Here is your guide to creating a Montessori playroom for your toddler that will keep them entertained for hours, support key development skills and foster their independence.
MONTESSORI KEY PRINCIPLES TO FOCUS ON:
Your playroom should highlight most of these principles of Montessori:
- The Prepared Environment: a space that encourages freedom to learn and do things on their own (independence)
- Self-Education: having materials and activities available that allow children to teach themselves.
- Role of Teacher/Parent: guidance, providing tools and observing to foster development.
- Absorbent Mind: Children are sponges at early ages and this is the time to introduce subjects that may be typically directed to older children.
- Respect for the Child: letting a child fail & learn in that failure, not interrupting the process of learning for fear of failure or mess.
Step 1: Furniture
I believe what you choose as furniture in a playroom sets up the space for everything else. Let’s strategically pick some key pieces as the foundation for our playroom.
A open concept shelf like this one is great for inviting your children to participate in Montessori activities without overwhelming them. It’s also at their level and easy for them to reach for toys.
When choosing a bookshelf, you want one that makes it easy to see the covers of the books.
Here are two options- one for the wall to optimize space and one that would hold more books.
I bought this modular play couch for my daughter’s first birthday and it was the best thing I’ve bought her. She has gotten so much use out of this, it’s great for displaying her toys and we have fun creating new builds together.
I love this table and chairs set because there’s tons of storage space to keep things organized, it has a whiteboard, chalkboard and space underneath that can be used as a sensory table.
I think a play kitchen is an essential piece for a kids playroom. My 18 month old daughter plays with her kitchen almost all day. It really encourages her creativity and imagination as she pretends to cook.
My last furniture suggestion would be a Montessori wardrobe. This can be something you have in your toddler’s bedroom so that they can choose their outfits for the day (which is how we have it set up) or you could have it in the playroom as a dress up station with some costumes.
Step 2: Toys
Now that you have your furniture chosen, time to fill it with Montessori inspired toys.
A baby doll and accessories are an essential way to foster empathy and care giving skills in your child. It’s also so great for teaching an older sibling how to be around the new baby (my kids are 14 months apart so this was a big one for me).
Here are some accessories that I would recommend:
Blocks and stacking toys are so important for developmental milestones. These are two classic Montessori toys that are always in the toy rotation.
If you have a play kitchen, you need play food and play kitchenware. I really like this set because it also teaches table placement which is a Montessori lesson to teach your toddler.
I also would have these pots & pans: SHOP HERE and a play food set like this one: SHOP HERE
Optional: my daughter is obsessed with her tea set she loves to make me drink fake tea all day. SHOP HERE
Puzzles are a favourite in my house- they encourage memory, hand eye coordination, cognitive development and problem solving. I like to keep the pieces separate from the board to give her a challenge. SHOP HERE
Puzzles to teach your child shapes, colours, numbers and alphabets SHOP HERE
Chunky puzzles like these are also great especially for 1 year olds. SHOP HERE
In my experience, educational play is the best way to teach your child at home about different subjects. SHOP NOW
Animal toys – split into categories like farm animals, safari, underwater, etc. can be part of a sensory activity or an invitation to play & learn with flashcards.
Human body toys- it’ll blow your mind once your child starts learning all their body parts. SHOP HERE
Step 3: Tools
Creating successful Montessori activities is all about the tools that you use. Here is a list of tools you will need:
Step 4: Wall Art & Decor
Your child’s playroom is their own little world and just like decorating your home, decorating a playroom can create the mood for them as well as offer educational visuals for them.
I just think this would be so cute as wall art in a playroom.
I love these learning posters! They are aesthetically pleasing and they tackle some important lessons.
These would be so cute to hang coats or costumes at your child’s height so they can take them on and off themselves.
I’m partial to wall clocks because I was a kid with a learning disability who couldn’t tell time until the third grade so introducing the concept of time & clocks to toddlers is something I like to get them familiar with it early on.
If you’re looking for a rug for your playroom, this one is perfect.
Step 5: Creating a Calm Down Corner
I believe an essential thing to teach your toddlers is to regulate their emotions and having a calm down corner is a great way to do that because it offers them an environment that is safe to do so and gives them the right instruments to be successful in that. These are some ideas for creating a Calm Down Corner for your toddler’s playroom.
This poster is great because it is something visual that you can use to pinpoint how a child is feeling and how those feelings are progressing as they are “calming down”.
As a parent, the best thing that you can do for your child is to teach them to manage their feelings- that is something they will take with them every day of their lives. Doing activities with them now will set them up for success in the future.
These are sensory toys that also are a visual aid to learn about emotions.
Flashcards really help toddlers and young children to learn so I think flipping through these with them in the calm down corner would be useful to help them identify how they’re feeling.
I like sensory toys like this because they allow their eyes to track the movement and that in itself is a calming practice.
For children who love books (like my 18 month old), this book is so so good.
It’s nice to have somewhere comfortable for your toddler to sit in the calm down corner- either independently or with you. These bean bags are so cute and comfortable PLUS they store all the millions of stuffed animals your child endlessly collects.
This one is the same concept, just a different shape.
and that concludes my ideas for a Montessori inspired playroom! Remember that the best thing you can put in your child’s playroom is YOU. If you use any of these ideas, tag us in a post @mombrainmondays on all platforms.
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