Toddler programs in Montessori schools generally start at 15-18 months and run to age 2½ or 3. You can use many of the same Montessori principles and ideas to create a Montessori-friendly toddler environment at home.
The Montessori phrase “Help me to do it by myself” is probably the most important concept to keep in mind for your toddler. Create an environment that will help your toddler gain as much independence as possible.
There are many things you can do to make your home a Montessori-friendly toddler environment. You’ll want to have low shelves with activities in baskets and on trays, toddler-size table and chair, and real child-size tools and utensils. Practical life activities for care of self, care of the environment, control of movement, and grace and courtesy will be essential.
Ideas for Creating a Montessori-Friendly Toddler Environment
I have a number of posts about toddlers, such as Preparing a Montessori Baby-Toddler Space at Home.
You can see my updated toddler environment in Preparing Montessori Toddler Spaces at Home.
Montessori for Everyone has Essentials of a Toddler Classroom and other infant and toddler posts.
The International Montessori Index has resources for Montessori Birth to Three.
Daily Montessori has information for Montessori 12-24 Months and Montessori 24-36 Months.
Lovely Examples of Montessori-Friendly Toddler Home Environments
Montessori Toddler Closet (Photo from Vibrant Wanderings – blog is no longer available)
To the Lesson! (Montessori bed post) and toddler posts
The Montessori Child at Home (ideas for both toddlers and older preschoolers)
Some Helpful Resources
My toddler category has lots of activities for toddlers ages 1 to 3.
I have a post on Top 10 Montessori Principles for Natural Learning.
Montessori for Infants and Toddlers has blog posts with lots of Montessori ideas.
Montessori Mom has Toddler Scope and Sequence & Lesson Ideas – Practical Life Skills.
“What’s unique about a Montessori program for toddlers?” is a 1-minute video from Cottage Montessori.
It’s best to provide lots of manipulatives for learning, but don’t worry about doing many formal Montessori lessons with your child. Follow your child’s interests and let him or her choose activities.
Here’s a reassuring post from Confessions of a Montessori Mom Blog: Can You Give a Toddler a Lesson?
Montessori MOMents has a post on ages 0-6 with some information and links appropriate for toddlers.
Montessori Learning Materials and Activities for Toddlers
For older toddlers, see the links in my posts How to Set Up a Montessori Space at Home and How to Set Up a Montessori Homeschool Classroom.
Montessori Mom has a post on Toddler Scope and Sequence & Lesson Ideas-Practical Life Skills.
Montessori Print Shop has inexpensive toddler materials (materials for language development).
Montessori for Everyone has inexpensive toddler materials (materials for language development along with a comprehensive checklist).
Our Montessori Home has many posts on infant and toddler activities.
1+1+1=1 has Tot School ideas and links to other parents who often use Montessori-inspired activity trays and manipulatives.
(Photo: Tot School – 15 Months from the former Growing a Godly Girl blog)
Little Red Farm has lots of Montessori-inspired toddler activities.
Cherry Blossom Adventures has many Montessori-inspired activities during “tot school.”
Barefoot in Suburbia has many ideas for toddler learning (photo from Toddler Tuesday).
Montessori Mama has many posts with toddler activities.
Kingdom of the Pink Princesses tells how they’ve adapted their home and homeschool to include a toddler.
My Child-Centered Life has many Montessori-inspired toddler activities.
2015 UPDATES:
Living Montessori Now has a YouTube channel with lots of Montessori-inspired activities for toddlers! In our YouTube videos, my daughter, Christina (who was a Montessori child) shows activities to my toddler granddaughter, Zoey. I write the scripts, and I’m the person behind the camera. 🙂
Here’s an example of one of the videos: “Introducing Montessori Rules and Routines to a Toddler”
Preparing Montessori Spaces in Your Home
See “How to Create a Montessori-Friendly Home” for ideas for a number of levels. Here are some of my main home environment posts:
- How to Prepare a Montessori Baby Room at Home (roundup post)
- How to Prepare a Montessori Toddler Environment at Home (roundup post)
- Preparing a Montessori Newborn Baby Space at Home
- How to Use Montessori Mobiles to Encourage a Newborn Baby’s Development and Delight
- Preparing a Montessori Baby Space with Shelves at Home
- Preparing a Montessori Baby Space in Your Living Room
- Preparing a Montessori Baby-Toddler Space at Home
- Preparing Montessori Toddler Spaces at Home
- How to Prepare Montessori Shelves for a 2 Year Old
- How to Prepare Montessori Shelves for a 2½ Year Old
- How to Prepare Montessori Shelves for a 3 Year Old
- How to Prepare Montessori Shelves for a 3½ Year Old
- How to Prepare Montessori Shelves for a 4 Year Old
- How to Prepare Montessori Shelves for a 4½ Year Old
- How to Prepare Montessori Shelves for a 5 Year Old
- How to Prepare Themed Montessori Shelves
- How to Prepare a Montessori Home Environment for Afterschooling
- Create an Attractive Home Environment from Montessori at Home!
- How to Set Up a Montessori Homeschool Classroom
- How to Prepare Montessori Homeschool Spaces for Babies through First Graders
Learn more about my eBook Montessori at Home or School: How to. Teach Grace and Courtesy!
