Montessori Resources for Parents & Teachers

This list includes all things Montessori including Montessori lessons, Montessori at Home ideas, Montessori parenting, and tons of Montessori resources.

How to Create the Perfect Montessori Bathroom

By Marnie Craycroft Leave a Comment Filed Under: At Home Tagged With: Bathroom This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclosure for more info.

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This post outlines a few ways to create the perfect Montessori bathroom. Creating a Montessori at home environment doesn't have to be difficult or break the bank. With that said, starting Montessori at home may seem overwhelming and that is why I am here to help! First things first, let's answer the question “What does it mean to bring Montessori into the home?”

Key Aspects to Montessori at Home

Kid-sized to optimize for accessibility and therefore build independence & confidence
Real objects such as a broom that can actually be used to sweep and a glass cup as opposed to a plastic sippy cup
Simple & uncluttered
Neat & Orderly
Minimal toys
Toy & learning material rotation
Language-rich environment
Aesthetically pleasing with real plants, art at the child's eye level, and natural light
Peace corner

How to Create a Montessori Bathroom

2 Step Stool for Kids

The “2 step” is key for a growing child. I found that the one step stools, although a step in the right direction, don't quite do the trick. My son's still had to reach for the faucet or soap to get the job done. The two-step allows for the child to grow into the one step stool.

Bathroom Storage Organizer

I love this bathroom storage organizer for a child's bathroom for few reasons. First, it is colorful and simple. Next, it allows for multiple kids' gear.

Artwork for a Child's Bathroom

This artwork is perfect to add to a child's Montessori bathroom area. The prints serve as great reminders, too! I love the bright colors and fun font.

Faucet Extenders

Faucet extenders are a key component of a child's Montessori bathroom and one Montessori at Home product that I have touted in the past and continue to do so!

Light Switch Extender

Same goes for the light switch extender. Perhaps THE easiest item to add to your home, the light switch extender packs a big punch and helps the child's developing independence and confidence.

Nail Brush

I recently added nail brushes to our bathrooms. It is as though my boys dig their fingers into dirt all day long. In addition to developing a nail cutting routine, the nail brush helps a ton to keep little fingers clean not to mention it harkens back to Montessori's traditional handwashing lesson.

Soap Dispenser

This dispenser is adorable and inviting to any child. Honestly, I prefer touchless soap dispensers for obvious reasons. Plus they're great for adults & kids. How can you pass this frog soap dispenser up?

Face Cloth & Mirror

A great way for a child to learn to clean his face is by using a mirror and fun & colorful washcloths. If you can't get the wall mirror to be at eye level, offer a stool or a hand-held mirror for the child to use.

Organic Bathroom Cleaners

I have three boys and I encourage them to clean up after themselves on a daily basis. I personally like Mrs. Meyers cleaning products. We keep toilet bowl cleaner, cleaning wipes, and multi-surface cleaner in the bathroom cabinet for the boys to use.

Additional Montessori at Home Resources

The video above is a great one to get you started with bringing Montessori into your environment.
Setting Up Your Montessori Home eCourse

The Montessori Toddler

Related Reads: More Montessori Home

Montessori Summer Learning Activities for Preschoolers

By Marnie Craycroft Leave a Comment Filed Under: Activities, Montessori Tagged With: Summer This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclosure for more info.

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Are you ready for summer? I am for sure but not without a solid learning plan at my fingertips. Like any good Montessorian, I create a well-planned environment to give the child liberty to lead his own learning. As you know, I am a huge proponent of self-directed learning and that is how we're structuring our summer. These Montessori summer learning activities and resources are great for parents & teachers!

Montessori Summer Learning Activities

A big part of that plan is with Montessori materials & printables. You see, with the right resources, there is no stress. Don't worry, I have tons of Montessori resources to make your summer learning easy and loads of fun!

For those of you who receive my newsletter, you know that I have been giving you details little by little over the past few days. You may have also caught wind that this Montessori Summer Bundle is not only special because it is amazing and offered at a ridiculous discount ($450 worth of materials for $25) but the funds raised with this bundle are going to an extremely important cause.

We're Doing this for Natalie – Learn about her Story

An amazing contributor and friend within the Montessori community, Renae from Every Star Is Different, needs our help. On March 14th, Renae’s sister, Marci, gave birth (via c-section) to a beautiful little boy named Kyler. A short two weeks after Kyler’s birth doctor's diagnosed, Kyler’s older sister, Natalie, not even two year's old, with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Natalie immediately began treatment at the nearest children’s hospital – about 90 miles away from her home. As a contributor & affiliate of this Montessori summer resource, I am donating a portion of my earnings to help Natalie and her family. So, the more people buy the bundle, the quicker we can help Natalie.

