Montessori Toddler Closet

Our latest Montessori project has been to finally complete Henry's closet. Ever since we completed his Montessori toddler bedroom, the closet has been sitting empty -- except for a few toys that I rotate in and out for his quiet time. During this time, his clothes have still been in the baby dresser in the closet of our tot school classroom.

Since we need the baby dresser for baby things, we finally had to get the motivation to finish up the closet. I'm so happy we did, and so is Henry. For the short time that the closet has been done, he has loved picking out his outfits. Henry always had the choice to pick his outfits before, but it was significantly harder to see all the choices when things are folded in a drawer.

For this renovation, we moved an Ikea Expedit shelving unit into the space. This unit holds everything that can't easily be hung up. Baskets make it easy for Henry to get what he needs and to help put away his own laundry. Everything on the shelf is completely accessible for Henry allowing for total independence.

The other big change we made was moving the hanging bar much lower. Its at the perfect height for Henry to hang/unhang clothes. On one side of the shelf are his pajamas and the other side are his shirts. We're still working on teaching him how to put clothes on the hangers, but he can take the clothes off. He also quickly figured out how to hang clothes up on the bar by himself.

On the walls of the closet, I hung pictures I took of Henry dressing. I looked for a set of other children dressing, but I couldn't find anything I liked. These pictures add a little beauty to the space, and will hopefully give Henry the confidence to try to dress completely on his own -- something he struggles with.

The other parts of the closet -- two built in shelves -- are used for toy storage. These are things that Henry can ask to play with at quiet time or are occasionally rotated to his play shelves. Overall, I'm very happy with how the space turned out, and I'm excited to give Henry a space to practice essential care-of-self skills!

The Ultimate Montessori Toy List -- Birth to Five -- UPDATED 2020

When you are interested in Montessori, it can be difficult to know exactly what types of products you should get for your home. Or which types of "Montessori" materials are really worth the price. There are no rules about types of products can use the name Montessori which can add to the confusion. Not to mention, every toy manufacturer slaps the word "educational" on the package for good measure! 2020 UPDATE: This list is updated for another year! Enjoy a variety of Montessori friendly finds from both major retailers and smaller shops! So, with this post, I'm going to try to help with this confusion! Here's a list of Montessori-friendly toys and materials for babies, toddlers and preschoolers. First, let's clarify that there is no such thing as a "Montessori toy." Montessori never created toys, but only works for classroom settings. While there are many works that I recommend for home school use, you won't find these

Our Kids' Montessori Gift Lists 2020

With the holiday season upon us we've been making lists and gathering gifts for the Kavanaugh children. It's always a fun process of observing my children, seeing what they would really be interested in and making some decisions based on what I see. This year is different because I'm also making decisions knowing that we are looking at a very long and quiet winter ahead. So that's influencing the amount I will buy and the specific choices I will/have made. Henry and Nora are also at the point, being into the second plane of development, where they heavily influence the items on the list and what is ultimately purchased. So, you'll see that while Montessori influences what I will purchase and what goes on their list, so does their own preferences and personality. This post contains affiliate links at no cost to you. Theodore Teddy is 14-months-old right now and as the fourth baby, we have so many toddler things. But, there are a few things I've still found tha

Sensitive Periods from Birth to 6 - A Chart and Guide

Dr. Maria Montessori spent her life observing, studying, and writing about children. During her lifetime of work she discovered that young children move through a series of special times when they are particularly attracted to specific developmental needs and interests. She called these times, sensitive periods. During the sensitive period, children learn skills related to the sensitive period with ease. They don't tire of that work, but seek it, crave it and need it. When the sensitive period passes, this intense desire is gone, never to return. That doesn't mean the skill is lost forever once the sensitive period is over. Instead, it just means that it will take a more conscious effort to learn. As Dr. Montessori explains, This post contains affiliate links at no cost to you. "A child learns to adjust himself and make acquisitions in his sensitive periods. These are like a beam that lights interiorly a battery that furnishes energy. It is this sensibility which enables

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