If this is your first time visiting Living Montessori Now, welcome! If you haven’t already, please join us on our Living Montessori Now Facebook page where you’ll find a Free Printable of the Day and lots of inspiration and ideas for parenting and teaching! And please follow me on Instagram, Pinterest (lots of Montessori-, holiday-, and theme-related boards), and YouTube. While you’re here, please check out the Living Montessori Now shop.
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Thanks for another great, resource-rich post, Deb. I’ll have to work through all of the links in this one and look for ideas to enrich our environment. I’m honored that you chose to include my photo, too! 🙂
Thanks so much, Melissa! I love what you’re doing with your home environment. Your blog is such a wonderful resource for parents with toddlers! 🙂
Just gave you an award on my blog. Thanks for all you do. I appreciate your gathering of resources!
http://www.ourmontessorihome.com/2011/08/lovely-blog-award/
Thanks SO MUCH for your kind comment and for the award, Jessica! I’m honored and truly appreciate it!
DEB! Miss you and stopping over from HHH! Have a great Tuesday!
Meghan
http://www.thetuckerstaketennessee.com
Thanks so much for stopping by, Meghan! I miss you, too … we don’t get to visit often enough! I hope you have a great Tuesday, too! 🙂
Great minds think alike. I posted on a very similar subject today too. I loved yours! So well written and full of great info. Thanks for sharing Deb!
Thanks, Lori! It is funny that we posted on a similar topic today! I just added two links and your post! 🙂
Thanks for your comments and featuring my posts on your facebook and pinterest! 😀
My pleasure, Jennifer! I always enjoy reading about your activities! 🙂
Thanks for including my toddler posts in this post! I’ve added the right tags to the most recent posts. You are doing a wonderful job of collecting awesome links in superb posts. I visited every single blog you’ve linked for ideas. Thanks again!
Thanks so much for your kind comment! I really appreciate your tagging the posts so lots of parents can gain information from your experiences! Have a wonderful weekend! 🙂
Hi Deb!
Thanks for linking back to my blog!
My pleasure! I love what you’re doing with your daughter! 🙂
Wow! Thank you for putting together so many great resources. I will be spending some time going through these links!
Thanks so much, Sylvia! I’m glad they’re helpful! 🙂
My sister-in-law had a Montessori school in Chicago for years. This is a great site. Your daughter will certainly profit from “living” Montessori. I’m impressed with all the information here.
Thanks so much for your kind comment, Pamela! My kids are actually grown now, but I’ll enjoy watching them use Montessori principles when they have kids of their own! 🙂
This is an AMAZING collection of links and information! I am slowly working toward a “Montessori-ish” environment for our daughters, and this is incredibly helpful. 🙂 Thank you!
Thanks, Sarah! I’m so glad it’s helpful for you! 🙂
So many great resources that we can use at our preschool.
Thanks Deb!
Thanks so much, Betsy! I had fun finding them … glad you can use them! 🙂
My wife and I are thinking of sending our youngest son to the local Montessori school, and currently we are “devouring” everything we can find about the whole Montessori experience. I appreciate the effort you have put in to this site. It really shows.
I just found this … thanks so much for your kind comment, Henry! I hope your son has a great experience! 🙂
wow thanks for this post, my toddler is just 18 months and I was looking for some solid info on this.
This is really going to help me get things set up properly.
Thanks, Mary! I just found your comment … I hope you’ve found some ideas that work well in your home! 🙂
I love this post. It gives me something to work towards with my home {no space now but building a new house now!} and with my boys.
I love your posts and I always leave inspired and while I do not have as much time to blog hop as I did before I always enjoy looking through your archives and links when I get the change. Such a great resource! Thank you!
I just found your kind comment, Lulu … thanks so much! I always love hearing from you and reading about what you’re doing with your boys! 🙂
Bookmarked it. Baby is only 6 months old, but i will keep watch for when she gets to a toddler. TY. Steve 🙂
Thanks for your comment, Steve … just found it! What fun times you have now and in the future … enjoy! 🙂
Thanks so much for linking to my blog! I love this collection of resources, so helpful. I’m looking forward to looking at every link. Best wishes. Rach.
Thanks, Rach! I just found your kind comment … I love what you share at your blog! 🙂
I love all the helpful tips you have to create a Montessori environment. Even though we probably won’t be able to send our daughter to a Montessori school, I still think that it’s important to have an environment that enables her to think and do for herself. We just bought a toddler table and chair set for her room. We expect that it will be the first of many such purchases to create a Montessori home environment.
Thanks so much for your comment! (Just finding some comments very late.) It’s wonderful that you’re focused on creating a Montessori home environment! 🙂
This is a great resource! Thanks!
Thanks so much for your kind words! I’m so glad my post is helpful! 🙂
I don’t know if anyone has mentioned it to you, but the link to Walden U for the table directions leads only to their main site. I searched the site and could not find those directions. Do you have another link that I could try?
THanks!
Thanks so much for your comment, Laurie! Unfortunately, it seems the post was removed. I couldn’t find it, either. I removed the link from my post. I appreciate you letting me know about it.
I really appreciate the time you have put into your site! A few months ago, I started Toddler and Casa classes for families in a low-income social housing apartment. The children attend at no cost and we are all volunteers (a dream I had after my own children started at our local Montessori school). Your amazing resources will be put to use with our parents in our classes! Thanks.Tina
Thanks so much for your kind comment, Tina! What a wonderful service you’re giving! Wishing you many blessings! 🙂