Living Montessori Now

Montessori Inspiration for Parents and Teachers

How to Prepare a Montessori Toddler Environment at Home

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Toddler programs in Montessori schools generally start at 15-18 months and run to age 2½ or 3. You can use many of the same Montessori principles and ideas to create a Montessori-friendly toddler environment at home.

The Montessori phrase “Help me to do it by myself” is probably the most important concept to keep in mind for your toddler. Create an environment that will help your toddler gain as much independence as possible.

There are many things you can do to make your home a Montessori-friendly toddler environment. You’ll want to have low shelves with activities in baskets and on trays, toddler-size table and chair, and real child-size tools and utensils. Practical life activities for care of self, care of the environment, control of movement, and grace and courtesy will be essential.

Ideas for Creating a Montessori-Friendly Toddler Environment

Preparing a Montessori Baby-Toddler Space at Home

I have a number of posts about toddlers, such as Preparing a Montessori Baby-Toddler Space at Home.

Preparing Montessori Toddler Spaces at Home

You can see my updated toddler environment in Preparing Montessori Toddler Spaces at Home.

Montessori for Everyone has Essentials of a Toddler Classroom  and other infant and toddler posts.

The International Montessori Index has resources for Montessori Birth to Three.

Daily Montessori has information for Montessori 12-24 Months and Montessori 24-36 Months.

Lovely Examples of Montessori-Friendly Toddler Home Environments

Montessori Toddler Closet (Photo from Vibrant Wanderings)

Montessori Toddler Closet (Photo from Vibrant Wanderings – blog is no longer available)

Sew Liberated

A Montessori Home

Kitchen Corner (Photo from Peaceful Parenting)

Kitchen Corner (Photo from Peaceful Parenting)

Peaceful Parenting

Our Montessori Chronicles

Montessori-Style Bed (Photo from To the Lesson!)

Montessori-Style Bed (Photo from To the Lesson!)

To the Lesson! (Montessori bed post) and toddler posts

A Secure Base

Our Natural Journey

Sparkling Bay

Lesson Plans to Pots and Pans

The Montessori Child at Home (ideas for both toddlers and older preschoolers)

Montessori Life as We Know It

Some Helpful Resources

My toddler category has lots of activities for toddlers ages 1 to 3.

I have a post on Top 10 Montessori Principles for Natural Learning.

Montessori for Infants and Toddlers has blog posts with lots of Montessori ideas.

Montessori Mom has Toddler Scope and Sequence & Lesson Ideas – Practical Life Skills.

“What’s unique about a Montessori program for toddlers?” is a 1-minute video from Cottage Montessori.

It’s best to provide lots of manipulatives for learning, but don’t worry about doing many formal Montessori lessons with your child. Follow your child’s interests and let him or her choose activities.

Here’s a reassuring post from Confessions of a Montessori Mom Blog: Can You Give a Toddler a Lesson? 

Montessori MOMents has a post on ages 0-6 with some information and links appropriate for toddlers.

Montessori Learning Materials and Activities for Toddlers

For older toddlers, see the links in my posts How to Set Up a Montessori Space at Home and  How to Set Up a Montessori Homeschool Classroom.

Montessori Mom has a post on Toddler Scope and Sequence & Lesson Ideas-Practical Life Skills.

Fruit Cards (Image from Montessori Print Shop)

Fruit Cards (Image from Montessori Print Shop)

Montessori Print Shop has inexpensive toddler materials (materials for language development).

Montessori for Everyone has inexpensive toddler materials (materials for language development along with a comprehensive checklist).

Our Montessori Home has many posts on infant and toddler activities.

1+1+1=1 has Tot School ideas and links to other parents who often use Montessori-inspired activity trays and manipulatives.

Putting Straws in a Container (Photo from Growing a Godly Girl)

Putting Straws in a Container (Photo from Growing a Godly Girl)

 (Photo: Tot School – 15 Months from the former Growing a Godly Girl blog)

Little Red Farm has lots of Montessori-inspired toddler activities.

Cherry Blossom Adventures has many Montessori-inspired activities during “tot school.”

Transferring Water Activity (Photo from Barefoot in Suburbia)

Transferring Water Activity (Photo from Barefoot in Suburbia)

Barefoot in Suburbia has many ideas for toddler learning (photo from Toddler Tuesday).

Montessori Mama has many posts with toddler activities.

Kingdom of the Pink Princesses tells how they’ve adapted their home and homeschool to include a toddler.

My Child-Centered Life has many Montessori-inspired toddler activities.

