The current pandemic spurred the rise of homes being the center of all sorts of activities. People utilized their spaces to work, exercise, cook new dishes, explore new hobbies, and grow indoor gardens.
Schooling has also transformed into digital means, with new tools to cater to students’ learning and growth becoming more accessible right at their fingertips. This convenience also paves the way for parents to establish productive, educational, and fun learning spaces in properties like a house for rent in Bacolod.
In fact, parents can now foster a Montessori-like haven in their homes for their children with these seven essentials:
Low-Tier Shelves
Low-tier shelves with two to four sections are perfect for storing books, toys, and items for various kids’ activities. They also accommodate the height of your kids, especially if you are training them to put things back where they belong.
At the same time, you’ll reduce accidents and injuries as these low shelves allow kids to reach and return items without straining or hurting themselves.
Ergonomic Table and Chair
A table and chair that fit your kids’ sizes entail comfort while learning and doing activities. Choose a seat that lets your kids plant their feet flat on the floor. For the table, a height of 14 inches is ideal for preschoolers. Adjust the size to accommodate your other children if necessary.
If you’re after more cost-effective options, get adjustable tables and chairs and change their heights when your kids’ grow taller or bigger. That said, adjustable child-size furniture pieces are cost-effective and ergonomic for your at-home Montessori.
Baby Gates
Baby gates aren’t limited to keeping restless toddlers from getting to places that may be unsafe for them. Reuse them to create spaces for learning and exploration. Build mazes and conduct a treasure hunting game for your kids to find “missing” items hidden in different places.
Establish more fun and engaging activities by designating zones with different themes. For example, one zone can be for housekeeping while other spaces could be for reading, making art, and playing dress-up. Your kids will learn to connect with their environment and use clues to learn more about the objects surrounding them.
Texture Trays
Young children learn through their five senses, particularly through touch and sight. Create texture trays to boost their learning and exploration skills. Explore your home’s indoors and outdoors and collect items with different textures, shapes, and colors. In a way, collecting items for your texture trays with your kids pave the way for them to familiarize themselves with their sense of touch.
Suitable items for your trays include stones, flowers, sand, seashells, feathers, twigs, craft paper, leaves, faux fur, fake eggs, marbles, artificial plants, and dried or fresh leaves. Follow a theme and arrange different trays with objects related to each other. Avoid putting things that are sharp, toxic, or choking hazards. You wouldn’t want your kids to choke or hurt themselves while playing.
Floor Mats
Your home’s floor area is perfect for rougher playtimes. Use roll-on or puzzle mats to cushion your floors for safer playing and learning sessions for your kids. Select different colors to create vibrant patterns for your flooring.
Couple floor mats with your baby gate mazes and classroom area. Doing so will entail a child-proof learning environment for your children. At the same time, you’ll also keep your floors clean and protected.
Storage Boxes
The aftermath of learning and playing with children can cause clutter and disarray in your at-home Montessori. Keep things organized and from getting misplaced with storage boxes. Assign each box with their corresponding items to be kept; labeling the boxes also makes them easier to spot.
Storage boxes are also excellent for teaching your kids about organizing their things. They’ll gradually develop the habit of returning things where they belong and being responsible for their personal belongings.
Full Length Mirror
Add a full-length mirror to your kids’ dress-up zone so they can see themselves while trying on different costumes. Your kids will also learn to mix and match different outfit pieces and create new costumes with their reflections guiding them.
Mirrors also help your kids see what they look like with and without costumes. In a way, seeing their reflections daily helps them be more aware of what they look like and perhaps develop to appreciate their features and love themselves more.
Setting up a Montessori-inspired environment in your home establishes an engaging and fun learning space for your kids. That said, put these seven at-home Montessori essentials to foster a fun, conducive, and safe spaces for your kids to learn, play, and discover the world around them.
SOURCES:
https://www.berkshiremontessori.org/msb-blog/7ways-montessori-home-environment
https://www.mother.ly/life/home/home-decor/how-to-set-up-montessori-rooms-in-your-home/
https://sapientiamontessori.com/montessori/montessori-at-home/
Yes! These are great items to have on hand. We used everything you mentioned with the exception of an ergonomic chair. At the time when I homeschooled my son we had a different type of table and chair. It got the job done but I can see why an ergonomic one would be so much better!
Maureen | http://www.littlemisscasual.com
When my girls were smaller, I wanted to create a space like this at home. This would have been so helpful!
This is such an amazing list. I watch some Youtubers who have setups with all the items listed in your post, so thank you for writing it all down! Minimal but full of the essentials.
This is such an amazing resource for any homeschooling parent who wants to take their child’s education to the next level. I love this.
So smart to add the long mirror. Kids love that kind of activity.
These are all items that will come in useful. A mirror for dress-up is such a great idea.
All these items are vital to homeschooling. I wish I had known this earlier.
The pandemic has changed a lot of the ways we do things, especially in education. These are all great resources for us parents and teachers.
I never thought about the importance of having a full-length mirror for the kids. Having a Montessori-like setup at home is indeed awesome.
So cute!! I bet that the kids will be more in the spirit to learn and so school work if they have a space as colorful and amazing as the kne you created!
Great items not only for those interested in Montessori, but most parents of young children would benefit from having these at their homes.
Great ideas, the mats are definitely perfect for when kids play around. Don’t get hurt. Thank you for sharing!
Thank you for these great ideas! I like those floor mats.
These are wonderful tips, very smart, a lot of these I never even thought of. Thanks a lot, I love the ideas.
With online learning we need to make study rooms more interesting by redecorating, in such that our young learners would want to stay inside the room. I’ll take inspiration in redecorating our room
Saving this list. It’s an awesome way to get started in Montessori!
This type of at home school seems to be ahead of it’s time but need alot right now.