Favorite Shelves, Trays, Baskets, and More for Montessori Homeschoolers {Gift Guide}

I’m often asked where I got my Montessori shelves, trays, baskets, and other containers. While I consider some items essential, such as shelves and a certain number of trays or baskets, many items add to your home environment but aren’t essential. Maybe they simply bring you joy. And that’s perfect. Over the years, I’ve gradually added items that make my environment more attractive, easier to organize in a small space, and simply more inviting.

Many of these items are perfect as gifts for homeschoolers (or as Christmas gifts from yourself to your homeschool). Every Christmas, I make a fairly large purchase as a gift to my home learning environment that continues to be popular each year. I’ll focus mainly here on materials for preschoolers (often toddlers, too) through age 7.

Choose according to the materials you need and your budget. If you already have the essentials, choose whatever will add the most joy to your homeschool.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links (at no cost to you).

Shelving Units

This King’s brand children’s bookcase is what I’ve used for babies on up. I use it without the legs, and it’s worked very well. 

Note: If you want a specific baby shelf and other items for babies, check out my  post on preparing a Montessori baby space with shelves.

 

A forward-facing book display isn’t essential, but it’s definitely nice to have. That said, I never had one until 2½ years ago. This double-sized book display is the one my daughter and son-in-law have for their son. (Note: They didn’t attach the wheels.) It’s great if you have room in your home for a 2-sided display.

I have a one-sided book display because I only have room to place it up against the wall. But I love that it has hidden shelves in the back that I can use for extra storage.

Trays

Multicraft Wooden 5-Piece Tray Set is inexpensive, stacks well, and gives a nice variety of sizes. I use these trays most often.

A variety of trays are especially helpful for Montessori preschoolers. The Montessori Services large plastic trays are a helpful size, durable, attractive and stack well. I use these for activities that involve liquids, paints, or activities that would stain unfinished wood trays.

Montessori Services medium size trays are also a helpful size, durable, attractive, and stack well. I use these where smaller trays are needed for activities with water, paint, or activities that would stain unfinished wood trays.

I love this Montessori Mini Quality Beech Wooden Tray. It’s just  6.5″ x 4″ x 1″ and is an Amazing Child Montessori product on Amazon. 

Baskets

Baskets are great for organizing materials in any Montessori classroom or homeschool. Montessori Services baskets come in a variety of sizes. I most often use the bamboo potato basket (K27), small willow basket (K15), and round bamboo basket (K11). Those are often difficult sizes to find otherwise, so I appreciate that Montessori Services carries them. You’ll notice again that they’re very stackable.

I also love using coiled fabric rope baskets. I have some coiled fabric rope baskets from Etsy, although the specific ones I have are no longer available. Fabric baskets are especially good for babies and toddlers who are too rough on wicker baskets. Fabric baskets are safer, softer, and more baby friendly in general. They’re nice for older kids, too.

I’ve had these cotton rope storage baskets from Amazon since my 2½-year-old grandkids were babies. I still use them for many toys and other activities. You’ll now find many styles of cotton rope storage baskets on Amazon. 

Other Containers and Ways to Display Materials

I love this Montessori cards display box for displaying both 3-part cards and 4-part cards. It’s so attractive and doesn’t take up much space on my shelf. It’s an Amazing Child Montessori product available on Amazon. I love all the products I’ve gotten through this company. Many of them only used to be available in the UK, so I’ve only gotten them on Amazon in the 1½ years. The products available vary, so it’s helpful to check the available products from time to time.

I typically now use this lovely spelling/alphabet tray from FamilyTreeWW on Etsy. I like it for writing more than one letter or spelling words. It’s shallow, so it isn’t the best for toddlers. (Note: That sand tray is currently unavailable, but you’ll find lots of other options for Montessori sand trays on Etsy.) I found some colored sand in 12 colors on Amazon that I started to use instead of salt or colored salt. I love it because it’s so soft and feels great! 

This Amazing Child cards display tray isn’t essential, but it can add to your homeschool. Many parents like to use it for 3-part cards while others use it for number or letter cards, objects, and sand or salt for a sand or salt writing tray.

Having a special paper box for metal inset paper isn’t essential, but it’s nice to have. This one from Amazing Child is lovely. I also have the Amazing Child single insets tray, but it’s not available right now. There are other metal insets tracing trays available on Amazon, but they aren’t single inset trays.

 

I use a wooden cookbook holder to display an open book for most of our units. The image links to the one I typically use.

I love mini wooden easels for displaying certain card materials. I’ve used 5″ easels, 6″ easels, and 9″ easels. The 9″ ones shown hold the paper on the easel the best.

