This post is sponsored by Goodevas. The development of gross motor skills is essential for children all year round. Simple things like going for a nature walk preferably on uneven surfaces, running up mounds of grass, climbing trees or balancing on tree logs are all wonderful ways children can explore the outside world while developing gross motor skills. But how can children develop their gross motor skills while inside? We can set up a fun obstacle course think jumping through hoops, climbing through indoor tunnels, and throwing mini bean bags. We can set up a fort, perhaps using a blanket,... Read more →

Are you looking for ideas or inspiration for your Montessori home? I love taking a peek into other family homes but I don't love scrolling through social media. Today I've picked out a few gems that I hope you'll enjoy! This is a wonderful example of an infant movement area incorporating a weaning table, low shelves with age-appropriate materials, a mirror, a movement mat and a butterfly mobile. The highlight for me is the artwork at the child's level just above the weaning table. Perfection! 😘 This is an infant area for a five-month-old. Low shelves, age-appropriate materials, engaging low... Read more →

Image: Joy Kids (AU) I have written many articles about how we store children's books. In a Montessori home, we want our children's books to be easily accessible but also ordered and presented in a way that is attractive to the child. For a young child, we may put books in a basket or in a forward-facing bookshelf. You can read my recommendations on forward-facing bookshelves at How We Store and Display Children's Books - at 2-3yrs. By the time the child is 4 to 5 years old, maybe earlier, they are wanting access to many, many more books and... Read more →

If you are looking for a new Montessori style table and chair for your child, I recommend taking a look on Etsy. I've never had a problem shopping with Etsy and I know that I am supporting small businesses. I love that I can search by location and find local suppliers. As always with ordering furniture for your child remember to double-check all measurements including seat and table heights. Above is the Montessori Table and Chair Set for Toddlers (Canada). It could be used for activities or as a weaning table. This table has raised edges to prevent items from... Read more →

Have you seen the new Apple Floor Bed by Sapiens Child? It's so well designed, it has low sides for the young child to independently get in and out, and a seat or a storage bench at the end. Sapiens Child is located in Vancouver, Canada, where Jorge makes all of the furniture in his studio. Jorge started Sapiens Child after the birth of his first child Santiago. His wife was passionate about Montessori but they couldn't find the right child-size furniture for their apartment. Sapiens Child furniture is perfect for a Montessori home, they have a toddler table and... Read more →

I've been searching for a second-hand overhead projector on Gumtree (AU) for months. I'm still hopeful that I will find one, but this searching often leads me to find other good things on Gumtree. Over the weekend I picked up this bike (below) for $50 including the child seat and bike lock (it needs a new chain), and the Montessori Dino Cards for $10. Where do you look for good Montessori second-hand finds, FB marketplace, Gumtree, FreeCycle? The key to getting a bargain on Gumtree is finding items that you need and that are located close to you. Here are... Read more →

Are you a woodworker or have one among your family or friends? With some skill many Montessori materials and child size furniture can be made by hand. Hand made and homemade mean you can have control and surety over the woods and finishes used. It's not always cheaper or easier to DIY but the results are often more beautiful! Here are some woodworking DIYs that I've been loving. As always be careful with safety and securing necessary furniture to the wall. Above is Montessori Toddler Wardrobe using Birch. There are plans for a similar Montessori Toddler Closet at instructables workshop.... Read more →

I was looking for a Wobbel board for Otto, my four-year-old. Wobbel boards are expensive so I decided to take a look at the cheaper Kmart version in person. While visiting Kmart I noticed many new things in stock including a kitchen helper. Who knew Kmart has kitchen helpers? They also have two new Montessori books in, so it's time for me to write another Kmart Montessori at home post!! There are compromises, the kitchen helper isn't height-adjustable, the balance board has a weight limit of 70kg (Wobbel's capacity is 200kg). But they get the job done and they are... Read more →

Would you like to hear about a new range of furniture designed by British architects and handcrafted from Japanese cypress? Aromon has just launched beautiful children's shelves, tables and chairs, and I think you'll love them. I have a discount code for you, at the end of this post. "Inspired by the Montessori education method, our furniture and bespoke spaces provide a healthy, safe environment to encourage exploration and independent play whilst stimulating the senses." - Aromon. The design of Aromon furniture is unique and so is the wood that they use. Aromon products are made from sustainably sourced Japanese... Read more →

Have you considered using the Sprout Montessori Wardrobe but haven't felt ready to make a decision? I frequently recommend the Sprout Wardrobe to families, especially those in the US. We have a lot of Sprout furniture and we have always been really happy with the size, proportions and quality. A child-size wardrobe allows us to store the child's clothing in a way that is accessible to the child. It allows the child to select their own clothing and also to put away their own clothing. We limit the amount of clothing accessible so the child has an age-appropriate amount of... Read more →

Do you bake often with your children? With my first child, I really had no idea how to bake with a child and I had to try really hard to make it happen. Now with my third child Otto (3yrs), we bake in some way almost every day. Sometimes he bakes alongside me on his kitchen helper at the kitchen counter. A couple of times a week I will also invite him to bake at his baking table. A baking table can be any low, child-size table. For a young child, we could use their weaning table. It just means... Read more →

Are you looking for some Montessori-style at-home activities for your child at 12 to 18 months? Here are some of our favourite activities for this age. These activities are listed in chronological order, starting at 12 months. If your child is 18 months please see my previous article Montessori Activities to Try 18-24 Months. Remember that children develop at different rates and we have access to different materials. Please use these ideas as a guide only. Above, independently reading small books. Pincer Grasp Block. Yes, children can use the pincer grasp this young! Ball push box. Play with a wallet... Read more →

Learning happens in every area of our home. Perhaps most of the learning including language and maths happens in our kitchen or outside. We have a children's table on our back deck where we work when it's not windy, but we also have this little corner of shelves at the end of our lounge/living room. This is what I call my three-year-old's 'work area'. I want to share this space with you as compared to examples I've seen online, this is a very simple set-up. We don't have a playroom or a study and that's ok, we do the best... Read more →

We are seven days into a 14 day Covid isolation period (we can't leave our home, due to Otis being a close contact). So today I vacuumed and generally tidied Otto's (3yrs 9mths) room. It looked so pretty I thought it was time to take a few pics and share the new layout with you. The last time I shared his room, he had just moved into his 'big' bed. Our home is split over four levels. Otto's room is on the fourth (top) level, and his other work shelves, art shelves, and toys are on the first (bottom) level.... Read more →

Have you ever wished someone would come to your home and help put together your Montessori-style playroom? I was once talking to a Montessori teacher friend about how small our home space was and she took a look around and came up with so many options I hadn't thought of. It's amazing what a fresh set of eyes can see. When my friend Ceinwen showed me her children's workroom (pictured above), I couldn't believe how beautiful it was. Ceinwen and her family recently moved into a gorgeous Bondi apartment and they have this workroom just off the kitchen. It's an... Read more →