Setting up a Montessori space at home is something any parent can do – because it can be designed to fit any home and any family. A Montessori space is especially helpful for toddlers and preschoolers, but it’s helpful at the elementary level as well.
If you want to set up an entire homeschool classroom, be sure to follow the links in “How to Set Up a Montessori Homeschool Classroom.” But maybe you don’t have room for an entire classroom yet still want to provide some educational activities using Montessori principles at home.
Will, 2 and one-half, working at his toddler table, 1987
Setting Up a Small Montessori Space
For many families and grandparents, a small Montessori space will be ideal. I know that’s my plan for when I have grandkids. The two essentials for me would be a child-sized table and chair(s) and a low shelving unit for materials. I would also save a low kitchen cupboard for a child’s food-preparation utensils and dishes. (Update: You can see my Montessori space for grandkids in my links at the bottom of this post!)
If you rotate materials, you can get by with one low shelving unit. If you have room for two or more shelving units, that’s great but not essential. Place your materials on trays whenever possible (similar to the trays you’ll see in my themed monthly posts). Organize any educational materials you have by subject or by theme. Try to put out materials that meet your child’s needs and interests at the time.
Juicing Oranges (Photo from How We Montessori)
(Photo from How We Homeschool)
For preschoolers, emphasize practical life activities so your child or grandchild will develop order, concentration, coordination, and independence. You could have a space for sensorial activities (such as color matching or matching objects by touch, weight, sound, taste, or smell), language activities, math activities, and cultural activities (such as a globe and one or two trays with science activities).
If you have a toddler or preschooler, I recommend a child-sized work table in your kitchen or dining room. Your child can work at the table while you’re working in the kitchen. The table can also be placed next to the dining room table to be used instead of a high chair. My children had a Montessori toddler table (“weaning table”) which they used throughout much of their early years for work and instead of a high chair.
Montessori-Inspired Bathroom (Photo from Every Star Is Different)
Every Star Is Different shares photos of their Montessori-friendly kitchen and bathroom.
Low Toy Shelves (Photo from Three Oaks)
Three Oaks has a series of posts showing a Montessori-friendly home environment. (Photo from Evolution of a Room.)
About a Girl has a series showing a Montessori-friendly home environment for a preschooler. The educational activities are organized on a couple of shelving units but don’t require a home classroom. A space is reserved in the kitchen for the child’s activities.
Buttercup’s Babies prepared a Montessori-friendly home environment for both a preschooler and toddler.
Montessori-Friendly Home Pinterest Board
UPDATE: I now have a Montessori-Friendly Home Pinterest board with lots of great examples of Montessori spaces and Montessori-friendly homes.
The post “How to Start Using Montessori at Home” has many more links and ideas.
My post “Preparing Montessori Toddler Spaces at Home” has links to my posts on preparing a baby space and preparing a baby/toddler space at home (plus links to other Montessori spaces at home).
You can make your Montessori space as simple or as elaborate as you wish. Try to keep it as organized and attractive as possible; emphasize Montessori principles for natural learning; and have fun following your child or grandchild! 🙂
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
- 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!
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Very informative, Deb! Thanks for sharing your ideas and all the links. Happy Tuesday! 🙂
Thanks for your kind comment, Larri! I hope you’re having a great week, too! 🙂
Love the info! I am going to look up those books as well!! Thanks!
Thanks, Kayla! Those are two books that are definitely worth having in your home library! 🙂
http://theadventuresofbear.blogspot.com/2010/08/our-school-room.html
http://theadventuresofbear.blogspot.com/2011/03/rearranged-play-and-learning-area.html
http://theadventuresofbear.blogspot.com/2010/10/new-montessori-set-up-in-kitchen.html
and http://theadventuresofbear.blogspot.com/2011/01/chores-and-expectations.html
are all links to our Montessori learning spaces and also how we’ve arranged our home to make it child friendly and encourage independence.
Thanks so much for the links to your Montessori learning spaces and Montessori-friendly home, Julie! I love how you’ve incorporated Montessori principles throughout your house! 🙂
Hi Deb. Great post for parents just starting out! Thanks for the link!
Thanks! Glad to see you found the link! I tried to leave a comment on your blog right after I published it, but the blogger comment system wasn’t working. I just tried it again now – and it’s working! Thanks so much for sharing photos and descriptions of how you used Montessori principles to set up your lovely home environment!
Hey friend! Popping in to wish you a Happy Wednesday and Happy iFellowship! 🙂
Thanks so much, Larri! It’s wonderful to have you back online! Happy iFellowship Wednesday to you! 🙂
Deb!
This is a fabulous post! I must share it!! Do you mind?
I love that montessori is so child based! To even have a shelf in the kitchen is such a fantastic way to teach self-help! Right now, in our home, the cereal, pretzels and crackers are at my son’s level. (Not on purpose, by the way.) BUT I do LOVE how he grabs some and shows me as if to ask permission!
Also thank you for the book recommendations! I’ve got some summer reading to do!
~Sarah
Thanks so much for your kind words, Sarah! I’d love for you to share my link or an excerpt from the post if you link back to me! I’ll enjoy hearing about your Montessori experiences at home! 🙂
Nice post Deb. I really love how you promote Montessori in the home, homeschooling or not.
Thanks so much, Kylie! I truly believe Montessori has something to offer for any home. 🙂
Thanks for this post. This is exactly what I want to incorporate into our home. I don’t want to do the whole “homeschooling” thing but I want my kids to have a learning environment. I am so impressed with the Montessori philosophy but I don’t know that much and I don’t feel I have time to learn it all. I looked at some of these links and got some great ideas to start with just building independence in my kids. Who knows where we’ll land with all of this 🙂
Thanks, Jackie! I love hearing that you’re finding some ideas to use right away! It’s great if you use what works for your family and what easily fits into your home! 🙂
This is an extremely interesting post! We did something sort of like this when my kids were smaller, without the intent of anything… just did it. One of the things I love best about Montessori, is how children learn about personal space. And how important it is. It’s amazing to see how that’s reflected as they grow into young adults.
Thanks so much, Sheila! Isn’t it fascinating how natural so many of the Montessori principles are?! I really like the respect for personal space in Montessori, too. It often seems much easier for kids to learn how to socialize than how to respect each other’s space. It’s nice that Montessori education helps with both! Have a wonderful Memorial Day! 🙂
Here’s a link to our set-up…or one of the links–I have a couple different posts on our set-up. 🙂
http://montessori.barefootinsuburbia.com/?p=115
Lovely classroom! Thanks so much for sharing it! 🙂 I had looked to see if you had a classroom post but didn’t find it right away. I’ve added your link to https://livingmontessorinow.com/2011/05/31/how-to-set-up-a-montessori-homeschool-classroom/.