs:
How to Raise an Amazing Child The Montessori Way by Time Seldin (a great overview with beautiful photography)
Montessori From the Start: The Child at Home, from Birth to Age Three by Paula Polk Lillard (very in-depth)
Bringing out the Brilliance in Your Infant (DVD) by our very own Head of School, Tamara Sheesley Balis (please let us know if you would like to borrow or purchase a copy)
Articles:
To Crib or Not to Crib
A Montessori Home Tour
How We Montessori (navigate on left vertical column)
The Kavanaugh Report
Online Shopping Resources:
http://www.montessoriservices.com/preparing-the-environment
https://sprout-kids.com/
http://www.communityplaythings.com/products/shelving
