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March 04, 2015

Build Your Own Montessori Pull Up Bar - DIY Tutorial

Using Montessori at home from birth has been one of my greatest joys as a parent. It's been so fun to prepare our environment for my children to really explore at their own pace. When it comes to Montessori activities for infants, there are so many possibilities. One that I have really loved for each of my Montessori babies has been our DIY pull-up bar!

Montessori infant stands at diy pull-up bar and looks into mirror.

Benefits of Using a Montessori Pull-Up Bar with Babies


There are many benefits to using a pull-up bar with babies. While every baby will find a way to practice their gross motor skills, a pull-up bar puts this skill exactly on their level. A pull-up bar gives babies a safe place to practice their new pulling to stand skill. At the bar, there's no fear that a heavy piece of furniture will topple over. Plus, it's hung at just the right height for success. The mirror adds visual interest and is fascinating for babies. 

Learning to cruise along the bar is excellent strength building practice for learning to walk. Unlike walking a baby around, cruising along the bar is exactly at the child's pace and for the distance they are ready for. 


Montessori baby moves from pull-up bar to standing at shelf, she smiles to the camera as she is proud of her new movements.
Montessori baby grabs onto DIY pull up bar

Making a DIY Montessori Pull-Up Bar at Home


Everyday, Nora is getting more and more mobile. She wants to pull up on everything and cruise along the furniture. So, I knew it was finally time to install a pull-up bar. I looked into purchasing a pull-up bar, but they are pretty expensive. I couldn't see justifying the cost for one item, especially when only one (or maybe a couple) baby would use it. So, we made our own! It was easy, cheap and fits perfectly into our space.  

The whole set up cost less than $10 and took less than an hour to complete. We bought an unfinished handrail at Home Depot. Then, we used the saw available at the store, to cut it to size. I also choose to leave the wooden bar unfinished. I will rub it down with olive oil from time to time. But, this way Nora can safely suck on and teeth on the bar! 


Hanging a Montessori Pull-Up Bar


We hung the bar at 17 inches from the floor for Nora's pull-up bar. When we moved this set up to our larger playroom for our three subsequent babies, we hung at 14 inches to make it a bit easier to grab on to. The exact height will really vary based on how big your babies are. They should be able to grab fairly easily from a seated positing and then walk along with their hands not far above their chests. 

To hang, we just used screws that came with the hardware. Instead of hanging on an angle, we hung horizontally. It's very stable and I would feel confident that Nora (or even Henry) could hang on the bar without issue. 


Nora loves the bar. She moving along the bar, smiling at the cute baby and teething on the bar. It makes me sad she's already so big, but it makes me happy to find something she loves so much. 

Want more ideas to entertain a baby? Check out my Baby Activities Pinterest Board

The Montessori pull-up bar is a safe, inexpensive item that can have many beneficial effects on babies’ physical and mental development. It may seem daunting to make a DIY pull-up bar for your home, but it's well worth the effort when you witness your baby's joy in their newfound abilities. 

Learn the benefits of using a Montessori pull-up bar to enhance your baby's gross motor skill development! Discover how a simple DIY project can have a significant impact on their strength building and overall development.






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Comments

Meg Seegmiller
Meg Seegmiller said…
This comment has been removed by the author.
Meg Seegmiller
Meg Seegmiller said…
Can you go into more detail about how you attached the mirror to the wall? My 14 month old pull down our last one. She really enjoys looking at herself, but I need her to be safe too!
Every Star Is Different
Just too adorable! Where did you get the adorable shelving unit?
Anonymous
Anonymous said…
Thank you so much for this idea and directions! This will work perfectly in our home : )
Nicole @ The Kavanaugh Report
Its just hung with a couple of screws. Have you tried picture hanging strips from 3M? Those are really hard for me to pull off, so they might work for a toddler
Anonymous
Anonymous said…
This is exactly what we want to do! Can you tell me where you got the bracket that attaches the bar to the wall? Thank you!
Nicole @ The Kavanaugh Report
They are with the bar -- they are the same type of bracket that is used to attach a normal staircase handrail
Unknown
Unknown said…
i was noticing the mat you have laying on the floor by the other mirror. would you mind sharing what this mat is and how you have that mirror positioned so sturdy
Bridget Henry
Bridget Henry said…
When do you take down the bar? Once they start walking?
Nicole @ The Kavanaugh Report
You could, we left ours up since Nora loved to stand and look in the mirror. Really a personal preference.
Unknown
Unknown said…
I used this for one of my teacher's classrooms. It works great, however, I am concerned about the babies chewing on it and it splintering, may be switching to PVC pipe? Is there an alternative to olive oil?
Nicole @ The Kavanaugh Report
Alternatives to olive oil could include beeswax/coconut oil.

PVC pipe is not safe for mouthing. I would redirect in either case, and with the wood sand down any spots that may become rough. We never had an issue.