Montessori Closet

Someone asked me over the break what I might have tucked away in my big white closet here in my family room (Montessorians call it a prepared environment).  Well, let me show you!

Stickers, puzzles, basic color tablets in a bag, sponge with cups for water transferring, basket of animals, lacing cards, alphabet magnets, knobbed puzzles, animal puzzles, primary color balls, nesting cubes, a tea set for water pouring, shape sorter, tongs, and pom poms for transferring.

ABC floor puzzle, home made sound cylinders and touch boards, mystery bag of different texture fabrics, a wooden bead activity with scissor-like tongs, nesting cups, and a bolt and screw set.

These top shelves are for me.  I rotate these toys out every few days and according to Hannah's interests.  Funnels, play dough, trays, paper, pom poms, activity books, sponges, blocks, extra puzzles, foam and toothpicks, fun paper for crafts, glitter, etc. are located here.

A GREAT picture story bible, bubble wrap (a great sensorial exercise), a color book, a touch book, crayons, and an assortment of fabric to match visually.  No, Hannah does not have an iPhone (she so wishes).  But, I save fun and interesting boxes to put her activities in which makes it all the more intriguing because of the container in which it's stored (and Hannah LOVES the iPhone, as do we).

Here's what it looks like from far away.  These were actually our wardrobes in Germany minus one that is stored in the attic because it's huge (German's tax closets as rooms which is why they don't have any in their houses).  

This is the BEST PART:  IT CLOSES WHEN THE DAY IS DONE AND I DON'T HAVE TO LOOK AT TOYS.  It helps my OCD on having things stored away in their proper place and it helps me separate my work from rest after Hannah has gone to bed.

Our storage closet in the kitchen houses Hannah sized tools for sweeping, raking, and swifering.

It also has a child sized apron, dust pan, duster, and dog food since she helps to feed Lily in the morning and at night.

Our kitchen cabinets have a Hannah drawer too complete with (all child sized) rolling pins, bakeware, spatula, whisk, pan, masher, muffin tin, and ice cube alphabet trays.  Don't forget the towels for water play!

Not pictured:  Hannah's bed is on the floor so she can help make her bed when she gets up.

I try to make every or most room(s) have something interesting for play.  A great excercise to see how intersting your home is to your child is to lie on the floor and see what is interesting to your eye and what you could play with if you were your child's age.  Could it be that your child is bored because they have nothing to do that is interesting on their level throughout the house?  **Don't let this overwhelm you.  It may be as simple as switching books that you had in one room to another one so that it seems new or rotating your toys rather than having them all out at once.  Be creative!  Another idea for babies is to put artwork on the floor for them to look at as they are crawling by or putting out some new baskets with a few simple, interesting toys that they can feel and explore in a room where there weren't baskets before.  They just might make a B-line for it!

I really recommend this article for every parent of young children to read that gives one really good example of arranging your home to be accommodating to such meaningful play.  Read Bringing Montessori Home

Click here to see two other examples of a prepared environment from when Hannah was younger...