Learn more about the bundle now

What is Included in the Montessori Set?

As I perused this bundle, my heart went pitter patter and my stomach filled with butterflies over the excitement of summer learning. I could close my eyes and image my boys and I using a variety of the materials to make learning fun and engaging.

There are 24 top-notch experienced Montessorians contributing to this bundle of eCourses & downloadable printables. Here is a sneak peek at a few of the awesome resources included in this pack.

Cloud Activity for Preschoolers

I imagined my sons and I laying on the cool grass in our backyard looking up to the sky studying the clouds. We enjoy identifying shapes and designs but also like to integrate a little science with naming the types of clouds. Chickie & Roo's cloud printable cards are THE perfect item to put into my back pocket. I've already printed the cards on cardstock and laminated for safekeeping!

Learn about ALL the resources included in this bundle

Pond Dipping Activity

One of our favorite activities to do during the warmer months is to explore the ecosystem of ponds. So, we get to study life cycles with Mama's Happy Hive's printables. Then, we can also study the layers of a pond and pond animals with help from Chickie & Roo & Fiddlesticks Kids, respectively. So, we're taking our exploration to the next level this summer.

Pond Animals

Layers of the Pond

Life Cycle Printables

Be sure to share this bundle opportunity with your friends!

Fruit & Vegetable Exploration Activity

We're also going to be using I Believe In Montessori's Fruits, Vegetables, Berries Activities Pack to dissect and explore the inside & outside of fruit, understand the types of berries, and identify types of vegetables. What better time to do this activity than during the amazing sunny summer months!

More Summer Activities for Preschoolers

I will be back to talk about additional resources and activity ideas related to this pack but in the meantime be sure to check out the details for yourself! Oh, I almost forgot to mention there are special giveaways every day of this promotion. Finally, the bundle offer goes away on May 18th at midnight PST.

Montessori Activity Plan for Infants and Toddlers – Fantastic Elastic Brain

By Marnie Craycroft Leave a Comment Filed Under: Activities, Montessori Tagged With: Work Plans This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclosure for more info.

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One of the biggest requests from my readers is to create a week by week Montessori activity plan for the home. This post is the start of offering those plans. Each week there will be a theme. Last week we dug into a Discovery Theme. This week's theme is Fantastic Elastic Brain inspired by an amazing book by JoAnn Deak.

Download this week's activity plan.

Montessori Work Plan – Week 2 – Fantastic Elastic Brain

Before doing any of these fun activities with your kids, definitely pick up a copy of the book Fantastic Elastic Brain or watch this read aloud on Youtube.

Dr. Maria Montessori believed wholeheartedly in bringing together movement & learning as a way to optimize the brain's development. A lot of this week's activities highlight that concept and bring it to fruition.

Several years ago, I was fortunate enough to attend the American Montessori Society conference in San Francisco. One workshop I chose to sit in was called “Kids on the Move” based on an incredible book and concept called Brain Gym by Paul and Gail Dennison. Brain Gym focuses on ‘whole brain learning' and is founded in Educational Kinesiology, the study of the movement of the human body. The basic goal is to ‘draw out potentials locked in the body.'

What is Educational Kinesiology?

Very simply and briefly, edu-Kinesthetics teaches ‘repatterning procedures' enabling student to access parts of their brains that had not been available to them previously. The best part? This stuff is great for kids AND us adults.

In this book, approach divides activities into three sections: Midline Movements, Lengthening Activities, and Energy Exercises & Deepening Attitudes. I'll give you a few examples of each below. The book is great too because it divides the exercises into specific skill sets such as writing and self-awareness skills. I also love the Brain Gym approach because of the overlap with yoga in its positions and breathing exercises.

