Starting the Montessori journey with your child is like opening the door to a world of fun, hands-on learning that really honors your child’s unique pace and interests.
Created by Dr. Maria Montessori, this approach is all about putting your child at the center of their own learning experience. It’s designed to be interactive and practical, helping kids become independent thinkers. Think of it as prioritizing free playtime, using natural materials for toys, and making sure your living spaces are easy to navigate and inviting for your little one!
Giving children plenty of chances to be independent and take on responsibilities helps them show their full range of abilities as they grow. Montessori is all about guiding and observing kids in their own natural surroundings, helping them discover their strengths and make their own choices so they can build a strong sense of who they are.
"Play is a child’s work".
Check out my Amazon Montessori favorites as well as my toddler wishlist, which includes SO many Montessori toys and items.
All links in the blog post are affiliate links, which means I make a percentage off your purchase at no additional cost to you.
How to set up a baby/child for success?
Provide an environment that is calm.
Use one or two shelves that are low enough for your child to reach the play/work they would like to use. (Think about if they are laying on their tummies, sitting, crawling, or standing.)
Everything that you want your baby/child to be able to use, should be reachable without help from an adult.
Provide baskets for each group of items so all the pieces stay together. We are the most successful when we show up with all the tools needed to complete the work.
Use quiet music and a low tone in your voice when your child is focused (and even babies can be focused on work!) If possible we want to allow the baby/child to finish their play before interfering- as long as they are working safely.
Set aside time to introduce new play/work to your baby/child but then also give them independent time to explore (even if they aren’t using it “correctly”, as long as they are using it safely, using it correctly will come in time.) Re-introducing the same new work every day is a great way to reteach the skill until they have mastered it.
Allow your baby/child to try a skill and make a mistake. Mistakes are how we learn. It’s okay if the rice they are pouring mostly ends up on the tray instead of in the cup. It’s okay if the tower doesn’t stay standing when they add the next block.
When working with your baby/child, make sure you are on their level. Kneeling, sitting, laying on the floor by them.
Make sure to watch for their “all done” cues. If a baby/child starts throwing the work or using it unsafely, they are showing you that they are no longer interested in this play and they have lost focus, which is okay!
Routines & Schedules for Baby's and Children
Routines and schedules are so important for babies and children because they help them know what’s coming next, making things feel safe and predictable.
When they know what’s coming next, they are able to be more independent while doing the next task, and it makes transitions happen more smoothly (which is honestly one of the hardest things for babies and toddlers - transitions).
For example, first, we play, and then we clean up our work. This can be talked through even with a young baby who cannot help yet. As your baby gets older, you can encourage them to help you put the toys away, giving them little things to clean up.
Another example is that starting around 12M, when we change our diaper, we sit on the potty. It’s okay if nothing is produced; sitting on the potty can be a positive experience created through a routine!
If you have a set routine, you know that before playtime, we get up, turn off the sound machine, open blinds, change diapers, throw the diaper in the garbage, sit on the potty, wash hands, brush teeth, get dressed, and then play. This allows for both you and your child to slow down, do independent tasks together, add some choice to the tasks, and still be on time for the next event of the day.
Following Baby's/Child's Interest
Babies and children go through sensitive periods, which are moments during their lives when they are really interested in a specific thing. This could be a certain toy or a certain skill to practice.
If they are showing high interest in something, follow their lead! During these periods when there is motivation, a baby/child will have the easiest time learning that new skill. These sensitive periods could happen overnight, honestly!
For a week, they show no interest, and the next day, they don’t want to stop. For example, you keep introducing your child to pouring work with rice and small glass cups. For that first week, your child refuses to pick up the cups or just throws the rice. Each day, you re-introduce the work but then see they are not interested, so you find a new work.
One day, you notice your child sits for longer and starts pouring that rice. Day after day that might be the activity they pick to practice. This is a great time to encourage them and let them explore independently, too.
As they master this skill, you can introduce them to other similar skills/works (show them how to pour different things like water or beans. You could add a spoon and introduce scooping) that would fit into this sensitive period, too. But as I mentioned, follow your little one's lead - if you pay attention, they'll communicate to you what they are interested in!
Want to see my Amazon Montessori compilation of my favorite Montessori items and the ways that I've used them in my own home? Check it out!
Let's break it down by age to help spur up some ideas!
Practical Life Tasks you can start with baby under12M:
Kitchen: Use spoon, use fork, drink from open face cup, wipe mouth with a small cloth towel, wipe tray with small cloth towel. Shop for kitchen supplies!
Bedroom: Turn on and off lights, turn off sound machine, pick out clothes
Bathroom: Turn on and off the water, Rub hands together under running water, "brush" teeth
Laundry Room: Grab, pick up, hand clothes to mom/dad, throw clothes in the washer and dryer
Playroom: Put the toys back in the basket
Other: Have your child assist you when cleaning, cooking & anything you do!