These aren’t essential, but I love the Montessori Services wooden display stands for displaying cards and pieces of artwork. I have both the small wooden display stand and the large wooden display stand.

For our monthly featured art print, I purchased a Li’l DAVINCI art frame that opens in the front for easily changing a free art masterpiece printable or vintage illustration to fit with the month’s theme. The frame can be switched from horizontal to vertical without changing the hanger, which is perfect!

If you’re wondering about the rugs and rug box I use, both the rugs and wooden rug holder are from Montessori Services. I love the Montessori Services rugs and rug holder! I used to use an umbrella stand something like these. I loved that for 1-3 rugs, but I needed something different when I had more grandchildren and some projects that needed more than one rug.

 

The Learning Tower is a perfect tool to encourage independence and let toddlers and preschoolers join you in the kitchen for food-preparation activities. See my Learning Tower review post for more information.

A light table isn’t essential for a homeschool. I never had one until I got this one for last year’s Christmas present for my home learning environment. I love it because it’s well built yet is reasonably priced. All my grandkids absolutely love it! For toddlers and preschoolers, it’s perfect with translucent objects and x-rays. Older children will typically love tracing drawings on it as well.

 

I got these Melissa and Doug white chairs on Amazon to go with the light table. They work perfectly with it!

 

 

 

 

 

 

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All My Gift Guides

 

You’ll find some of my favorite Montessori toys for babies and toddlers, featuring a number of toys from For Small Hands in my Best Gifts for Kids: Montessori-Friendly Baby and Toddler Toys.

You can find some of my favorite books for babies … available on Amazon here: Montessori-Friendly Books for Babies {Gift Guide}

You can find some of my favorite CDs for babies and toddlers here: Favorite CDs for Babies and Toddlers {Gift Guide}

If you’re looking for Montessori-friendly toys that will be appealing to toddlers 15-36 months old, they’re in my Best Gifts for Kids: Montessori-Friendly Toys for Toddlers.

If you have a preschooler, don’t miss this: Best Gifts for Kids: Montessori-Friendly Toys for Preschoolers.

Gift Guide: The Best Classic Children’s Books for Preschoolers has some of my favorite books.

You’ll find lots of ideas for Montessori homeschoolers here: Gift Guide for Montessori Homeschoolers

Favorite Shelves, Trays, Baskets and More for Montessori Homeschoolers {Gift Guide} has more ideas for Montessori homeschoolers.

Favorite Handmade Learning Materials for Preschoolers from Etsy {Gift Guide} has lots of absolutely gorgeous materials.

You’ll find lots of Montessori-friendly Advent calendars here: Favorite Montessori-Friendly Advent Calendars {Gift Guide}.

You’ll find lots of special gift ideas in The Best Gifts for Montessori Teachers.

PREPARING MONTESSORI SPACES IN YOUR HOME

See “How to Create a Montessori-Friendly Home” for ideas for a number of levels. Here are some of my main home environment posts here:

• How to Prepare a Montessori Baby Room at Home (roundup post)
• How to Prepare a Montessori Toddler Environment at Home (roundup post)
• Preparing a Montessori Newborn Baby Space at Home
• How to Use Montessori Mobiles to Encourage a Newborn Baby’s Development and Delight
• Preparing a Montessori Baby Space with Shelves at Home
• Preparing a Montessori Baby Space in Your Living Room
• Preparing a Montessori Baby-Toddler Space at Home
• Preparing Montessori Toddler Spaces at Home (includes my Montessori toilet learning setup)
• How to Prepare Montessori Shelves for a 2 Year Old
• How to Prepare Montessori Shelves for a 2½ Year Old
• How to Prepare Montessori Shelves for a 3 Year Old
• How to Prepare Montessori Shelves for a 3½ Year Old
• How to Prepare Montessori Shelves for a 4 Year Old
• How to Prepare Montessori Shelves for a 4½ Year Old
• How to Prepare Montessori Shelves for a 5 Year Old
• How to Prepare Themed Montessori Shelves
• How to Prepare a Montessori Home Environment for Afterschooling
• Create an Attractive Home Environment from Montessori at Home!
• How to Set Up a Montessori Homeschool Classroom
• How to Prepare Montessori Homeschool Spaces for Babies through First Graders
• How to Prepare a Montessori Space in Your Living Room for Toddlers Through Early Elementary

Learn more about my eBook Montessori at Home or School: How to. Teach Grace and Courtesy!

The Montessori at Home! eBook and Montessori at Home! eBook and Materials Bundle are AMAZING resources! You can learn more about them here. Buy them in the Living Montessori Now shop.

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