Five Steps to Organize the Montessori Way

Many might be familiar with the Montessori method as a child-centered method of education, but did you know that it can also influence the way you organize your home and living spaces? Just as Montessori classrooms are created to give a child the opportunity to focus on one task at a time, you can also create spaces in your home that allow your child to develop their curiosities and independence. This stems from the belief that an organized, minimalist and attractive environment can help support a child’s developmental needs. As Maria Montessori, the founder herself said, “Order is one of the needs of life which, when it is satisfied, produces real happiness.”

With our very own child development expert and Montessori certified educator Maryam Thompson, we have adapted Montessori philosophies to the way we organize kids spaces via our Happy Kids service. With this service you not only get a beautifully organized space, we create designated Montessori spaces for your kids throughout your entire home, from the entryway to the kitchen, to their bedrooms. With this bespoke service, you decide how much of the Montessori principles you’d like to instill in each space.

Read on to see five ways our organizing approach uses the Montessori philosophy to create a home ideal for learning and development.

1. Prepare purposeful environments

A huge part of the Montessori method is that you need designated zones or areas for different needs. While in the classroom this may look like dedicated learning areas, at home the zones should be led by the objective. For example, bedrooms should be focused on only what is needed for the key activities such as sleeping or reading. To minimize what is in the bedroom, especially if you have a separate playroom, is to remove all the toys and gadgets. No arts and crafts or lego in the bedroom. Instead organize it to have the bedtime necessities such as books or stuffed animals.

Similarly, the playroom or family room can be designed based on Montessori principles. Instead of having all the toys in one space, separate them out based on function. You can have a reading nook, arts and crafts station, homework area, and a pretend play zone. Of course, we tweak this based on each family’s desires, as not every family wants a 100% Montessori approach.

2. Declutter toys and other items

One firm belief of Maria Montessori and subsequent teachers of this method is that a child’s mind craves order, which can be achieved through limiting the number of toys. With gifts, hand-me-downs, and your own purchases, most families collect more than they actually need over the years. These can become overwhelming for the adults and kids in the household. You might not be able to go full minimalist, but I do recommend decluttering your children’s toys. 

Start with spending a couple of weeks to observe what your kids play with - most frequently and for the longest amount of time. This will give you a good sense of what you should keep.  Because if you try to ask your kid, every toy becomes their favorite when you’re trying to declutter! Of course, depending on their age, you can involve your kids in the process but for the younger kids, this can be a project conducted discreetly while your kids are out of the house.  

Remember, remove anything that is broken or missing pieces. You can also put these in their own container to go back to after you’ve had a chance to find small missing pieces.

Another key way of decluttering is to categorize all the kids’ things, to see how much of each category you have and whether there are any duplicates. That’s when you can better determine what should stay and what should go. For the remaining items, you can start to create a backstock/ storage zone which isn’t accessible, and have 8-10 toys available for your child.

3. Organize and display key items

In a Montessori classroom, you will often see items that are easily visible, have a designated space and are accessible. This encourages not just greater concentration and accountability for your kids but it also looks beautiful, which entices kids!

First, keep everything accessible for your kids. This could look like low shelves, baskets on the floor, a kid sized or low table and chair. To also highlight their wins and creations, its nice to create a dedicated space. Some examples include floating display shelves, a bookshelf/book cupboard and art wires that can clip drawings. 

And, of course, displaying the toys that you want accessible for your kids. As mentioned above, if things are out all at once it can get very messy, very quickly. Avoid using too many big, hard-to-reach bins so that your child knows where to find the item, and more importantly, where to put them back! So having a small selection of toys visible with a specific space is the best way forward.

4. Rotate toys

Continuing on that, the Montessori method recommends rotating toys to help keep your child interested and engaged. This way you get to keep all the amazing toys you’ve purchased for them, but without the overwhelm of seeing it all at once. It’s so great to see your kid’s curiosity sparked by something that might have otherwise been ignored. It is also easier to spot which toys or activities your child is drawn to, and it can help plan out future rotations or even gifts. When you rotate activities/toys and go through the bins you can declutter as you go along. Overall, this is a great way to minimize spending and reduce waste.

5. Empower Your Child

One of the greatest benefits of organizing your home and space is that your kids feel empowered. Knowing where their things are, being able to access them easily, and also put them back will help them feel independent. A decluttered and purpose-driven play space also teaches life long skills. It helps them imbibe the benefits of tidiness, minimalism, caring for their things, and much more! Your child will learn self-respect and respect for their environment. Overall, it is great for their personal development, and sets them up for success!

If you are interested in applying some - or all! - of the Montessori philosophy elements to your home, check out our Happy Kids service here. Schedule a call with us to learn more.