2015 UPDATES:

Living Montessori Now has a YouTube channel with lots of Montessori-inspired activities for toddlers! In our YouTube videos, my daughter, Christina (who was a Montessori child) shows activities to my toddler granddaughter, Zoey. I write the scripts, and I’m the person behind the camera. 🙂

Here’s an example of one of the videos: “Introducing Montessori Rules and Routines to a Toddler”

Preparing Montessori Spaces in Your Home

See “How to Create a Montessori-Friendly Home” for ideas for a number of levels. Here are some of my main home environment posts:

Deb - Signature

Learn more about my eBook Montessori at Home or School: How to. Teach Grace and Courtesy!

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Tina Boysen says

    I really appreciate the time you have put into your site! A few months ago, I started Toddler and Casa classes for families in a low-income social housing apartment. The children attend at no cost and we are all volunteers (a dream I had after my own children started at our local Montessori school). Your amazing resources will be put to use with our parents in our classes! Thanks.Tina

    • Deb says

      Thanks so much for your kind comment, Tina! What a wonderful service you’re giving! Wishing you many blessings! 🙂

  2. Laurie says

    I don’t know if anyone has mentioned it to you, but the link to Walden U for the table directions leads only to their main site. I searched the site and could not find those directions. Do you have another link that I could try?

    THanks!

    • Deb says

      Thanks so much for your comment, Laurie! Unfortunately, it seems the post was removed. I couldn’t find it, either. I removed the link from my post. I appreciate you letting me know about it.

  4. Aria Toddler Table Sullivan says

    I love all the helpful tips you have to create a Montessori environment. Even though we probably won’t be able to send our daughter to a Montessori school, I still think that it’s important to have an environment that enables her to think and do for herself. We just bought a toddler table and chair set for her room. We expect that it will be the first of many such purchases to create a Montessori home environment.

    • Deb says

      Thanks so much for your comment! (Just finding some comments very late.) It’s wonderful that you’re focused on creating a Montessori home environment! 🙂

  5. Rach says

    Thanks so much for linking to my blog! I love this collection of resources, so helpful. I’m looking forward to looking at every link. Best wishes. Rach.

  7. Lulu says

    I love this post. It gives me something to work towards with my home {no space now but building a new house now!} and with my boys.

    I love your posts and I always leave inspired and while I do not have as much time to blog hop as I did before I always enjoy looking through your archives and links when I get the change. Such a great resource! Thank you!

    • Deb says

      I just found your kind comment, Lulu … thanks so much! I always love hearing from you and reading about what you’re doing with your boys! 🙂

  8. Mary Jones says

    wow thanks for this post, my toddler is just 18 months and I was looking for some solid info on this.

    This is really going to help me get things set up properly.

  9. Henry says

    My wife and I are thinking of sending our youngest son to the local Montessori school, and currently we are “devouring” everything we can find about the whole Montessori experience. I appreciate the effort you have put in to this site. It really shows.

  11. Sarah B. says

    This is an AMAZING collection of links and information! I am slowly working toward a “Montessori-ish” environment for our daughters, and this is incredibly helpful. 🙂 Thank you!

  12. Pamela says

    My sister-in-law had a Montessori school in Chicago for years. This is a great site. Your daughter will certainly profit from “living” Montessori. I’m impressed with all the information here.

    • Deb says

      Thanks so much for your kind comment, Pamela! My kids are actually grown now, but I’ll enjoy watching them use Montessori principles when they have kids of their own! 🙂

  15. Mommy to the Princesses says

    Thanks for including my toddler posts in this post! I’ve added the right tags to the most recent posts. You are doing a wonderful job of collecting awesome links in superb posts. I visited every single blog you’ve linked for ideas. Thanks again!

    • Deb says

      Thanks so much for your kind comment! I really appreciate your tagging the posts so lots of parents can gain information from your experiences! Have a wonderful weekend! 🙂

  17. Lori says

    Great minds think alike. I posted on a very similar subject today too. I loved yours! So well written and full of great info. Thanks for sharing Deb!

    • Deb says

      Thanks, Lori! It is funny that we posted on a similar topic today! I just added two links and your post! 🙂

    • Deb says

      Thanks so much for stopping by, Meghan! I miss you, too … we don’t get to visit often enough! I hope you have a great Tuesday, too! 🙂

  20. Melissa says

    Thanks for another great, resource-rich post, Deb. I’ll have to work through all of the links in this one and look for ideas to enrich our environment. I’m honored that you chose to include my photo, too! 🙂

    • Deb says

      Thanks so much, Melissa! I love what you’re doing with your home environment. Your blog is such a wonderful resource for parents with toddlers! 🙂