Montessori at Home

What to put on the shelf, when a child is ready for it, and what the research does and does not show. Written by the people who pick the toys.

Nine small wooden animal figures arranged in a single straight row along the edge of an oatmeal wool rug on a pale wooden floor.
Is this normal?Milestones 11 min read
My 2-year-old lines up his toys. Is that normal?

679 two-year-olds were watched doing exactly this. Ordinary play gets read as a symptom far more often than it used to.

A wooden toy tea set and two small wooden pans arranged on an oatmeal rug beside a low pale wooden shelf.
Choosing toysDoing it themselves 10 min read
Play kitchen or learning tower: which one actually gets used?

One of them gets used most days and one gets used in bursts. The difference has nothing to do with your child.

A low two-tier wooden shelf against a living room wall beside the corner of a sofa, holding five wooden toys on plain trays with space between them, a small woven mat on the floor in front.
Getting startedThe shelf 10 min read
Montessori in a small apartment: where the living room shelf actually goes

The shelf almost never belongs in the bedroom. Where it goes instead is the whole trick in a small flat.

A low wooden shelf holding a small glass jug, a short-handled brush and dustpan, a folded linen cloth and a child-sized wooden board with a small knife.
Choosing toysGetting started 10 min read
Does Montessori encourage pretend play? Keep the play kitchen

Both sides of this argument claim more than they can show. Offered both kinds of toy, children did something neither camp predicted.

Two wooden toys on a pale table: on the left a bare unpainted beech ring stacker, on the right an older wooden pull-along with chipped painted stripes.
Choosing toysSafety 11 min read
Are second-hand baby toys safe? A five-minute check

One date decides most of it. Anything made before it needs a closer look, and a five-minute check at the sink covers everything else.

A wooden ring lying on bare floorboards a few feet from a low woven basket, in morning light
Is this normal?The shelf 10 min read
My toddler throws everything. Is that normal, and when does it stop?

His face tells you which kind of throwing you are watching, and the two kinds need opposite responses. The fix is a place rather than a rule.

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The Ultimate Guide to Montessori at Home

Shelf setup, choosing toys, and knowing when your child is ready for the next thing.

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