3 Main Areas of Movement Activities for Kids

#1 – Midline Movements help us practice using both sides of the brain together. Examples include ‘Thinking if an X‘, ‘Skip A Cross‘ (which can be done to music, which is always fun), drawing ‘Lazy 8s‘, ‘Double Doodle'(I love this post giving an example of the exercise), simply drawing with both hands at the same time, and ‘Rocker‘ by leaning onto our hands and rocking back and forth in circles.
#2 – Lengthening Activities focus on ‘forward moving posture' and with the ability to express ourselves. Exercises within this area include: ‘Arm Activation‘ and the ‘Grounder‘, which are both similar to poses in yoga. Arm Activation involves holding one arm up against the ear and then using the other arm to hold it and press in, out, up and down. Grounder reminds me of a Warrior pose in yoga. You spread your legs, point the right foot (the back foot) to the right and the left foot (the front foot) straight ahead.
#3 – Energy Exercises & Deepening Attitudes assist with connecting neurons. Examples include ‘Sipping Water‘, ‘Earth, Balance and Space Buttons‘, involving pressing into the navel and other parts of the body relax us and clear our minds, ‘Energy Yawn‘ and ‘Thinking Caps‘ helping with focus. There is also my favorite, ‘Positive Points' that work on nerves and assist in moving beyond the “worry zone”.

Montessori Work Plan – Week 2 – Fantastic Elastic Brain

MONDAY

Brain Activity: Gross Motor is the name of the game. Use the book Brain Gym to do midline movements and loads of other activities helping the brain develop through movement.

Resource: Brain Gym

TUESDAY

Brain Activity: Go outside & meditate. Yoga movements. A great way to approach meditation to young children is by practicing the traditional Montessori Silence Game.

Resources:

WEDNESDAY

Brain Activity: Take Montessori Language Learning Outdoors with the activities within this post including The Art of Conversation, Storytelling in Nature, Tree of Life, Parts of Speech Hunt, and The Journey of a Grain of Sand.

Resources:

An outdoor environment
Your imagination

THURSDAY

Brain Activity: Explore the Eye’s Blind Spot with this activity! This post includes a super fun & engaging activity on Learning about the Eye.

Resources:

FRIDAY

Brain Activity: Cultimate the week with learning about the BRAIN!

Resources:

Next Steps

Montessori Sensorial Lesson: Geometric Cabinet

By Marnie Craycroft Leave a Comment Filed Under: Curriculum, Montessori Tagged With: Sensorial, Sensorial Lesson This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclosure for more info.

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The Geometric Cabinet is within Visual Sense of Sensorial. It is the last section of lessons for Sensorial preparing children for math.

Geometric Cabinet – Presentation Tray

Age:

2.5 to 5.5 years

Materials:

A wooden tray section into 6 wood squares. Three of the squares contain insets, one each of triangle, circle, and square.

Prerequisites:

Previous sensorial materials

Presentation I:

Invite the child to the work. Say to the child: “This is the presentation tray of the geometry cabinet.”
Show the child how to grasp the knobs with a 3-finger grip to slowly and only slightly move the drawer from the cabinet
Show the child how to inch the tray out with hands on either side until halfway open, then how to grasp the drawer in the middle, thumbs on top and fingers underneath
After gently placing tray on the rug, use 3-finger grip of the dominant hand to grasp the knob of each shape and move them below the drawer.
Pick up triangle inset with sub-dominant hand and, with the painted side facing child and you, trace the triangle inset with index and middle fingers of the dominant hand.
Trace the template and then say: “This is a triangle, would you like to trace the triangle? Can you say triangle?”
Replace the triangle to its blank space and complete the three-period lesson: “Please show me the triangle.”
Ask the child to put the insets back into their respective templates. Demonstrate how to properly replace the inset by slowly bringing the edge closest to you and child entering the template first: “Can you put away the circle? Can you put away the square? Can you put away the triangle?”
Carry the drawer back to the geometry cabinet. Show the child how to catch the drawer on its track and then slide the drawer into place.

Control of Error:

Inset doesn't fit
Placing the shapes into the templates properly without sound or damage
Teacher

Points of Interest:

Tracing the inset
Putting the insets back into the templates
Practice with 3 finger grip
The textures and qualities of the shape
Placing the insets back into the template corner first and gently
Opening the lid of the tray
Removing the drawer from the cabinet and seeing what is inside the drawer

Aims:

Introduction to geometry
Preparation for writing
Preparation for metal insets
Knowledge and ability to identify shapes within the environment

Language:

triangle, square, circle, template, inset, geometry cabinet, tray, drawer, knob

Geometric Cabinet – The Drawers

Age:

2.5 to 6 years old

Materials:

Wooden cabinet with 6 drawers. Each drawer has six squares. Each square has an inset of a geometric plane figure. The insets are dark blue in wooden templates. Each inset has a knob in the center to lift the inset out from the template.

