Creating a Montessori Playroom

I’ve been really interested in the Montessori method this past month. Honestly before that I didn’t really know what it was. I thought it had to do with expensive wooden aesthetically pleasing toys. I felt like it was a fad and I didn’t want to be apart of it. I think Instagram turned me off from it. People have been putting the name Montessori on toys that aren’t even Montessori and charging so much money for them. I understand that now!

As I’ve started to do some research myself I’ve become inspired by the Montessori Method as well as Waldorf. I’m starting to implement these methods of learning and parenting. I feel so much more confident as a mother and I feel like I’m doing less.

So what is Montessori? Montessori is self-directed, hands-on learning. Having a prepared environment is key!

Here is how we have been starting to incorporate Montessori in our playroom!

1. Declutter! We got rid of flashy, overstimulating toys. We simplified the toys that were available by creating a toy rotation. I love that the focus is simplicity. Here are a few affordable Montessori inspired toys that we love!

2. Display toys in a more engaging way! In the play room we have a storage cube with 8 cubbies. I took away the baskets that were there previously so that the toys could be easily seen. I’m in LOVE with these shallow rope baskets! Such a great price and a must have for starting a Montessori shelf! Just by displaying the toys differently Lucy has started to play with toys she hadn’t been interested in since forever ago!

Check out this short video for tips on creating a Montessori inspired shelf.

3. Start a toy rotation! As mentioned earlier we started a toy rotation during our decluttering process. I read a post from Jerrica Sannes that said..

“More toys = decision fatigue. Decision fatigue = lack of creative thinking. Lack of creative thinking = 1.) toys that sit untouched or 2.) huge messes after just a few seconds of play.”

That really inspired me! I put the Legos in a big bin and all the other toys not in rotation in another bin. Both of these are in the garage easily accessible! We just switched the toys in rotation this week! So we went about two weeks before I started to notice her losing interest in the toys we had out.

Having Lucy play independently for hours during the day has been A GAME CHANGER. I’m so much happier and so is she! I’m so glad we took the leap and started to incorporate aspects of Montessori into our home.