Activities you can do with your baby under 12M: *Sensory basket (small balls with different textures, pieces of cloth/fabric with different textures and patterns, bottles filled with different materials -rice//beads/beans, different weighted small bean bags) *Wooden nesting blocks
*Place colorful scarves or ribbons in a small box or tissue box and let your baby pull them out one by one.
*Install a baby-safe mirror at their height so that they can observe themselves
*Picture cards (this could include animals, pictures of people your baby/child sees often, household things) *Musical instruments (a type of maraca- there are a lot of egg shape shakers that are great for babies to grab onto) *Books (board books are best for young children) *Put paint into a ziplock bag and tap it on the table or high chair tray; have them use their fingers to move the paint. Practical Life Tasks you can do with baby 12M-24M: Kitchen: *Pouring water
*Serving food (have your child scoop food from a small bowl into their own bowl. You can do this hand-over-hand first to help them learn the motions) *Washing hands
*Cutting food (use kid-safe knives, use a stool for them to stand up by the countertop or make sure they are sitting at a child-sized table) *Help to prepare food (mixing, mashing, cracking eggs, rolling, scooping, pouring- measure an ingredient for them and have them pour it into the bowl) *Clean up messes with a towel and water *Use a hand-held small sweeper and dustpan to clean up messes *Use a spray bottle (filled with water) and a towel to clean
Bedroom: *Pick out clothes (give them two options to pick from. Use words like, “do you want to wear blue or red socks today?” pointing at the colored socks as you say the color.) *Puts clothes in hamper
Bathroom: *Brush hair *Brush teeth *Sit on Potty *Take off diaper (This can be tricky, but teach them where to put their fingers to remove the straps; help them pull as you are teaching them) *Throw diaper away
Laundry Room: *Help put clothes in the washing machine *Help fold laundry *Help put away clothes *Folding towels
Playroom: *Put away toys into the basket *Put basket/tray back on the shelf *Put books back on the shelf
Other: *Water plants (get a small watering can for them to use) *Flower arranging in a vase - have your child help add flowers to the vase after you cut the ends *Begin to practice putting on and taking off shoes/socks/jacket
Activities you can do with baby 12M-24M
*Discovery bags (Bags filled with objects that the child can reach in and grab. These can be things that are different textures, colors, shapes, or themes like animals) *Explore with balls of different sizes *Explore with different drawing utensils: chalk, crayons, paint sticks *Sensory table (Tray filled with rice, beans, or uncooked noodles. Have your child practice pouring or scooping) *Final motor skills - Use a jar and poke holes in the top; have your child put straws, popsicle sticks, or pipe cleaners in the holes. Use big holes to start and get smaller, as your child has more control. *Matching - Use colored pom poms and have them put all the purple pom poms in the purple cup, blue pom poms in the blue cup, etc. *Puzzles - mostly simple shape, letter, or animal puzzles (3 to 8 pieces) *Bags (or dressing frames) with velcro or zippers *Wooden blocks for building *Musical instruments *Indoor water work - pouring, washing dishes *Outdoor water work - painting on the driveway or sidewalk (just water and a paintbrush), washing toys, washing a play car, using sponges and a bucket to have them squeeze out the water from the sponge *In a tub indoors or a sandbox outdoors, hide shells or toy animals in the sand for them to find (you can give them a shovel to explore also) *Introduce them to glue - put liquid glue in a small container and have them use a paintbrush to put glue on a piece of paper; show them how to stick paper/leaves/tissue paper to the glue *Yoga/stretching/breathing *Nature walk *Use scarves when dancing to music *Painting - with fingers or paintbrush *Make your own playdough with your child and then let them use it (there are so many types of playdough recipes out there, like cloud dough and themed playdoughs with different colors, scents, and textures)
Conclusion
Introducing Montessori principles into your home sets the foundation for a nurturing and stimulating environment that encourages your child's natural development and curiosity! By integrating practical Montessori activities and arranging your living space to promote independence and learning, you create an awesome atmosphere that respects and supports your child’s individual growth journey. Whether it’s through engaging in simple activities or by adapting your home setup with child-friendly furniture and accessible materials, each step you take fosters a love of exploration and self-directed learning. As you start on this rewarding path, remember that the essence of Montessori at home is about creating intentional, thoughtful interactions and environments that cultivate your child’s potential. With patience and consistency, you’ll not only witness remarkable developments in your child’s abilities but have so much fun interacting daily with your child in what otherwise can feel like "mundane" household tasks.
Always,
Jess
L E T ' S B E F R I E N D S !
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