Montessori children's room

The children's room created according to the Montessori principles guiding us while arranging our first room for Maksymilian. We decided that the leitmotif will be nature and safari, the room will be decorated in accordance with the elements of the Montessori philosophy. How to do it? And who exactly was Maria Montessori and what are her methods?

 

Do you know Maria Montessori? She was an Italian doctor who lived in the years 1870-1952. She developed her own educational method in which the most important is the child's independence and supporting his proper development. Her methods support natural spontaneity, creativity and freedom. Montessori was also opposed to grading children at school by key or grading system, arguing that such a method inhibits children's imagination.

 

Maria Montessori thought that closeness is the most important thing for the first six weeks of a child's lifebecause the child has a high level of attachment to the parents - there is no need to drastically change the child's environment even until the age of three. Only delicate changes are enough to adapt the child's space to his needs.

 

Montessoriańskie toys are nothing but development aids. Maria Montessori thought that children do not play, but work. They spend time acquiring knowledge, getting to know the world, perfecting your skills and developing yourself. It is not good to attack babies with playing and flashing toys from the first days of life - there are unnecessary stimuli, when in fact what such a small child needs are contrasting pictures, simple mobiles or teethers.

 

Children the space should be ordered and full of orderto give the child a sense of security and knowledge of space.

 

Following this lead, we set about preparing the room for Maks.

 

Montessori children's room

 

In subdued colors

The multitude of colors in the children's room provides strong stimuliand the point is to calm down and rest in your own room. In Montessori children's rooms it is important neutral wall color, light floor and furniturethat will allow you to display other objects and decorations, colorful toys and colorful books, without unnecessary stimulation.

 

Toddlers are particularly sensitive to contrasts. That is why in these first months there is no need to buy colorful toys and books - black and white are enough.

 

 

In the relevant invoices

A small child is a small explorer. It's worth having them in his Montessori children's room objects with different textures, such as wood, wicker or cool steel.

 

 

With elements of nature

Exploring the world is not only the right textures, but also the realism of the world, which also perfectly fits in with the Montessori philosophy. suitable presenting nature develops our child's awareness and knowledge. So it's worth not only that it would have real figurines or animal pictures (pinto cow looks like a real pinto cow, and the fish doesn't smile from ear to ear), but they also had a Montessori in their children's room treasure cart. What can be in such a basket? For example, wooden elements, wicker, cotton, felt things, but also what we can find outside - plants, cones or shells.

 

 

Available for a child

We should not forget that when creating a Montessori children's room, we do it for a child, not for ourselves. A baby who is still crawling, crawls and then is 1-1,5 meters tall. A good space is one in which we, being on all fours, we can reach everything. Whole space above 1,5 m high can remain empty - at least for now.

 

And I am not talking about all the furniture here (our children's room will grow with the child, so it will stand here right away) high wardrobe, but downstairs will have two drawers available for childreny - for children's treasures), but most of all about how to store toys. It is extremely important that all toys were available to the child. In the Montessori children's room should not be unpacked to the brim of boxes and boxes, where the beloved toy is at the very bottom, but easily accessible baskets, trays and containers, and several favorite toys on the rackthat are currently in the spotlight. these we can replace the toys every week or two, all depending on the child's interest and sensitivity phase.

 

Divided into zones

The child is a full member of the family. The point is not that it should dominate the home or the living room (you have certainly seen toys scattered around the living room at your friends or family, and it often looks like this with us today), but that in almost every room - be it the living room, kitchen, bathroom or even in the parents' bedroom - it had its own corner, space that would be tailored to his needs and height.

 

Designation of individual zones is not difficult at all. In the kitchen, one low shelf is enough, on which there will always be a water bottle or a cup with waterą (fulfills this function with us first step of stairs upstairs) so that the child can drink when they feel like it, in the bathroom a place where you can wash and wipe the handles yourself (our bidet only functions as a children's basin, there is a special soap, toothbrush, toothpaste and towel on a hanger), and in the Montessori children's room a corner with a flat pillow, mat, blanket or rug, where the child will be able to sit and view the book.

 

In the Montessori children's room, the space is clearly separated and sorted. In one corner is a place to sleep - a safe and accessible (when the Child is ready for it) bed. Another place in the room - or maybe in the living room? - should space to play with, where our kid will always find his favorite toys and art materials.

 

 

Safe

A safe home is the right place to explore the world and self-improvement. That is why it is extremely important to prepare a safe space for the child. Pay close attention to the right one assembly of furniture and accessoriesFor example, a flower on a shelf that a child has access to is a terrible idea, as is a flower on the floor - a child can eat the ground. The easiest way is to imagine your child alone in a room - will it be safe? Round edges, secured sockets and no glass breakage are essential.

 

I will prepare a separate material about the safeguards used in our house and show you everything in detail.

