Bringing Montessori Home

A Montessori Family’s Living Space

Setting up the family living area to support your young child’s growth and development can make all of the difference in fostering their budding independence. Whether you live in a single-family home or rent a small apartment, there are certain spaces you can set up and prepare that will drive your child’s curiosity and learning — just like we do at school! It doesn’t take much time or effort to create a welcoming space and we’d like to offer you some inspiration from our homes to yours…

Work Shelf & Mat

A small workshelf in the living area serves as a place for a rotating set of open-ended toys and materials carefully chosen for your child’s interests and blossoming developmental skills. The Kallax Shelf Unit from IKEA is a great inexpensive option for shelving, but it’s totally fine to use whatever shelving you have available at home already, as long as your child can reach. Depending on the space, the shelf need only be big enough to hold a few materials. There should also be a near-by space for the child to sit on the floor with a work mat. Always encourage your child to choose their activity independently, engage with it fully, and return the toy to the shelf when they are ready to move on.

We are partial to these  white rope baskets that are great for holding materials like Magnatiles, blocks, legos, and vehicles. We also keep collections of picture books in the living area to enjoy together. It’s important to remember that your love of reading is not directly proportional to the quantity of books that you own. We are huge patrons of the library to keep it fresh and exciting! We rotate toys and activities often, when we notice that they are no longer getting used. You may also want to include some sort of Treasure Box or Tray for your child. Here your child may keep things like magic stick wands they’ve found, paper cranes they’ve folded, and special coins they’ve collected. In our homes, all of these treasures must fit within this one box or tray and we clean it out together about once a season.

Art & Writing Center

Create it and they will come…it’s almost like magic! If you want to see your child making art and writing in their free time, then create an inviting space with various engaging materials to choose from. Here are some suggestions of our favorite items to create a space that will grow with your child for years to come!

• Organizer: This drawer unit from IKEA is a great way to organize all of your child’s paper and art supplies so that it is independently accessible. You may also choose to use a file organizer to sort paper so it is easily visible.
• Table and seat: The table and seat that you choose will depend on your child’s age and size. An older child who is learning to write should have a chair with a back that allows their feet to touch the ground. Younger children may only need to kneel or sit on a cushion (like Matilda’s turtle!)
• Paper variety: Having drawing paper in a variety of sizes, colors and thicknesses is a great idea. We also include pretty patterned paper that is often cut up or torn to create collages or origami.
• Acrylic Tote: We love creating caddies stocked with inviting supplies like pens, pencils, markers, stamps, stickers, etc. They are easy to move from room to room and are great for taking your writing adventures outside!
• Colored Pencils: Prang colored pencils are high quality and inexpensive.
• Writing Pencils: We are big fans of these short, triangular pencils, which help with encouraging proper pencil grip.
• Chalkboard: It’s a great idea to have a small chalkboard available to practice handwriting in a fun, impermanent way!
• Watercolors: It is wonderful to combine art and writing and we love these watercolor paints. Watercolors are also used with many Montessori material extensions, so they are great to have on hand.
• Blank Notebooks: The more of these you leave in your writing center, the more books you will see popping up around your house. Try it!

Movement Space

It is incredibly important to provide your child with an age-appropriate space to move their body. You may not want your child to climb all over your furniture, however, their bodies may be telling them they need to climb! Translating the need and giving your child opportunities to exert their energy in a safe way that you are comfortable with, will minimize arguments and power struggles between you and your child. 

You can include a bucket seat swing like Ms. Hala or a Pikler Triangle like Ms. Kristi, or you can just hold the space for your child to participate in some movement activities every day such as yoga or creating an obstacle course. Here are some more ideas for gross-motor, climbing toys that you might want to bring into your home.

Calming Corner

When children seem sad, tired, or upset in a Montessori classroom they are often redirected to the peace corner. The intention is to have a dedicated space where children can have a place to calm themselves down. You can create a Montessori-inspired peace corner like this at home!

Like adults, children also need inviting space to regroup at times. Keep it simple and choose materials for this space that will pique the interest of your child and help them calm down and express their emotions. The purpose of the peace or calming corner is to support peace within ourselves and others by using materials that represent and encourage positive behaviors, mindfulness and self-reflection. You may include soft pillows, emotions cards, books about peace, a small mirror, or sensorial objects like a calming jar. 

Here is an easy DIY calming ocean bottle that your little one will have fun making. When the bottle is shaken, the ocean inside swirls and bubbles, like feelings when we are agitated. However, with stillness the mixture inside begins to settle. This is a visual tool for your child to use to help regulate their emotions. When they are feeling upset, tell them to shake the bottle until the ocean looks the way they feel. Then, tell them to watch the ocean until it becomes calm again. For extra calming points, add some glitter to the mixture.

Creating a space for your child to cool off will give you time to think about how to take this challenging moment and turn into a learning opportunity. This space also gives you the time to calm down by walking away from them for a moment to take a breath and think about realistic limits you will set to follow through with. Through this consistent practice, this space will support building a deeper collaborative relationship with your child.

Do What Works 

Every household is different, so whether these areas are located in one room or throughout your home, your child will gain the same advantages. These areas will have been created just for them, by the people who love them the most. Their own special spaces, with their own special materials, provide them with maximum opportunities to develop their independence, concentration, confidence, emotional intelligence, physical and cognitive skills. Observe your child in the quiet moments when they are “working”. You will discover what your child is interested in, what they are skilled at, what they need practice with, and what they may or may not be ready for. Careful observation will give you clues as to what materials you can provide your child with and when it might be time to rotate items in and out of their prepared areas. 

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