“Mrs. Craycroft, I need more labels,” said the sweet voice of a four-year-old.
“Thank you for asking so kindly,” I responded as I reminded her the labels are available for her to access in a filing box across the room. She happily skipped over to the box that held the labels.
This, my friends, is pure joy. Win. Win. I am able to shift my focus more easily with this type of organization and she is able to further develop independence, responsibility, and, not to mention, confidence simply by having a prepared environment. Beyond Montessori materials , there are supplies that will be useful for you to include in your learning space. This post includes my top recommendations for Montessori classroom essentials.
“The environment must be rich in motives which lend interest to activity and invite the child to conduct his own experiences.”
― Maria Montessori
My Top 20 Must Have Montessori Classroom Essentials
- Kid-sized scissors are a must for many reasons. Cutting works are a big part of the early childhood classroom. Art projects often necessitate scissor cutting. Plus the fine motor work involved with scissor cutting is top notch.
- Various types of paper ranging from tissue to card stock for cutting works
- Large thumbtacks or pin poking tools for Pin Poking Works
- Work rugs for the floor and tables
- An assortment of trays for an array of Montessori works
- First Glass Set, Kid-sized utensils, and small plates. Montessori Services has many great food preparation options!
- Lots of various basket shapes and sizes for objects, books, and various other materials available in an early childhood classroom
- Aprons come in super handy with food preparation, water works, sensory tubs, and art activities.
- Table Mats are also a great purchase. I am a huge fan of these vinyl mats from Montessori Services. Easy to clean and keeps the space clear.
- Display Stands
- Colored Pencils
- Pencil Sharpener
- Pencil Holders
- High-quality eraser
- Various sized Tracing Paper
- Butcher Block Paper
- Wooden work board (I bought mine at Home Depot. I grabbed an 8 x 4 thin piece of wood and asked them to halve it.)
- A stapler comes in handy for combining pages of a booklet. Plus, kids love a good, old-fashioned stapler!
- Small, portable file system for labels, maps, pin poking.
- Metal inset paper is one purchase some may call a “luxury” but I have tried to “DIY” in this arena and the tradeoff between time, quality, and money just didn’t make sense. So, I buy our paper.
There you have it! My Top 20! What are your classroom essentials??
Marnie