Toddler Rocking Chair / Stokke Tripp Trapp High Chair / FunPod Kitchen Helper / Child's Play Table

How often do you shop second hand? It's something we should do more often. As I travel around England I have become fond of looking for Montessori (home) treasures in vintage and second-hand stores. It's also a good reminder not to hoard or keep unwanted items, why not donate them or sell them online so another family can enjoy them? 

Second-hand items obviously reduce waste and packaging and can be much more affordable than buying new. There are lots of other benefits too, used and vintage items can help to create a unique space and can contribute to a more circular economy. 

Browsing through stores while traveling is a favorite activity of mine but it's also a good idea to set alerts in online stores like Gumtree or Craigslist. Our little town has a couple of vintage stores and also a couple of charity stores. These stores are fantastic for things like small shelves and cupboards, little vases and pitchers, wooden trays, baskets, spinning tops and vintage or handmade wooden toys, toddler chairs like rocking or wicker chairs and vintage prints.

Online stores (in the UK) like Gumtree have Montessori home items like puzzles and books, children's sized tables, high chairs like the Stokke Tripp Trapp (popular with many Montessori families) and lots of kitchen stands like the Little Helper FunPod (which we used for many years and recommend), I've even recently found a good stash of Montessori books. Obviously location, price and, condition are important. But so is sustainability, being resourceful, and setting a good example.  

Maria Montessori Books / Wooden Shape Sorter / Screwdriver Board  / Wooden Leaf Sorting Bowl

Let me know if you would like me to share more about our Montessori vintage and second-hand finds.