7 Easy Montessori Concepts You Can Use at Home

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7 Easy Montessori ConceptsMaybe you thought you’d be all in for Montessori and it didn’t work out. Maybe you never thought about it but need something new. Implementing all of these concepts can be a full-time job in itself, however thoughtfully choosing pieces that best serve your little ones can actually be a breeze and can bring so much joy for the whole family. Selecting a few easy Montessori concepts can actually be simpler than you might think.

Here are some ideas to bring Montessori-style learning into your family.

Baskets

Baskets are wonderful for all ages. From tummy time on up to toddler age, babies love to pack and unpack. Pick one or two items from several categories (books, lovies, wooden toys, puzzles) and place them into a basket where you spend your mornings. This spot may change over time from a playtime mat to in the kitchen. Change out the items as a whole or piece-by-piece in any way that you’d like. One category changed over, one-piece, or the whole basket.

Color Themed Bins

I like to keep one bin out for an entire week. If things are particularly crazy two weeks is even good. Fill a container with as many things as you can find of one color (including different shades of the color, of course). Safely add in items that belong to your child as well as everyday household items. Designate a particular time of day where you engage with these items. I love to keep color-themed books on hand, some just about one color and some that are all-inclusive. It’s also so much fun to incorporate foods that are within your color theme throughout the week. Going into nature to “hunt” for your color is also a great add-on for older toddlers and kiddos.

Book Swaps

We like to keep several stacks of books throughout the house with our daughter’s larger collection out of reach. Many Montessori sites do say to keep books very limited to under five. We personally have found that this does not work for our family. We keep 5-10 books in both our living room and bedroom and a slightly larger collection within reach in our daughter’s bedroom. We swap the collections out amongst the books that are “out” once or twice a week and then pull from the out-of-reach books monthly. We always make sure to leave some current favorites out, as well as to pull out books that are coming into season.

Designated Areas

Certain toys we only play with in a specific room. Often times this is for practical reasons, (like keeping items away from dogs) but it is helpful in reinforcing the concept of putting things away. Some toys are specifically put away in a themed area, such as kitchen play set items. If these items are brought elsewhere we discuss why they are going back.  We also like to keep stuffed animals and other themed toys in specific baskets or bins.

Electronics Swaps

Each family may be comfortable with a different number of electronics being out at any time. We like to leave a few staples out most of the time and then swap other items out weekly. Our “staple” electronics are left out in busier spaces like the kitchen where mom and dad may need to focus and multiple types of toys will help to hold our little one’s attention.

Themed Sensory Bottles

Local craft stores usually have affordable plastic bottles that you can fill with any small items that pique your child’s interest. Play with sound by altering materials as well as the volume of the items within the bottles. If you are worried about safety you can hot glue the covers on. Or you can tightly close the bottles knowing you can swap items out as your themes for learning or your child’s interests change.

Starting Your Mornings

We like to lay out a set of toys and books to start our day in the same spot daily. This allows us to start out the day with playtime and conversation together before the bigger explorations of the day begin.

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