Drawer 1 Six circles decreasing in diameter from 10 – 5 cm. Inset 1 (top left-hand corner) is the largest circle. Inset 6 (bottom right-hand corner) is the smallest circle.

Drawer 2 Six rectangles, one of which is a square. All rectangles have the same base but vary in height. Inset 1 (top left-hand corner) is the largest rectangle. Inset 6 (bottom right-hand corner) is the smallest rectangle.

Drawer 3 Six triangles of various angles or length of their sides. From 1 to 6 going clockwise from top left-hand corner to bottom right-hand corner, included in this drawer is isosceles right triangle, isosceles acute triangle, isosceles obtuse triangle, isosceles right triangle

Drawer 4 Contains six polygons which have a flat side for a base. From 1 to 6 going clockwise from top left included in this drawer are pentagon, hexagon, heptagon, octagon, nonagon, and decagon.

Drawer 5 Contain four quadrilaterals including a rhombus, a blank one, a trapezium, a parallelogram, a blank one, and a right angle trapezium.

Drawer 6 Contains six irregular figures including an oval, a blank space, a curvilinear triangle, an ellipse, an equilateral triangle, and a quatrefoil.

Prerequisites: Presentation Tray

Aims:

Names of plane geometry shapes
Visual discrimination of size & shape
Concentration
One to One Correspondence
Hand-eye coordination
Preparation for writing & math

Geometric Cabinet with Cards

Age: 4 to 7 years old

Materials:

A geometry cabinet, a set of cards with the shapes of the geometry cabinet drawn and colored in; another set of cards with the outlines of the shapes heavily outlined; a third set of cards with the shapes thinly outlined. The progression of introduction is: the filled in cards, the thick outline cards, and the thin outline cards.

Prerequisites:

Basic practical life exercises using the 3 finger grip

Presentation:

The presentation for the circle drawer will be described. The other drawers are presented in order, in exactly the same way. Remove all solid, thick, and thin circle cards from their box to prepare for this presentation.

Invite the child to see some new work with the geometry cabinet. Have the child bring the circle drawer, and you carry the cards. Ask the child to remove the insets and form a straight horizontal line. Then remove the templates and put them above the insets.
“These are the geometry cabinet cards for the circle drawer.” Lay the solid circle cards out randomly below the insets.
Invite the child to put the cards in order. Pick up circle one and put it on its card. Continue with the remaining insets.
“Can you see any blue on the card? Would you like to check the rest of them?”
When all cards are checked, have the child put the insets back into the templates in order, then put the templates back into the drawer in order, and finally the circles back into the templates OR Ask the child if he would like to see another set of cards.
Hand the child a set of thick lined cards and ask her to put them in order. Check the order by placing the circle on its thick outline card.
Do the first few and then ask the child to complete.
The circles can be returned to the templates at this point, the templates to the drawer and the insets to the templates

OR the work can move ahead as follows:

Randomize both sets of cards and let the child put them back in order
Then, randomize both sets of cards and the insets and let the child put them back in order
Finally, randomize both sets of cards, insets, and templates and let the child put them back in order
Show the child how to match templates to the cards
Give the child a set of thin line cards to sort; when all three sets of cards are in order, check each all the way through with the corresponding inset and leave the inset on the thin line cards which form the bottom row

Control of Error:

No blue or red showing around insets when placed on top.
The last card doesn't match.

Points of Interest:

The layout of cards
Inset fits on top of each of the three kinds of cards.
No colors showing around the edges of the insets.
Fitting templates over the solid cards.

Aims:

Visual discrimination of shape.
Small muscle and eye/hand coordination.
Develop increasingly abstract concepts of plane figures.
One to one relationships.

Language:

Name of shape, thin outline, thick outline, filled-in.

Looking for extensions? Check out this post on sensorial variations & extensions!

Marnie

The 7 Most Beautiful & Easy to Use Toddler Bedtime Routine Charts

By Marnie Craycroft Leave a Comment Filed Under: At Home, Executive Functioning Tagged With: Chores and Routines, Home Organization This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclosure for more info.

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This post includes the BEST toddler bedtime routine charts. I spent months researching and scouring the internet and beyond to find the most beautiful and most effective toddler bedtime routine charts out there! Why? Because establishing a routine is ridiculously important to child development and your family mental health.

