How to Design a Montessori Playroom at Home
Perfect for children between the ages of two and six, a Montessori playroom is different from the traditional space, mostly for its lack of walls and arrangement. All of the toys and furniture are in their own areas around the room, while the child sits on the floor amongst all of these wonderfully exciting tidbits.
The Montessori playroom is so popular because it’s designed to immerse children into their environment and encourage engagement, discovery, and learning. And the best part is, you can put any sensory toys or kid-safe adventurous goodies in this area – the only limit is your imagination.
Recreate the Montessori Method at home
If you’re looking for playroom ideas, this concept is beneficial for so many reasons and super easy to put together at home.
The aim is to keep it all clean and minimalistic, giving enough space for your child to play with a limited number of age-appropriate products – like wooden baby toys. Keeping your approach focused on this key function means you’ll ensure education is prioritised, as well as entertainment. Why? Because the child is given free rein to look at and touch a whole range of educational toys at one time.
When you’re ready to get started in creating a Montessori playroom at home, keep these guidelines in mind:
- Everything in the playroom should be chosen for a specific reason – avoid cluttering with products that don’t serve value for your child.
- Your child’s height is super important – Montessori furniture is designed around their height and is displayed at their level and at their reach.
- The space should feel comfortable and cozy so that your little one wants to be in it
- Include enough space for them to play freely in.
- Everything in the room should have its own allocated space. This means that the child should put it away back where it should go – or mum and dad can if they’re still too young to do it themselves. For example, everything goes back to its designated place so that the room is kept clean and tidy at all times.
Imagine a big open space with carefully selected toys plotted around the area. It looks tidy, but there’s still plenty of room to move and play around in. This is the foundation of this playroom idea, giving children the ability to explore and learn in a safe environment.
Ultimately, the Montessori baby play space is based on the belief that children learn best through active, hands-on exploration. The toys in the room are designed to encourage and support these adventures and can be used as part of your little one’s daily activities.
Easy tips for starting your very own Montessori baby play space
While you can set your environment up however you wish, we recommend using the above points as your foundation and the following tips as your first steps.
Incorporate a variety of activities
The Montessori playroom follows the thought that kids are most engaged when participating in many different activities. The child's mind and body must be stimulated by various types of learning experiences, such as reading books, playing games, doing art projects, listening to music, watching television or movies, etc.
This variety helps keep your child mentally active throughout the day. It also allows them to develop problem-solving skills, creativity, imagination, patience, perseverance, and self-control.
Look and feel matters
Your playroom should be a cozy space that you and your child can enjoy spending time in every day. How you choose to style the area is entirely up to you, but we recommend including lots of natural light, a small comfy couch for snuggles and reading time, and some nice plants for a pop of greenery.
Assess the purpose of every toy
When you’re looking at what products to include in your setup, consider the purpose and what they will bring your child during their playtime sessions. Whether they’re sensory in nature, designed for fiddling, good for teething, or problem-solving – analyse what they bring to the table.
Include a floor bed
The nifty floor bed makes for a great area to cuddle, hang out, read, or just let your bub crawl all over you. It’s also ideal for safe tummy time. Including a floor bed in your Montessori setup allows your little one to explore independently in a comfortable area.
If you’re looking to make your own, we recommend using a mattress topper as a budget-friendly alternative to playmats. You can also put a bunch of body pillows around it so that those little rollers are kept in one area.
Play tiles are also an ideal solution if a mattress topper isn’t quite what you’re after.
Note: If you want this area to be a place for your bub to nap when they can’t turn over yet, we recommend skipping the pillows, as these can present a suffocation hazard.
One final note
Remember that the Montessori playroom is all about building an experience full of joyful learning and development. Creating your very own space where you and your child can explore together is an exciting journey, so get brainstorming!
If you’re looking for more inspiration, browse Fauve + Co’s exciting range of playthings to fill up your space with products that will make that little face beam with delight.
For more information on our collection for helpful advice, get in touch with our super-friendly customer service team.