 

 

Teaching independence

Contrary to appearances, such small children, especially from birth to about 3 they like orderwhere they will always find the toy in the same place. A larger child can easily pick up toys in a basket and put them in the right place - from an early age we can teach the rules of keeping things in order and putting things back. Children with the greatest concentration put block by block to the basket or put the books in the right place. It teaches them to concentrate and develops motor skills.

 

The ordered space also helps the child orientate in space and gives a sense of security.

 

Montessori supported the child's independence so that he could do the activity himself. That is why we will hang in our room clothes hangers at a child's heightso that it can hang up the sweater, similarly drawers will have easy access - he can choose any clothes from it or put away his socks after washing.

 

A small child thanks to easy access to individual items develops his personality, confidence and independence, because he decides about himself and makes decisions according to his own taste. To support a child Montessori children's room is not necessary - we can organize such small spaces throughout the house.

 

 

Encouraging development

If the child has puzzle - don't let it lie on the shelf. A separate board and a basket with puzzle elements next to it will encourage you to work and solve the puzzle. If the toys are in a basket or on a tray in an easily accessible place, the child will have to grab the container with both hands and put it on the ground, table or mattress - and this already develops its motor skills. When you buy or prepare an item for him, first show him what it is for and how to play with it. Together, put the toy or its elements in the place of their choice and the toddler will know where to find it.

When the toys, or rather the child's development aids are in a place accessible to him, he will reach for it himself. A sensory board lying on the floor or attached to the wall will tempt you to approach it and start playing with it.

 

 

Growing with the child and adapted to the age

This is one of the reasons why it is worth having a Montessori children's room painted neutral color. Thanks to this, you won't have to repaint the colorful room, because your child is bored or scratch the stickers. The room for the child must grow with him and adapt to his changing needs. In time, the room will reach a table and chairs, or a desk at which it will be able to sit, play and work. A drawing board can also hang on the wall. In addition, the cot, which at the right time will be dismantled sideways and turns into a couch and chair, which can be raised seat (already such chairs are in our dining room).

 

With a low bed

Ideal for sleeping for such a toddler can even be mattress on the ground. The child is not only safe in it, but also can decide for himself when he will lie down on his own bed and when he will get out of it. It will also be appropriate a cot with removable rungs - it is also a great place to play - it can turn into a house, castle or boat, and the drawers under the cot will allow you to hide treasures - we decided to do it. Personally, I think that Maks is too small to get up from the cot on his own when he is alone in the room - I'm afraid that he will stand by the door that Santa will forcefully open and there will be an accident, or he will leave the room alone in the middle of the night, and he has two flights of stairs (with gates, of course, but there is always a risk that the gate will open). Therefore, for now, we have a standard cot in our room, and next to it there will be a mat for resting.

 

The child does not have to sleep in his Montessori children's room at all, maybe with his parents (Maksio sleeps in our bedroom, often with us), but it is important that the rest area was clearly separated and easily accessible. Such a mat or mattress can also be a place to read books, but we do not hang a mirror or mobili near it, because the child is to calm down here, not to stimulate and distract.

 

 

Age-safe books available

Books on the shelf for a child should, of course, be adjusted to his age and sensitivity, so first the baby has only picture and contrast books, and over time you can raise the bar and read to the child, for example, a book for learning to speak, such as "Pucio learns to speak" Galewska-Kustra - full of beautiful pictures and onomatopoeic words that our toddler can repeat and later communicate with us through them.

 

Of course, you should also pay attention to the material from which the book is made - it should therefore be rubber (made of safe material) or have thick cardboard pages with rounded edges. Thin sheets will be quickly bent and torn, and worst of all - eaten. You surely know how much tearing paper is for children.

 

Thanks to the easy access to the books, our toddler can choose which book he would like to read.

 

 

Decor

Decorations in a Montessori children's room should also be elements stimulating its development. Thus, there will be pictures of nature in which glass is replaced with safe Plexiglas, family photos, and over time the alphabet. One of such decorations will also be, for example, a wicker elephant, in which the tummy can hide toys.

 

 

Lustrum

I have already written to you about the advantages of a mirror in post about toys. For Maks's Montessori children's room, we have made a beautiful giraffe-head mirror to order. The most important thing is the mirror was safe, acrylic, shatterproof. Fantastically stimulates the child's development, encourages the stimulation of imagination and exploring the world in a slightly different way. There is probably no child who would not be fascinated by the mirror and his own reflection.

 

 

How do you like ideas for space arrangement from Maria Montessori?

 

 

Our Montessori children's room is almost finished, we have the wardrobe to make and the decision to make: wooden blinds or curtains. I would definitely take blinds, were it not for the fact that the room has two different window sizes next to each other, and under one radiator and I have no idea how to install these blinds so as not to expose the radiator.

 

In the next posts I will show you the moodboard, based on which I arrange the room and of course the room itself, as soon as I decide what to do with these windows.

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