Lauren Tamm of Military Mom and Wife and parenting expert emphasizes in her viral article Boundaries, Routines, and Early Bedtimes: 13 Habits That Raise Well-Adjusted Kids that:

There’s so much of childhood that is new and challenging for kids. Learning self-control and empathy. Learning how to be a friend and interact with others. These are all very BIG things for kids. Using something as simple as printable routine cards can help kids feel grounded and relaxed. In fact, knowing what to expect at mealtimes, mornings and bedtimes can bring a sense of relief to even the most carefree child.

Toddler Bedtime Routine Charts

Custom Personalized Kid Routine Checklist

The author of this best selling bedtime routine checklist makes it easy to customize for your child and your family. She designs the product with cute and simple visual icons to make it easy for a toddler to follow.

Toddler Evening Routine Checklist

The design of this checklist is straightforward and easy on the eye. The illustrations are colorful and simple. This checklist won't overwhelm you or your toddler.

Bedtime Routine Checklist for a Boy

I like the active voice in this checklist letting a child know that it is time to take action on his routine. Plus the colors remind me of superheroes and who doesn't love to think about superheroes especially when tackling an evening routine?

Printable Toddler Bedtime Routine Cards

By the same author a few checklists up, I chose to display this product because of the format. Having cards allows the parent variations on how to use. For example, you could laminate the cards, put velcro on the back, use clips, and so on. There are a variety of ways to implement these handy routine cards into your nighttime system.

Bedtime Checklist for Toddlers

Super simple & colorful. I appreciate the color scheme and the inviting tone of this product.

Magnetic Routine Chart

Kids love magnets and a magnetic routine chart works extremely well in any home. Toddlers can easily keep track of their progress by moving a magnetic card from one side of the routine chart to the other side. Super easy for kids to use!

Adorable Toddler Evening Routine Chart

I couldn't resist this beautiful evening routine chart. So inviting to kids. The colors are calm and peaceful while the illustrations make you want to be a part of the scene.

If you want to keep exploring, check out this list of 12 Brilliant chore charts for kids!

My All Time Favorite Montessori Mobiles for Your Baby’s Room

By Marnie Craycroft Leave a Comment Filed Under: At Home Tagged With: Brain Development, Infant & Toddler This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclosure for more info.

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I had so much fun researching & writing this post for my Montessori babies! My criteria for an exceptional Montessori mobile is pretty straightforward. The mobile needs to be simple, inviting to the eye, and be a calming presence in a baby's room. Generally speaking, a Montessori bedroom should be soothing, minimalistic, beautiful to the eye, neat, orderly, and made up of high-quality materials.

Sounds easier said than done, right?

Well, the good news is that there are baby steps you can take to begin curated a baby's nursery that meets Montessori ideals. I am happy that I can be a part of that journey with you. There are three basic visual Montessori mobiles. I've included additional mobiles falling within the same category. The three Montessori mobiles are Munari, Octahedron, and Gobbi.

Find the Perfect Montessori Mobile for Your Baby's Room

Simple Gender Neutral Mobile

I love the blues, greens, and yellows within this inviting mobile. Perfect for a boy's or a girl's nursery.

Black & White Munari Mobile

The simplicity and balance of the black & white drew my eye into this piece. The Munari mobile stimulates and develops the visual cortex, prefrontal, and parietal portions of the developing brain in newborns. The youngest children (0 – 12 weeks) should explore the Munari mobile and is certainly welcomed into development as long as the child continues to show interest.

Hot Air Balloon Infant Mobile

I want this mobile for above my bed! How gorgeous & inviting to the imagination!

Gorgeous Gobbi Mobile

A well-known concept in the Montessori world, this Gobbi mobile does not disappoint. What is Gobbi, you ask? The Gobbi Mobile consists of five spheres. It is the third in the Visual Mobile Series following the Munari and Octahedron Mobiles.

Montessori Dancers Mobile

What a fun and joyful mobile to hang above a child's bed!

Montessori Whales Mobile

There is something soothing about nature and this mobile fits the bill.

Montessori Octahedrons Mobile

After the baby has perceived basic shapes from the Munari mobile, the Octahedron is just perfect to give them an idea of basic colors. Another mobile, the second to be specific, in the Montessori visual series. The mobile consists of three basic colors blue, yellow, and red.

Black & White Pinwheel Mobile

Similar impacts as Munari, this visual stimulates a child's developing brain while introducing an intriguing pinwheel shape.

I hope you enjoyed this list of Montessori mobiles. Please keep in mind while these mobiles are beautiful and ready to hang, it is highly possible to create a DIY Montessori mobile. Which one will you choose for your child's Montessori bedroom?

Marnie

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