Today I want to share with you the most beautiful Montessori toddler classroom I've ever seen. When I first entered this room I was overcome with emotion, it is just that striking. The natural timber furniture, the huge windows full of green, and the bright colourful materials are breathtaking. 

Before you take a look around I need to tell you there is something special about this environment. This is a Montessori Parent-Toddler Classroom that has RIE and Pikler influences. Director of the Parent Toddler and Nido program at Cameragal Montessori School, Peta Gibson has an AMI Assistants to Infancy (0-3) Diploma and has studied at the RIE Centre in Los Angeles and at the Pikler Insitute in Budapest. What a fantastic combination. 

Located in North Sydney, this classroom has all of the typical areas of a Montessori Parent-Toddler classroom including a practical life area, art area, care-of-self area. It has many puzzles and books but it also has open-ended materials like blocks and magnetic tiles. 

This classroom is bright and bold.

Above are books and puzzles about colours, paint sticks, cutting and pasting trays, stickers, and a little paper shredder.

On the far wall, you can see a child-size sink for washing dishes, a water drinking station, juicing station and it's hard to see but there is also a station for pasta making. Yes, for making pasta from scratch! I've observed Peta presenting the pasta making and it worked beautifully. 

This classroom has many materials for building coordination, concentration and for developing visual discrimination and cognitive development. 

Here are some food prep trays, a little cleaning caddy, cleaning cloths, and a watering can with a leaf duster for the care of the plants. This is a fine example of how we can colour code our materials.

Various matching work. 

Toddler language materials. 

On the back wall is a care of self area with a low mirror, hairbrush, and tissues. In the centre is an incredibly tall tracking toy. To the left, there is an art easel and just out of sight, to the left of the easel is a clay table. Yes, a clay table for using real clay. It's the first time I've seen real clay used like this in a Montessori parent-toddler class.

Thank you so much to Peta for allowing me and Otto to join your classroom for the day. Please note these images were taken in 2020 and the room layout has since changed. For more information on the infant and toddler classes at Cameragal Montessori School please contact the school’s office on 9954 0344 or email [email protected]. You can see more snippets of Peta's classroom and work on Instagram here.