In a Montessori home setting, it is not a must that you have the standard Montessori materials and fancy furniture. Neither a fully sustainable all wooden toys and materials. It’s important to understand that we put more value on the “process” and “method” and becoming a model for our child or students. Maria Montessori gives emphasis to her teaching method although she designed materials that were mostly used in today’s modern Montessori teaching, she also put more effort on her observation of practical life skills which is one of the most important foundations of the “first plane of development” and that is the refinement of hand muscles.
In this blog, I’m sharing our small space that was set up for my daughter currently eighteen months old. Toddler loves to manipulate kitchen stuff so a prepared environment for her little kitchen was an enormous hit.
1. Play kitchen with stainless cookware and wooden cooking utensils. A shelf beside the kitchen has tiny pitchers, cups and tea pot. On the left are baskets to use for additional storage and or practical life jobs.
2. Practical life, sensorial area and selection of toddler toys to refine fine muscles and visual perception. Shelf on the left is for practical life activities: dry pouring, tea party set, puzzles and wooden kitchen toys and doll. On the right is the sensory shelf: ocean sensory bowl, stacking cubes, color puzzles, shape puzzles, monocular telescope and wooden counting beads.
“A felicitous environment that guides the children and offers them the means to exercise their own faculties, permits the teacher to absent herself temporarily. The creation of such an environment is already the realization of great progress.” Maria Montessori
3. Zoo animals and safari animals shelf
4. Toddler room and play area. A toddler shelf with baby board books, musical instruments and puzzles. She love books so much so besides having bookshelf in our living area, I make sure she have available books in her room. On the left is a wooden sensory and fine motor play cube. On the right is a musical baby helper. Most of the toys she had here are gifts from baby shower and baptism.
As you can see, we use plastic toys with batteries and lights. Every parents use different methods of how we raise our child. After all, as I mentioned earlier its not about the materials its “our journey and method of learning”.
“Plainly, the environment must be a living one, directed by a higher intelligence, arranged by an adult who is prepared for his mission.” Maria Montessori
Do you have a space at home that you use in your Montessori inspired learning? Follow me on pinterest, instagram and facebook for more ideas, tips, and inspirations.
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