How a Montessori aligned home looks like?

The Montessori method is an educational philosophy developed by the Italian physician and educator Maria Montessori. This approach focuses on supporting independent learning and discovery and puts children's development and interests at the center of education. The Montessori approach can be applied not only at school, but also at home, and the Montessori approach room creates an environment that helps children express themselves, become independent and learn.
In this article, we give advice on how you can create a Montessori-style home and a Montessori-style children's room in a few simple steps.

Arrange the environment consciously

In a Montessori home, everything has its place and everything is in its place, so your child can quickly learn what is for what and where it belongs. In addition, it is important that the tools your child uses are at an accessible height, so that he can reach them independently, without having to ask for your help.

Kitchen

The kitchen offers countless opportunities for your child to practice independent activities, such as packing vegetables, preparing simpler meals or cleaning up after meals. By creating the right kitchen environment, you can make it easier for your child to reach and use tools that are safe for him and to start independent activities.

The following suggestions can be useful when designing your kitchen:

Boxes holding healthy food in an accessible place for in-between meals: Put the healthy snacks that your child likes to eat at a height within reach of your child in the refrigerator or on the kitchen shelf so that your child can serve himself. It is also worth creating a place where your child can easily get water if he gets thirsty.

Kitchen steps : With the help of a kitchen step, your child can easily reach the higher hand-washing tap or follow the cooking process and help you during the kitchen preparations.

Children's tables and children's chairs : A children's table and children's chair sized for your child can encourage him to eat independently and, thanks to their ergonomic design, provide him with a comfortable place during lunch. Creating such a private space can also increase your child's sense of responsibility, and you can also encourage him to keep the area of ​​the children's table and children's chair clean.

Bedroom

It is advisable to design your child's bedroom or children's room in such a way that he can carry out the most important activities for him, such as playing, dressing and resting. This safe and calming environment should be designed with sufficiently minimalistic solutions so that the child can be active here without distractions or overstimulation.
In the children's room, it is even more important that your child has access to everything that is useful and safe for him, thus enabling him to make independent decisions.

Wardrobe : Place children's clothes in low drawers or baskets so that your child can reach them. It is worthwhile to always fill your child's drawers, baskets and wardrobe with clothing suitable for the season, thus avoiding situations where your child may feel like wearing his winter coat in the summer heat. As they age, they will understand when certain items of clothing are appropriate, and in time they will have access to their entire wardrobe.

Toy storage: Place toys and creative tools on low shelves where your child can easily access them, then separate these toys and tools into different themed baskets and crates to keep things organized and easy for your child to find without piles of other toys and tools sift through.

Children's bed, sleep: In Montessori-style bedrooms, a low-height , so-called floor bed or cottage bed is recommended so that your child can easily and safely use his bed for sleeping, snuggling and playing.

Decoration: It is worth choosing decorations that suit your little one's interests and even involve your child in the selection of individual decor pieces. Placing a mirror in the room can also be beneficial both for older children choosing clothes and for babies and toddlers who get to know their own reflection.

In Montessori education, parents are also advised to rotate the toys and books available to children every few weeks. The purpose of this is that your child gets the experience of discovery from time to time, so it is not necessary to always buy new toys, it is enough to rotate the existing ones according to his interests and development.

Living room

When designing the living room according to the Montessori approach, it is sufficient to create a so-called children's corner or a dedicated area, the principles of which are the same as those already described during the design of the bedroom. In addition to placing a children's table and children's chair in the area designated for your child, you can use a floor mat designed for children to indicate where they can do their playful and independent activities. The so-called gymnasiums, such as the triangular climbing frame, the ramp and the swing , are recommended as equipment, in addition to the low-height shelves, chests suitable for toy storage, which can accommodate easily accessible toys, books, creative and development tools , also rotating them for a few weeks - 1-2 at monthly intervals.

Garden in the Montessori approach

We can rightly fear that if we allow our child too much space for independence in the house, it will end up with mess, dirt and a lot of parental cleaning, which will most likely be the case in the beginning. In our properly designed, child-friendly garden , however, our child can express his exploratory self even more and try different activities, experiment, and get dirty, without causing too much follow-up work for us as parents.
In our garden, it is also worth designating a dedicated area for our child, and it is worth enriching this space with toys where he can play, create and act independently according to the Montessori approach. Such garden toys can be a garden playhouse with a kitchenette, a garden playground with a slide and swing, a sandpit, or a garden table with a watering can and a picnic .

In summary, a Montessori-based home is an environment that supports a child's independence, desire for discovery and learning. This environment is carefully prepared and tailored to the child's needs to support independent activity, sensory and motor development, and independent learning. A home with a Montessori approach gives the child the opportunity to become an active participant in his own development and to strengthen his self-confidence.