Activities for care of self are an essential part of the Montessori curriculum. They’re especially important for helping children develop both coordination and independence. At the same time, dressing frames are often among the least-popular materials in Montessori schools.
While the dressing frames are still important for Montessori schools, there are easy DIY versions and alternatives that work well for homeschools and other preschools. This is an area where you can save some money and get the same results (and often have a version that’s more interesting to toddlers and preschoolers)!
Easy DIY Montessori Dressing Frames
Here are a variety of easy and inexpensive (or free) DIY dressing frames:
Easy DIY Montessori Dressing Frames
- Promoting Independent Dressing – Montessori Inspired (with dressing frames created using document frames, old clothes, and a staple gun) from Child Central Station
- We Made Dressing Frames from Toddler Approved from Toddler Approved (using picture frames, old clothes, and a staple gun)
DIY: Montessori Dressing Frames for Toddlers from Montessori for Infants and Toddlers
Montessori Dressing Frames from Montessori en Casa
DIY Montessori Dressing Boards from Musings of an im-Perfect Mom
DIY Dressing Frames from DIY Montessori
Montessori Inspired Dressing Boards from Stir the Wonder
Dressing Frames & Other Goodwill Finds from Havin’ Fun Yet?
Dressing Frames from Homemade Montessori
Easy DIY Montessori Dressing Frames from Mama’s Happy Hive
Easy DIY – Montessori Dress Frames from the Muslimah Guide
DIY Dressing Frame Alternatives
Easy DIY Dressing Frame Alternatives
- Zippered Vest Draped Over the Back of a Chair from Planting Peas (blog is no longer available)
- Montessori Dressing Corner from Montessori on a Budget
- Dressing Basket from Montessori ici
- Dressing Board from Simply Montessori
Cold Weather Dressing Basket by Jessie from The Education of Ours at Mommy Moment
DIY Button Snakes
- How to Use a Button Snake for Fine Motor Development from Mama OT
- Felt Button Snakes for Boys from What DID We Do All Day?
- Button Snake in Two Sizes from Making Montessori Ours
Button Snake from Counting Coconuts
DIY Button Frame Alternatives
- Button, Zipper, and Snap Strips from Therapy Street for Kids
- Flower Button Board from Chasing Cheerios
Seasonal Items (such as the Thanksgiving button turkey from Itty Bitty Love or Natural Beach Living and the Valentine Button Snake from Leptir)
Dressing Frame Presentations
Here are a few traditional Association Montessori Internationale presentations:
Montessori Dressing Frames from InfoMontessori
Montessori – Practical Life – Dressing Frame – Zipper Video from InfoMontessori
Montessori Practical Life Dressing Frame: The Buckle Video from InfoMontessori
Montessori Practical Life Dressing Frame: Hook and Eye Video from InfoMontessori
Montessori Practical Life Dressing Frame: Lacing Video from InfoMontessori
More Dressing Tips
Fun Shoe and Coat Tricks for Toddler Independence (my post with video and poem)
Dressing Tips and Activities from Therapy Fun Zone
Tips for Helping Kids Get Dressed Independently from The Preschool Toolbox
More Care of Self Activities and Ideas
I have a roundup post with lots of Montessori-inspired activities for care of self.
Amazon Affiliate:
Have you used dressing frames or an alternative for your child or classroom?
Learn more about my eBook Montessori at Home or School: How to. Teach Grace and Courtesy!
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Hi Deb,
I love the dressing frames! I find that the kids in my school go through phases – sometimes they are flying off of the stand and other times, they aren’t used as much. Personally, the bow tying frame is my favorite! 🙂 Thanks for sharing all of these wonderful ideas.
Sasha
Thanks, Sasha! The bow tying frame is my favorite, too. I love that there are such great alternatives to the dressing frames now … a lot of them more appealing to kids than the actual dressing frames! 🙂
This is such a great post and it came at just the right time for me. My son is just now showing interest in dressing himself. Thank you!
Thanks so much, Carla! 🙂
I love the DIY ideas! There are so many materials I never would have thought to try my hand at making, but that can obviously be done quite well. Dressing frames are definitely in that category. These are awesome!
Thanks, Melissa! Aren’t there some awesome ideas?! It’s amazing how easy and inexpensive many of the ideas are. 🙂
We’re on sort of the same page today, as I posted about teaching our toddler to put on a coat and some related activities on getting dressed.
I love the idea of the button snakes. I had not seen those before. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks so much, Eryn! We are on the same page. I’ve added your post link to my post tomorrow … more on care of self! 🙂
Great! Thank you!
Thanks for sharing EJ’s dressing frame post on here!
My pleasure … I LOVE EJ’s DIY dressing frames … so inexpensive and easy! She made them look very attractive, too! 🙂
Oh, how I wish now my daughter attended a Montessory preschool! She would learn some very valuable skills that now she has to quickly master in Kindergarten.
Thanks for your comment, Natalie! Montessori really is great at preparing kids for future experiences. Fortunately, you can do a lot at home to prepare your daughter, too. 🙂
I love these alternatives to expensive materials!
Thanks, Maryanne! I agree … I love the creativity mom bloggers used in coming up with lots of the ideas so inexpensively! 🙂